Babylonia and Ancient Near Eastern Texts

Babylonian Tablets, Ancient Near Eastern Texts keyed to Britannica Online for Serious links to research on Babylonia. This material is keyed to links to the Britannica On Line Eddition for a coherent outline of the events recorded in the Ancient Near Eastern Texts.

Israel fell into Babylon-Canaanite-Egyptian worship as musical idolatry at Mount Sinai. Because of that God turned them over to worship the "starry hosts" according to Stephen in Acts 7 and many of the prophets. The worship of the MONARCHY was in a Jebusite High place given to David as an alternative site for sacrifices and was not God's method of spiritual worship. For that reason, we should be aware that modern styles of "musical worship" are built on the Jewish Temple-State and not on the New Testament church as a synagogue or school of the Bible. This first link will direct you to a person promoting such worship and attempting to discredit those who will neither BOW NOR BURN.

David's Temple as a request to rule and worship like THE NATIONS. The Hebrew word goyim, "nations", is a clerical error for Gutium or Guti, a neighbouring state which plays an important role throughout Babylonian history.

Comparing the Elements of the Jerusalem Temple to the Tower of Babel and other ancient temples

Babylonian Background to Jewish Sabbath

This page does not expand upon the fact that the primary "gods" were originally the erratic heavenly bodies including the Sun, Moon and the known planets. The world's literature is aware of a much less stable world and the elements which controlled their lives were seen as living powers. Lesser gods were deified men and women who made it to god status because of some great invention of control devices such as canals, dikes, weapons or musical instruments.

The Bible also personifies God's power by explaining His "Spirit" or Mind as hovering over the waters; God "walks upon the wings of the wind." And His ministers are "wind, fire, earthquakes, etc." Because God is invisible we see His work in the natural world. Job (27:1; 29:1) speaks of the creative events as "parables" and Jesus said that the mysteries of God were hidden in parables from the foundation of the world (Matthew 13). It is important to understand that mountains do not "praise" God and trees do not "clap their hands."

Mesopotamian religion

Beliefs and practices of the Sumerians and Akkadians, and their successors, the Babylonians and Assyrians, who inhabited ancient Mesopotamia (modern Iraq) in the millennia before the Christian era. These religious beliefs and practices form a single stream of tradition.

Four periods of Sumerian can be distinguished: Archaic Sumerian, Old or Classical Sumerian, New Sumerian, and Post-Sumerian.

Archaic Sumerian covered a period from about 3100 BC, when the first Sumerian records make their appearance, down to about 2500 BC. The earliest Sumerian writing is almost exclusively represented by texts of business and administrative character. There are also school texts in the form of simple exercises in writing signs and words. The Archaic Sumerian language is still very poorly understood, partly because of the difficulties surrounding the reading and interpretation of early Sumerian writing and partly because of the meagreness of sources.

Akkadian spread across an area extending from the Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf during the time of Sargon (Akkadian Sharrum-kin) of the Akkad dynasty, who reigned from about 2334 to about 2279 BC. By about 2000 Akkadian had supplanted Sumerian as the spoken language of southern Mesopotamia, although Sumerian remained in use as the written language of sacred literature

Sumerian in origin, it was added to and subtly modified by the Akkadians (Semites who emigrated into Mesopotamia from the west at the end of the 4th millennium BC), whose own beliefs were in large measure assimilated to, and integrated with, those of their new environment.

The Hurrians enter the orbit of ancient Middle Eastern civilization toward the end of the 3rd millennium BC. They arrived in Mesopotamia from the north or the east, but it is not known how long they had lived in the peripheral regions. There is a brief inscription in Hurrian language from the end of the period of Akkad, while that of King Arishen (or Atalshen) of Urkish and Nawar is written in Akkadian.

Amorite: member of an ancient Semitic-speaking people who dominated the history of Mesopotamia, Syria, and Palestine from about 2000 to about 1600 BC. In the oldest cuneiform sources (c. 2400-c. 2000 BC), the Amorites were equated with the West, though their true place of origin was most likely Arabia, not Syria. They were troublesome nomads and were believed to be one of the causes of the downfall of the 3rd dynasty of Ur (c. 2112-c. 2004 BC).

The Kassites in Babylonia: The Kassites had settled by 1800 BC in what is now western Iran in the region of Hamadan-Kermanshah. The first to feel their forward thrust was Samsuiluna, who had to repel groups of Kassite invaders. Increasing numbers of Kassites gradually reached Babylonia and other parts of Mesopotamia. There they founded principalities, of which little is known. No inscription or document in the Kassite language has been preserved. Some 300 Kassite words have been found in Babylonian documents. Nor is much known about the social structure of the Kassites or their culture. There seems to have been no hereditary kingdom. Their religion was polytheistic; the names of some 30 gods are known.

Chaldea: also spelled CHALDAEA, Assyrian KALDU, BABYLONIAN KASDU, Hebrew KASDDIM, land in southern Babylonia (modern southern Iraq) frequently mentioned in the Old Testament. Strictly speaking, the name should be applied to the land bordering the head of the Persian Gulf between the Arabian desert and the Euphrates delta. Words related to the Chaldeans shows that the word is synonynous with "Astrologers, Magi, Sorcerers, and musical magicians" because of their discovery of the god-calling power of ringing brass or vibrating strings.

Britannica History of Mesopotamia (Cheap membership required from Britannica)

The Blue text links to the Britannica or to translated texts hosted on this site.

Unless otherwise noted:

Gracious permission from: "Copyright J.A. Black, G. Cunningham, E. Robson, and G. Zlyomi 1998, 1999, 2000. The authors have asserted their moral rights." Scholarly Versions at their Home Page

A

AB

ABGAL

ABRAHAM

Abraham, Ur of Chaldees, Fertile Crescent Travel
Sanctuary Dedicated to Ibrahim (below)

ABSU

ABYSS s

ABZU abzu wr. ab-su, ab-zu

ADAD (+BM) See Hadad

ADAPA (+BM) (Uan, Oannes)

Adapa Myth

ADMINISTRATION

ADONAI (+BM)

AGADE (+BM)

The Legend of Sargon of Agade-Barton\
The Sargon Legend From etcsl\
The Cursing of Agade\

AGRICULTURE

Three ox-drivers from Adab\
The farmer's instructions\
How Grain Came to Sumer

AHIKAR (+BM)

The Story of Ahikar, Grand Vizier of Assyria
Book of Tobit

AKITU

Akitu Festival

Akitu Festival At Ur: http://www.GatewaysToBabylon.com/religion/sumerianakitu.htm

Magic: http://www.GatewaysToBabylon.com/religion/magic1.htm

AKKAD The first Babylonian city.

AKKADIANS

AN

The Worm and the Toothache

ANSHAR and KISHAR

ANTUM

ANU

Anunnki - Anu, Enlil, Shamash, Ea - The Creation of Man

ANUNNA

ANUNNAKI (Anukki, Enunaki)

ANZU

Epic of Lugalbanda
Myth of Anzu
LUGALBANDA AND THE ANZU BIRD

Enunaki

APOPIS

APSU

AQHAT or Aqahat See DANIEL

ARURU (Mammi)

ASAG (KUR)

ASALLUHE

ASHERAH

ASHUR (Assur)

The Creation Account From Ashur

ASHURBANIPAL

Advice To A Prince
Prayer of Ashurbanipal to Shamash (the sun god)
Babylonian Proverbs and recepts- Ashurbanipal's Library - Ancient Education

ATRAHASIS

Atrahasis and Human Creation -
The Creation Account From Ashur
Enki and Ninmah

BABEL

BABYLON (Babil)

Babylonia Catholic Encyclopedia
The Legend of Sargon of Agade

BAU

BEER AND BARLEY

The Hymn to Ninkasi - Making Beer

Read a Modern Testing

How Grain Came to Sumer

BEL

Bel and the Dragon may speak to modern performing clergy.

Baal Cycle

BELILI

BELIT

BRAZEN Serpent

Some Articles on Serpent Worship moved

BULL OF HEAVEN

Gilgamesh and the Bull of Heaven Photos Added

BULL WORSHIP

BYTHUS, Bythos

See Gnostic version of Jesus' "in spirit and in truth concept."

CALAH

CHALDEA (Chaldaea, Assy Kaldu, Bab Kasdu, Heb Kasddim)

CHALDEAN

Chronology and Images Off Site

COSMOS

DAG, DAGAN, Dagon

Bell and the Dragon

DAMKINA (Chaldean, Babylonian)

DAMU

DAZIMUA:

DANIEL or Danel

Daniel in North Syria Aqahat, Paghat, El, Anath, Daniel, Danel
Daniel's Need for a Son

DEEP

DEMON OR Daemon

The Seven Evil Spirits or Demons

DEMIGODS

DEMONS GALAS

DILMUN

DIMME LAMASHTU

DINGIR

Epic of Paradise Column I, II, III, IV, V, VI

DRAGON

DUMUZI

Dumuzi is Presented to Inanna
The Courtship of Inanna and Dumuzi
Dumuzid and Geshtin-ana
Dumuzid's Dream
Shumdunda Grass

DUMUZI-AMASHUMGALANA

DUMUZI-ABZU

EA-EL

EA (ENKI)

The ME, Inanna - Ea - Gift of Wisdom and Music
Enki and the World Order,
Enki and the World Order From ECCL

Nam-shub of Enki confusion of tongues

EA-ENGURRA Temple of the god Ea in Eridu.

ENKI BUILDS THE E-ENGURRA

EANNA or E-Anna

EIGHT CHILDREN OF KI

EKUR

Enlil in the E-kur (Enlil A)

ELLIL (Illil, Sumerian Enlil)

The Creation of the Pickax by Enlil, the Babylonian Holy Spirit
Anunnki - Anu, Enlil, Shamash, Ea - The Creation of Man

ENHEDUANNA

PRAYER OF ENHEDUANNA -ADORATION OF INANNA OF UR

ENMEBARAGESI, king of Kish

ENKI (EA)

Atrahasis myth
Enki and Ninhursanga
Enki and Ninmah
Enki and the world order
Enki's journey to Nibru
Enki Builds the E-Engurra
Adapa Myth
The Eridu Genesis

ENKIDU

Domestication of Enkidu
Gilgamesh, Enkidu and the nether world

ENLIL See Bel

Enlil and Ninlil
Enlil and Ninlil - ETCSL Translation
The Worm and the Toothache
How Grain Came to Sumer
Enlil and Sud
Enlil in the E-Kur (Enlil A)
Enlil and Nam-Zid.Tara

ENMERKER

Enmerkar and the Lord of Aratta
Enmerkar and En-suhgir-ana

ENUMA ELISH

The Creation - Magian Version
Enmerkar and the Lord of Aratta
The Babylonian Creation Epic All Tablets in One File: N.K.Sandars
Tablet I, Tablet II, Tablet III, Tablet IV, Tablet V, Tablet VI, Tablet VII By Stephanie Dally
Fragment describing the creation of animals.
Tablet I, Tablet II, Tablet III, Tablet IV, Tablet V, Tablet VI, Tablet VII From George A. Barton
Enuma Elish, The Fifty Names of Marduk, Tablet VIb - VII From E. A. Speiser
Introduction, Tablet I, Tablet II, Tablet III, Tablet IV, Tablet V, Tablet VI, Tablet VII E. A. Speiser
ENSUHKESHDANNA See Enmerker Above

Enmerkar and Ensuhkeshdanna

ERECH

ERESHKIGAL

Marriage of Nergal and Ereshkigal

ERIDU

THE ERIDU GENESIS

The Eridu Genesis

ERRA (Mythica)

ERRA AND ISHUM

ESAGILA

ETANA MYTH

The Myth of Etana

ETEMENANKI

FLOOD

Tablet XI of the epic of Gilgamesh
The Flood Story
Flood Narrative

GARDEN

Expulsion From the Garden

GALAS, The demons

GESHTINANNA, GESTINNANA (Demi-god)

Dumuzid and Geshtin-ana

GILGAMESH

Gilgamesh Prologue
Tablet I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, XII
Speiser XI

Translation by E. A. Speiser, in Ancient Near Eastern Texts (Princeton, 1950), pp. 60-72,
as reprinted in Isaac Mendelsohn (ed.), Religions of the Ancient Near East, Library of Religion
paperbook series (New York, 1955). PP. 100-6; notes by Mendelsohn

http://www-etcsl.orient.ox.ac.uk/catlist.htm

The Flood Narrative From the Gilgamesh Epic 11th tablet
Another Flood Narrative From the Gilgamesh Epic
Sumerian Flood Narrative From the Gilgamesh Epic
Gilgamesh and Agga of Kish
Gilgamesh and the Bull of Heaven
Flood Narrative
The death of Gilgamesh
Gilgamesh, Enkidu and the nether world
Gilgamesh and Huwawa (version A) or Humbaba
Gilgamesh and Huwawa (version B)

GUDEA general background)

GUGALANA

GULU

HADAD

HAMMURABI King of Babylon 1848-1806 BC.

Code of Hammurabi
Marriage Contracts

HESOID

Hesoid's Theogony

HULLUPU TREE

Hullupu Tree

HUMBABA (Humwawa)

Gilgamesh and the Bull of Heaven
Gilgamesh and Huwawa (version A) or Humbaba
Gilgamesh and Huwawa (version B)
Gilgamesh and Agaga of Kish

IGIGI (ee gee' gee)

INANNA (Inannu)

PRAYER OF ENHEDUANNA -ADORATION OF INANNA OF UR
Hullupu Tree
The ME, Inanna - Ea - Gift of Wisdom and Music
The Courtship of Inanna and Dumuzi BabCourtship.html
The Exhaltation of Inana BabInanaB.html
Inana's descent to the nether world J.A. Black etal.
Inanna Descent Wolkstein - Kramer
Inana and Enki

Inanna and Ebih
Dumuzi is Presented to Inanna
Inana and Shu-kale-tuda
Dumuzid and Geshtin-ana
The death of Dumuzi
Dumuzid's Dream
Hymn from Inanna to Tammuz
Hymn of Love from Inanna to Tammuz
Inanna and Bilulu

IMDUGUD See NINURTA

ISHKUR Married goddess Shala

ISHTAR

Ishtar Descent into to the Nether world
Istar Descent into the Netherworld - Babylon
The Sleep of Ishtar
Hymn to Ishtar
Prayer of Lamentation to Ishtar

KI / Ninhursag

EIGHT CHILDREN OF KI, THE??????

KINGS (Sumerian)

Sumerian King List
Sumerian King List - Long *
Long-Lived Patriarchs
Antediluvian Patriarchs

KINGU The dragon of chaos. See Below

KISH

KISHAR

KOSMOS Pythagoreanism

KOTHAR

KUR The Underworld. (See Asag).

LAGASH

Umma and Lagash
Rulers of Lagash
Sumerian Inscription Umma and Lagash - Babylonia

LAHMU AND LAHAMU

LAMU:

LAHAMU:

LAMASHTU

LARSA

LEVIATHAN liweyathan (Hebrew) (BM

LILITH (Hebrew)

LUCIFER (Latin)

LUDLUL BEL NEMEQU

Ludlul Bel Nimeqi, Tabu-utul-Bel (Job)

LUGALBANDA (Mesop. hero)

Lugalbanda and kar
Lugalbanda in the mountain cave
Lugalbanda epic
Lugalbanda and Enmerkar
LUGALBANDA AND THE ANZU BIRD

MARDUK ()

Enuma Elish, The Fifty Names of Marduk, Tablet VIb - VII From E. A. Speiser
The Feast of Marduk and Zarpanit - the Sabbath, Shabbat, Shabatum
Psalm to Marduk
Poem Of The Righteous Sufferer

MARTU

Marriage of Martu

MASHU, Mount

See First Adam and Eve for a description of the Supernatural Mountain and Second Adam and Eve

The ME, Inanna - Ea - Gift of Wisdom and Music

MESLAMTAEA

MESOPOTAMIAN CULT

MOABITE-STONE

Moabite Stone

MUMMU-TIAMAT

MUSIC

See how music was introduced
Musical Worship in Babylon
Tammuz, Lament on the Flute

MUSIC OF THE SPHERES

MUSIC

Some of the References to Demon Worship

NABU

Alexander Hislop The Death of the Child
Alexander Hislop The Child in Greece

NAMMU

NAM-SHUB begin here.........

Nam-Shub

NAMTAR (Namtara)

Myth of Atrahasis
Enki and Ninmah.

NAM-ZID-TARA

Enlil andNam-Zid-Tara

NANNA

The Herds Of Nanna
Journey of Nanna to Nippur

NANNAR.

Hymn to Sin - Moon God

NANNA-SIN Nanna-Suen

Journey of Nanna to Nippur
Hymn to Nannar/Sin
Nanna-Suen's journey to Nibru

NANSHE

NERGAL

Marriage of Nergal and Ereshkigal
Abraham, Ur of Chaldees, Babylonian Tablets

NIBRU

Lament for Nibru

NIMROD

A Collection of Notes on Nimrod and Musical Worship in Babylonia

NINAZU

The building of Ningirsu´s temple

NINGAL

Lament for the Destruction of Ur.

NINGIRSU

NINGISHZIDA )

Adapa Myth
Ningishzida and Damu
Ningishzida and Ninazimua
Journey To The Netherworld

NINHAR

NINHURSAG See Ki.

Enki and Ninmah.
Enki and Ninhursanga

NINIB

NINKASA

The Hymn to Ninkasi - Making Beer

NINLIL

Enlil and Ninlil

NINMAH SEE NINHURSAG

NINSUN

NINURTA

Ninurta and the Turtle
Pabilsang's (Ninurta) journey to Nibru
Exploits of Ninurta
The return of Ninurta to Nibru (Nippur)

Ninurta's fields

NINUS

NIPPUR

Journey of Nanna to Nippur
Enki and Enlil Establish order at Nippur With the Grain Goddess Ezinu

NUSKU

OANNES

Alexander Hislop - The Name of the Beast
Alexander Hislop - The Beast From the Sea

PABILSAG

Pabilsang's journey to Nibru

PAPSUKKEL

PHILO

Creation Account

PROPHECY

PUKKU AND MIKKU

RIMMON

RESHEP

SABBATH

Sabbath Musical Instruments David-Like Lament
The Feast of Marduk and Zarpanit - the Sabbath, Shabbat, Shabatum
Expulsion From the Garden
Babylonian Background to Jewish Sabbath

SAMMU-RAMAT

SARPANITUM: Marduk's consort.

SARGON

The Sargon Legend 2
The Legend of Sargon of Agade

SEMIRAMIS

SERPENT

Index of ANE and other Documents on Serpent Worship

SHAMASH

Anunnki - Anu, Enlil, Shamash, Ea - The Creation of Man
Shamash (Sun god), Hymn To
The Worm and the Toothache
Great Hymn to Shamash

SHULGI

Self-Hymn of Praise to Shulgi

SHULPAE

SHURUPPAK

The Instructions of Shuruppag
The Eridu Genesis

SIDURI

GILGAMESH EPIC
Ishtar Descent to the Nether world
Istar Descent Babylon
SIN

Hymn to Sin - Moon God
Shamash (Sun god), Hymn To
Hymn to Nannar/Sin
Prayer to Sin - The Moon God
Prayer of Ashurbanipal to Shamash (the sun god)

SINUHE

TALE of SINUHE

SHAMBAT

TAMMUZ ()

Dumuzid's Dream
Dumuzi is Presented to Inanna
The Courtship of Inanna and Dumuzi
Weeping for Tammuz

CULT OF TAMMUZ

Tammuz, Lament on the Flute
Hymn from Inanna to Tammuz
Hymn of Love from Inanna to Tammuz
Ishtar Descent to the Nether world (The 7 Gates of Hell)

TIAMAT

TOBIT

Book of Tobit
The Story of Ahikar, Grand Vizier of Assyria

TOWER OF BABEL (babel, gate of God),

UMMANU

Story of Lamech and His Children
Genun as Composit of Lamech's Children

UNDERWORLD

Ishtar Descent to the Nether world

Lament for the Destruction of Ur
Abraham, Ur of Chaldees, Babylonian Tablets

UR-NAMMU

URUK

UTNAPISHTIM

UTTU

UTU see Shamash

Enlil and Ninlil

UTU-HEGAL, Utu-Hegal (Utu-khegal)

Poem of Utu-hejal - Destroying the Serpent Gutium - Enemy of the gods

WORSHIP

Babylonian Worship: A man and his god

YAH

ZARPANIT

The Feast of Marduk and Zarpanit - the Sabbath, Shabbat, Shabatum

ZIGGURAT

The Temple Hymns

ZISUTRA

Atrahasis.

ZIUSUDRA (Sumerian)

The Eridu Genesis

ZU (Imdugud)

For an expanded Glossary of these topics and more

The Best Collection of Links to Gilgamesh and History 3010 Professor Lee Huddleston
Comprehensive Index of Myths and Legends
Gateway to Babylon
Rutgers University Virtual Religion Index
Iraq4You: News, events, etc----Iraq Religions ---Mandaean Christians
U-Penn resources
Yahoo Mesopotamia
Yahoo Babylonia
The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature---All Ancient Near Eastern Texts
Barton , George, A. Archaeology and the Bible, 7th Edition

The Book

Myths from Mesopotamia : Creation, the Flood, Gilgamesh, and Others, Stephanie Dalley

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