NuskaNuska or Nusku, possibly also known as Našuḫ, was a Mesopotamian god best attested as the sukkal (divine vizier) of Enlil. He was also associated with fire and light, and could be invoked as a protective deity against various demons, such as Lamashtu or gallu. His symbols included a staff, a lamp and a rooster. Various traditions existed regarding his genealogy, with some of them restricted to texts from specific cities.NinirigalNinirigal or Ninirigala was a Mesopotamian goddess associated with Kullaba, a district belonging to the city of Uruk. Her character is poorly known beyond her role as a tutelary goddess of this area. Her husband was a god known under the name Nunbaranna, most likely an epithet of the fire god Gibil.Kusu (goddess)Kusu was a Mesopotamian goddess associated with purification and with grain. It is not certain which aspect of her character was originally primary, and which developed secondarily. She was considered to be a member of the court of Enlil, and in a number of text appears with other deities connected to him, such as Nuska. She could also be associated with other deities responsible for exorcisms, such as Ningirima.
An = AnumAn = Anum, also known as the Great God List, is the longest preserved Mesopotamian god list, a type of lexical list cataloging the deities worshiped in the Ancient Near East, chiefly in modern Iraq. While god lists are already known from the Early Dynastic period, An = Anum most likely was composed in the later Kassite period.
Ritual purificationRitual purification is a religious practice through which a person, object, or place is considered to be freed of ritual impurity, especially prior to worship or contact with the sacred. Important distinctions exist between states of ritual impurity and ordinary physical impurity, such as dirt or lack of hygiene, although the ritualistic processes of purification may involve washing, ablution, or other prescribed rites.
List of Mesopotamian deitiesAkkadian cylinder seal dating to c. 2300 BC, depicting the deities Inanna, Utu, Enki, and IsimudMap showing the extent of Mesopotamia and its major cities relative to modern landmarksDeities in ancient Mesopotamia were almost exclusively anthropomorphic. They were thought to possess extraordinary powers and were often envisioned as being of tremendous physical size.Akkadian languageExtinct Semitic language of MesopotamiaAkkadian ( ; Akkadian: 𒀝𒅗𒁺𒌑(𒌝), romanized: Akkadû(m)) is an East Semitic language that is attested in ancient Mesopotamia (Akkad, Assyria, Isin, Larsa, Babylonia) from the mid-third millennium BC until its gradual replacement in common use by Old Aramaic among Mesopotamians by the 8th century BC.
NippurNippur (Sumerian: Nibru, often logographically recorded as 𒂗𒆤𒆠, EN.LÍL, "Enlil City;" Akkadian: Nibbur) was an ancient Sumerian city. It was the special seat of the worship of the Sumerian god Enlil, the "Lord Wind", ruler of the cosmos, subject to An alone. Nippur was located in modern Nuffar 8 kilometers north of modern Afak, Al-Qādisiyyah Governorate, Iraq. It is roughly 200 km south of modern Baghdad and about 100 km southeast of the ancient city of Babylon.
ShamashShamash (Akkadian: šamaš), also known as Utu (written 𒀭𒌓; Sumerian: dutu, literally "Sun"), was the ancient Mesopotamian sun god. He was believed to see everything that happened in the world every day, and was therefore responsible for justice and protection of travelers. As a divine judge, he could be associated with the underworld. Additionally, he could serve as the god of divination, typically alongside the weather god Adad.
EriduEridu (Sumerian: , romanized: NUN.KI; Sumerian: eridug; Akkadian: irîtu) was a Sumerian city located at Tell Abu Shahrain (Arabic: تل أبو شهرين), also Abu Shahrein or Tell Abu Shahrayn, an archaeological site in Lower Mesopotamia. It is located in Dhi Qar Governorate, Iraq, near the modern city of Basra. Eridu is traditionally considered the earliest city in southern Mesopotamia based on the Sumerian King List.
KassitesThe Kassites (; Neo-Assyrian: 𒂵𒅆𒄿, ka₃-ši-i, kašši) were a people of the ancient Near East, originating from the Zagros Mountains. They controlled Babylonia under the Kassite Dynasty after the fall of the Old Babylonian Empire from c. 1531 BC until c. 1155 BC (short chronology). The Kassites gained control of Babylonia after the Hittite sack of Babylon in 1531 BC, and established a dynasty generally assumed to have been based first in that city, after a hiatus.
Art of MesopotamiaThe art of Mesopotamia has survived in the record from early hunter-gatherer societies (8th millennium BC) on to the Bronze Age cultures of the Sumerian, Akkadian, Babylonian and Assyrian empires. These empires were later replaced in the Iron Age by the Neo-Assyrian and Neo-Babylonian empires. Widely considered to be the cradle of civilization, Mesopotamia brought significant cultural developments, including the oldest examples of writing.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.