Mesopotamian Religious Beliefs and Practices
Mesopotamian religion is all about to the religious beliefs and practices followed by the Sumerian, Babylonian and Assyrians living in Mesopotamia. They dominated the region for 4,200 years (fourth millennium B.C.E. to around the 10th century C.E.).Polytheism was the religion that was practiced in ancient Mesopotamia for thousands of years. Since their religion is no longer practiced many of the common practices have been lost and forgotten. Some of the information and knowledge has survived, and we know the religious history, customs, and the role these beliefs played in everyday life.
Since Mesopotamian religion was polytheistic they worshiped over 2,100 different deities. Each Mesopotamian city was home to a deity, and each of the prominent deities was the patron of a city, and all known temples were located in cities, though there may have been shrines in the suburbs. They had temples which were made as ziggurats with mud bricks. Mesopotamian temples were thought of as homes or living places for the gods. Each temple was for a different god; the presence of the god was shown in an image kept in a special room of the temple. That was just the public rituals. Mesopotamian's believed in public and private worshiping. There were many personal gods and they could change over time just like deities, not much is known about the personal gods and worship because it was different for each individual. The personal gods had written prayers which normally made the god out to better than everything and everyone, above all others. Personal gods were also associated with divinity and were thought to have already chosen the destiny of the worshiper. But there were ways to change your destiny by used omens and holding rituals.
Mesopotamia's also believed in demons. They used temple priests and amulets to ward them off and also participated in incantations. Although they had no name, we know that they existed in Sumeria and other places. The "demons" were described as harmful or dangerous beings or forces. The Mesopotamia's used demons to explain all the veil things in the world. But demons were not the only ones thought to cause trouble, spirits of the dead were known to come back and do evil things. People becoming sick was thought to be an act of demons and priest were brought in to do exorcism to "cure" the sick person.
Since Mesopotamian religion was polytheistic they worshiped over 2,100 different deities. Each Mesopotamian city was home to a deity, and each of the prominent deities was the patron of a city, and all known temples were located in cities, though there may have been shrines in the suburbs. They had temples which were made as ziggurats with mud bricks. Mesopotamian temples were thought of as homes or living places for the gods. Each temple was for a different god; the presence of the god was shown in an image kept in a special room of the temple. That was just the public rituals. Mesopotamian's believed in public and private worshiping. There were many personal gods and they could change over time just like deities, not much is known about the personal gods and worship because it was different for each individual. The personal gods had written prayers which normally made the god out to better than everything and everyone, above all others. Personal gods were also associated with divinity and were thought to have already chosen the destiny of the worshiper. But there were ways to change your destiny by used omens and holding rituals.
Mesopotamia's also believed in demons. They used temple priests and amulets to ward them off and also participated in incantations. Although they had no name, we know that they existed in Sumeria and other places. The "demons" were described as harmful or dangerous beings or forces. The Mesopotamia's used demons to explain all the veil things in the world. But demons were not the only ones thought to cause trouble, spirits of the dead were known to come back and do evil things. People becoming sick was thought to be an act of demons and priest were brought in to do exorcism to "cure" the sick person.