In what ways did religion shape all aspects of government and life in sumer ?

Religion, although nowadays much disregarded as central to human life, was the epicenter of it in ancient times. And nowhere is that clearer than during the centuries in which ancient Babylonian cultures, one of which was Sumer, appeared.

Sumer, as said, was part of the greater Babylonian culture and they, like all the other Babylonian civilizations, were grounded by politheistic religion. Essentially, they believed in multiple divinities, which were really human-like, and who were responsible for controlling parts of human life, and the world itself.

First and foremost, religion shaped the way that Babylonians, and especially Sumer, believed. Their actions, behaviors, thoughts, everything, revolved around their beliefs in these deities. Religion also dictated social lifestyles, communication, and politics.

Finally, and most importantly, religion shaped the way that Sumer developed both socially and politically. Politically because initially the rulers in Sumer were priests, and for a very long time they were the ones who led Sumerian people. This tradition was later passed on to other civilizations which came in contact with Sumer, and with Babylonian civilizations. Second, when ruling was passed on from priests to kings, Sumerians believed that these kings were elected by the gods, and were representatives of the gods, and therefore, they believed in the divine intervention of deities on all aspects of their lives.

These are only a few of the ways in which religion shaped not just Sumer, especially on governmental aspects, but in other aspects of life as well.

Religion shaped behaviors, and thoughts of the Sumerian. It formed people’s beliefs in daily lives.

EXPLANATION

Sumerian religion is the religion that was practiced by the people of Sumer. Sumer was the first literate people of the ancient Mesopotamia. The Sumerian believed and held on their religion as a principle to all things in life. They believed that their divinities were responsible for the natural and social orders around them.

Sumerian believed that the city and states should be ruled by religious officials or theocratic priests. This role was later changed into kings, but the priests and religious officials still had a great influence on the Sumerian society. At first, temples in Sumer were simple and only had one-room structures. Later on, the temples in Sumer had elevated into having more intricate details, such as sanctuaries at the tops and having pyramidal structures.

The Sumerian had this belief, where the universe was made through cosmic births. The chronological of the universe making was started from Nammu, the primeval waters. Nammu gave birth to Ki (the earth) and An (the sky). An and Ki then mated and had a son named Enlil. Eventually, Enlil separated heaven from the earth. Enlil claimed the earth as his domain.  

Humans of Sumer believed that they were created by Enki, which was the son of Nammu and An. Heaven was a specific place for the deities. They also believed in the god of death, named Nergal.

LEARN MORE

If you’re interested in learning more about this topic, we recommend you to also take a look at the following questions:

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KEYWORD: Sumer, religion, Sumerian  

Subject: Social Studies

Class: 10-12

Subchapter: Sumer

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