Between the Mouth of the Two Rivers

The Agency of Water, Springs, Rivers and Trees in ancient Mesopotamian Cosmology and Religion

Bibliographic Data

ID6014104
AuthorsAnna Perdibon (0000-0002-3821-6179, Center for Ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern Studies (CAMNES) School of Religious Studies, corresponding author)
Year2021
Volume51
Issue44
Pages34-53
Publication date2021-12-20
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueEtnološka tribina (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0351-1944 • E-ISSN: 1848-9540
PublisherCroatian Ethnological Society (PUBLISHER • HR)
DOI10.15378/1848-9540.2021.44.02
OpenAlexW4200537551
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited17

This contribution offers an anthropological view of holy waters, springs, sacred rivers, and trees in the ancient Mesopotamian religious framework. Water is omnipresent in Mesopotamian myths and rituals, particularly in association with the cosmic Apsû, the primeval source of all waters. The pristine waters flow out through springs in the mountains and form the flowing bodies of rivers. For the Babylonians and Assyrians, rivers and watercourses were sacred and cosmic entities, often worshipped as deities. The Tigris and the Euphrates particularly appeared as river deities, with life-giving, motherly, healing, and judging roles. This essay considers the interrelationships between the Apsû, springs and sacred rivers, and the associated sacred trees, mountains and anthropomorphic deities, to shed new light onto ancient Mesopotamian notions about nature, religion, and the cosmos

Ancient history · Archaeology · Geography · Mythology · Ancient Near East History · Classics · Eurasian Exchange Networks · Historical, Religious, and Philosophical Studies · History

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