The Sumerians Connections Between Religion And Culture

The Fertile Crescent located along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers where modern-day Iraq is located. The Sumerian civilization rose up around 5,000 years ago along the Tigris and Euphrates river. This is located at the eastern part of the Fertile Crescent from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean Sea.

They are connected because Mesopotamia had a polytheistic belief system which means they believed in more than one god they believed that these gods controlled everything in life and that they controlled the forces of nature itself and that gods and goddesses behaved like mortals they drank they ate they had families got married just like Sumerians did. They believed gods caused misery and death and violence, they believed so deeply in pleasing their gods that every city-state each had its own gods and goddesses that they had to please with sacrifices of food animals and drink.

They did celebrate several holidays, but they had one main holy day the king would seek favor of Inanna whom they believed was a life-giving goddess of love. The king would take part in a symbolic wedding to Inanna they believed this would make the new year prosperous this had a direct connection between religion and the culture would collapse if the goddesses wasn’t pleased even the king took part. Their whole existence was to please the gods, so they would enjoy good planting seasons good health and proper with wealth.

The government was set up, so they could continue this way also there was a ruling family with top officials High Priests who consulted with leaders. There were priests’ merchants, scribes, artisan’s, peasant farmers, and slaves. The whole ruling system was governed by religious beliefs this also effect the cultural setup, and the way they lived to please their rulers and get favor from the gods.

The scribes had a writing system where they used a wedge system and a cuneiform system the use of pictographs to keep records of goods that were brought to temple storehouses they recorded their economic transactions, myths, laws, prayers, and business contracts. They were very good about keeping records and stores of supplies to please the king and the gods.

The fall of the Sumerians had city states about 2300 B.C.E. Sargon the ruler of Akkad conquered the Sumerians.