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An Anthology of Ancient Mesopotamian Texts: When the Gods Were Human
Sabina Franke has gathered the best stories of ancient Near Eastern literature surrounding the Mesopotamian gods, men and kings. This book takes the reader on a journey back to the birth of literature in Mesopotamia, which seems to us so far and yet so near.
Fairy tales, myths and epics of ancient Near Eastern literature are still able to charm readers today and allow us to delve into the fascinating life of the ancient Near East. This book includes fables such as the tooth worm which causes tooth pain as well as the great myth of Innanas which describes the transition of the goddess Ishtar into the underworld. There are also daily life stories such as that of a student and the Sumerian incantations against a crying baby.
Fairy tales, myths and epics of ancient Near Eastern literature are still able to charm readers today and allow us to delve into the fascinating life of the ancient Near East. This book includes fables such as the tooth worm which causes tooth pain as well as the great myth of Innanas which describes the transition of the goddess Ishtar into the underworld. There are also daily life stories such as that of a student and the Sumerian incantations against a crying baby.
96 pages, Hardcover
Published March 3, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 30, 2021
This was an interesting collection of texts. My interest in things Babylonian and Sumerian has been on the rise of late, so I gave this a whirl.
"When the Gods were Human" was the near-eastern tale of the deluge, and was a creation story of man, who when they grew noisy earned the wrath of a god who wanted them to be quiet, so he sent plagues and floods to still them.
I thought "The Master and his Servant" was quite clever, with a master demanding his servant justify his dictates - and when the servant does so, the master reverses his dictates and the servant then justifies the reversal. It's like watching politics at work. No matter what course is chosen, a justification can be found. Take a modern day political party justifying to their base why they act a certain way when one party is in power, and then justify why they act a different way when another party is power - as if hypocrisy didn't exist. That is what this story is like.
The Revenge of the Poor Man of Nippur" was quite amusing. "The Tale of Etana" and "Invitation to the Dead for a Feast" were both interesting.
"The Ishtar Hymn of Ammiditana" was a hymn of praise, and read as such. Humans praising their gods hasn't changed much - it all reads basically the same.
"Enheduana Sings Against the Imminent Destruction" was apparently the first writing known by a woman, conveying her distress at the downfall of her father, the king.
"King Utuhengal Expels the Gutians" was about a battle.
"Gilgamesh and Akka" was a story of a war between Uruk and Kish. Uruk (led by Gilgamesh) wins.
"Birth and Rise of King Sargon" read almost like an early history of Moses with the whole basket of reeds and set upon a river story.
"The Babylonian Theodicy" was written as a dialogue by someone who suffers and blames the gods, and a friend who tries to put things into a better light.
"From the Life of a Student" was rather amusing. Students then sound like students today - sloppy writing, skipping parts of their homework, being beaten for all the infractions, and so on.
While I can't say these stories were gripping reading in a modern sense, it was interesting to see just how much humanity the ancient Mesopotamians had - these stories expose that humanity well. I found that fascinating. They really were not all that different from us. Their praise hymns read like a modern day worship song for the most part. They had trials and tribulations, and very human hurts and concerns. They had heroes. They didn't quite understand the minds of their gods or why they were made to suffer. They lamented and they praised. If you are looking to feel the humanity of an ancient people, to realize just how much the same we are, I recommend this.
"When the Gods were Human" was the near-eastern tale of the deluge, and was a creation story of man, who when they grew noisy earned the wrath of a god who wanted them to be quiet, so he sent plagues and floods to still them.
I thought "The Master and his Servant" was quite clever, with a master demanding his servant justify his dictates - and when the servant does so, the master reverses his dictates and the servant then justifies the reversal. It's like watching politics at work. No matter what course is chosen, a justification can be found. Take a modern day political party justifying to their base why they act a certain way when one party is in power, and then justify why they act a different way when another party is power - as if hypocrisy didn't exist. That is what this story is like.
The Revenge of the Poor Man of Nippur" was quite amusing. "The Tale of Etana" and "Invitation to the Dead for a Feast" were both interesting.
"The Ishtar Hymn of Ammiditana" was a hymn of praise, and read as such. Humans praising their gods hasn't changed much - it all reads basically the same.
"Enheduana Sings Against the Imminent Destruction" was apparently the first writing known by a woman, conveying her distress at the downfall of her father, the king.
"King Utuhengal Expels the Gutians" was about a battle.
"Gilgamesh and Akka" was a story of a war between Uruk and Kish. Uruk (led by Gilgamesh) wins.
"Birth and Rise of King Sargon" read almost like an early history of Moses with the whole basket of reeds and set upon a river story.
"The Babylonian Theodicy" was written as a dialogue by someone who suffers and blames the gods, and a friend who tries to put things into a better light.
"From the Life of a Student" was rather amusing. Students then sound like students today - sloppy writing, skipping parts of their homework, being beaten for all the infractions, and so on.
While I can't say these stories were gripping reading in a modern sense, it was interesting to see just how much humanity the ancient Mesopotamians had - these stories expose that humanity well. I found that fascinating. They really were not all that different from us. Their praise hymns read like a modern day worship song for the most part. They had trials and tribulations, and very human hurts and concerns. They had heroes. They didn't quite understand the minds of their gods or why they were made to suffer. They lamented and they praised. If you are looking to feel the humanity of an ancient people, to realize just how much the same we are, I recommend this.
March 8, 2017
This is a small collection of texts that are mostly short stories with a short explanation of each of the texts in the back of the book in the bibliography. There is also a glossary of names in the back as well as small chronological table of events to orient the reader. It’s probably best to read the section in the back before reading the text. Some are just a short little spell or incantation, but it reads like someone talking out loud about their life. Some of the longer narratives are missing pieces every so often, but it sheds light on the everyday lives of these ancient individuals. It is amazing how so much time has passed, yet we still have the same problems. Hunger, fertility, looking for the meaning of life, your child crying and won’t go to sleep, etc..
I particularly like translated texts like this that are raw like a beautiful rug with some fraying that does not detract from its appeal. I have a two other similar volumes one from Ancient Egypt and the other from Japan. I find myself just looking through them every so often just because they are so different from the modern stories that we have. Most revolve around creation myths. Its fascinating to think that someone thousands of years ago wrote these words trying to make sense of their world and now I am looking at them!
I particularly like translated texts like this that are raw like a beautiful rug with some fraying that does not detract from its appeal. I have a two other similar volumes one from Ancient Egypt and the other from Japan. I find myself just looking through them every so often just because they are so different from the modern stories that we have. Most revolve around creation myths. Its fascinating to think that someone thousands of years ago wrote these words trying to make sense of their world and now I am looking at them!
June 28, 2023
It was super interesting to read through these old Mesopotamian texts. There are some missing segments, as can be expected, but these stories give you a taste of a completely different time and place.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews