Sumer: Ziggurats & Temple Worship

Summary

The script explores Sumerian religious architecture, focusing on the ziggurat of Uruk dedicated to the sky god Anu. It discusses the ziggurat's role as a symbol of political power and its function as an axis mundi, connecting heaven and earth. The script also delves into the exclusive temple spaces, the significance of votive statues as proxies for commoners in worship, and the protective measures like apotropaic foundation pegs. The summary highlights the centrality of devotion in Sumerian culture and the stratified society's approach to divine interaction.

Takeaways

• 🏛️ The Sumerian civilization was a theocracy, with kings believed to have close relationships with the gods and selected by them to carry out divine will on Earth.
• 🕍 The city of Uruk had a continuous habitation for 5,000 years, with a population of 430,000 within its fortification walls and an additional 80,000 to 90,000 working in the fields.
• 🔨 The ziggurat, an architectural formation invented in Mesopotamia, was a monumental structure made of an earthen mound interior and originally faced with mud bricks, symbolizing political power and authority.
• 👑 The ziggurat served as an axis mundi, connecting the heavens and the earth, and elevating the temple to bring it closer to the heavens, signifying the king's authority and the gods' presence.
• ⛲ The ziggurat was a sophisticated engineering feat, with features like rain spouts and holes to accommodate the expansion and contraction of the earthen core due to moisture levels.
• 🚶‍♂️ Access to the temple atop the ziggurat was restricted to royalty and temple priests, making it an exclusive and sacred space for worship.
• 🏠 The temple was considered the house of the god, with a cult statue representing the deity, which was cared for by priests as if it were the living god.
• 🙏 Votive statues, commissioned by everyday people, served as surrogates for individuals to pray to the god within the temple, as they were unable to access the temple directly.
• 👁️ The oversized eyes of votive statues, made from rare materials, may have symbolized the omnipresence and eternal vigilance of the statues in prayer and protection against evil.
• 🦁 Architectural and foundation elements like bronze foundation pegs shaped as lions had an apotropaic function, warding off evil spirits and protecting the god's house.
• 🗿 Few cult statues survive due to their materials, but one example, possibly of Inanna, shows the level of detail and care in creating these statues, which were treated as the gods themselves.

Q & A

What was the significance of the ziggurat in Sumerian religious architecture?

The ziggurat was a significant architectural formation in Sumerian religious spaces, serving as a monumental structure that symbolized the political power of the area and the king's authority. It was also believed to create an axis mundi, connecting the heavens and the earth, and elevating the temple to bring it closer to the gods.

What was the purpose of the temple on top of the ziggurat?

The temple on top of the ziggurat was a sacred space where the god was believed to reside in the form of a cult statue. It was considered the god's house, and only royalty and temple priests had access to it for worship and rituals.

How was the city of Uruk protected during the period discussed in the script?

The city of Uruk was protected by a fortification wall built around it for defensive purposes, considering the possibility of invasion in the region.

What was the population size of Uruk within and outside the fortification walls during the period discussed?

Within the fortification walls, around 43,000 people lived, and an additional 80,000 to 90,000 people worked in the fields outside the walls, making it a bustling urban center.

What were the original and later patron deities of the city of Uruk?

Originally, the city of Uruk was dedicated to the god Anu, the sky god and the highest in the Sumerian pantheon. Later in its history, it adopted Inanna as its patron deity.

What was the construction material of the ziggurat, and why is it difficult to preserve?

The ziggurat was constructed with an earthen core and faced with mud bricks on the exterior. Mud bricks are a difficult construction material to preserve due to their vulnerability to erosion and decay over thousands of years.

How long would it have taken to build the ziggurat, given its size and the labor conditions mentioned in the script?

It was estimated that with around 1500 laborers working 10 hours a day, it would have taken approximately five years to build the ziggurat.

What is the meaning of 'apotropaic' in the context of the script?

Apotropaic refers to the function of warding off or scaring away evil spirits and threats. In the script, this term is used to describe the purpose of bronze foundation pegs shaped like lions that were buried in the temple foundations.

What was the significance of the oversized eyes on the votive statues found in Sumerian temples?

The oversized eyes, made from shell and black limestone, have been interpreted as a form of apotropaic protection against evil, as well as representing the statues as eternally attentive and praying to the god they were placed in front of.

How were the cult statues inside the temple treated, and what materials were they made from?

The cult statues were treated as the actual gods once consecrated. They were believed to be alive and were cared for by the priests, including being fed and clothed. The statues were made from materials like wood, precious stones, or gold.

Why were the votive statues buried underneath the temple after the person who commissioned them passed away?

The votive statues were buried underneath the temple to secure a continual presence of the person's devotion and to maintain their surrogate prayer in the temple space after their death.