6.10 Mesopotamia Religion

6.10
Mesopotamia Religion

By Kelli Pratt

How did the belief in many gods shape the way people in Mesopotamia understood nature and lived their daily lives?

Explain the concept of polytheism and its presence in Mesopotamia with respect to beliefs about the relationship of deities to the natural world and their importance in everyday life

6.10 Standard and EQ

As we listen to Mr. Nicky, highlight the RELIGION words

​For example: polytheism, gods

Word Cloud

What do we think the Early Humans believed in?

The Ishtar Gate of Babylon.
Pergamon Museum, Berlin

​Ishtar was the Mesopotamian Goddess of love. This gate was the entrance to the city of Babylon built by king Nebuchadnezzar. You will learn more about Babylon when we discuss Israel and the Babylonian captivity.

Let's read page 50 in your Q1 Booklet

Write the following vocabulary words/question on page 51. We will define/answer them after we read about each one.

• Polytheism

• Everyday Life

• Ziggurat

• How did the kings come to power and how did it change over time?

Dropdown

Polytheism is the belief in​

Select answer

​

Priests Responsibilities

-Communicate with gods 
-Lived in and ran the temples
​-Controlled farmland surrounding the temple 
-Kept grain and other goods in storehouses​ for the gods
-Record Keeper
-Healing 
-Translate for the gods
-Guide the agriculture process

With your neighbor, define the vocabulary words and answer the question that we wrote on page 51. Be prepared to share!

• Polytheism

• Everyday Life

• Ziggurat

• How did the kings come to power and how did it change over time?

Check your page 51 with mine!

• Polytheism: belief in 1 God

• Everyday Life: The Sumerians thought that some Gods had relationships with the natural world. They also believed that some Gods guided the things that people did. They believed these Gods could act on their behalf to give health and protection for their families.

• Ziggurat: a large temple; The very top of the ziggurat was a holy place

• How did the kings come to power and how did it change over time? Groups of important men helped the priests govern which lead to monarchies. The king in a monarchy claimed that the city-state's God chose them to rule. Over time, their rule became hereditary.

Open Ended

Answer the EQ in at least 2-4 sentences:

How did the belief in many gods shape the way people in Mesopotamia understood nature and lived their daily lives?

Good luck playing the
Mesopotamia Religion Quizizz!

After the Quizizz, complete the
Homework Passages on pgs. 63 and 64 on
Politics, Social Class, and Religion of Mesopotamia