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Religion in Ancient Mesopotamia

One of the world’s foremost experts on Assyriology, Jean Bottéro has studied the religion of ancient Mesopotamia for more than fifty years. Building on these many years of research, Bottéro here presents the definitive account of one of the world’s oldest known religions. He shows how ancient Mesopotamian religion was practiced both in the public and private spheres, how it developed over the three millennia of its active existence, and how it profoundly influenced Western civilization, including the Hebrew Bible.

Table of Contents

Preface
Translator’s Note
1. Religion and Religions
2. Mesopotamia and Its History
Prehistory
History
Historical Overview
3. The Sources: What We Can Expect from Them
4. Religious Sentiment
Sources
Reverence
Henotheism?
5. Religious Representations
The Gods
The Mythology of the Divine
The Mythology of the World
The Mythology of Man
6. Religious Behavior
The Theocentric Cult
The "Sacramental" Cult
7. Influence and Survivals
Influence
Survivals
Conclusion
Notes
Bibliography
Index

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