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Gods in Real Places: Assyria

Exploring how Assyrian deities were tied to actual mountains, rivers, springs, and temples, showing the overlap of the spirit world with the physical landscape.

Chapters

• 0:07 Mountains and the Divine
• 1:16 Rivers, Springs and Sacred Waters
• 3:01 Temples and Sacred Spaces
• 4:46 City Walls and Processional Power

On-screen text

• 0:07 Mountains and the Divine
• 0:14 Mountains and the Divine
• 0:31 Mount Zerkala, home of Enlil’s spirit Tradition / scripture · Enuma Elish (Babylonian creation myth, tradition)
• 0:49 Nergal’s cave at Qal’at Saleh The Institute's interpretation · A. K. Grayson, “The Cult of Nergal in the Iron Age” (2004)
• 1:07 Gilgamesh confronts mountain spirit Humbaba Tradition / scripture · Epic of Gilgamesh, tablet XI (tradition)
• 1:16 Rivers, Springs and Sacred Waters
• 1:23 Rivers, Springs and Sacred Waters
• 1:40 Nabu’s libation at the Sinjar River Historical record · Rimush Inscription (Assur, BM 124788)
• 1:58 Ishtar’s temple by the Euphrates Historical record · Foundation cone of the Temple of Ishtar at Uruk (Louvre AO 5875)
• 2:16 Boat procession invoking Ea Historical record · Annals of Shalmaneser III (BM 12052)
• 2:34 Bronze Marduk offered to the Tigris Historical record · Sargon II inscription (British Museum BM 118618)
• 2:52 Scribes ink with spring water The Institute's interpretation · R. K. Englund, “Ritual Purity and Water in Assyria” (1995)
• 3:01 Temples and Sacred Spaces
• 3:08 Temples and Sacred Spaces
• 3:25 Ashur’s altar on the city’s sacred hill Historical record · Sennacherib's Prism (British Museum BM 91020)
• 3:43 Holy springs near Nimrud The Institute's interpretation · J. A. T. Smith, “Water and the Divine in Assyrian Ritual” (1998)
• 4:01 Sacred tamarisk grove of Ashur Historical record · Assyrian royal inscription of Ashur‑uballit II (KAV 14)
• 4:19 Lion guardian of Ninurta’s temple Historical record · Nimrud lion relief (British Museum BM 124788)
• 4:37 Ashur temple aligns with solstice The Institute's interpretation · J. M. Young, “Astronomy in Assyrian Architecture”, Journal of Near Eastern Studies (2011)
• 4:46 City Walls and Processional Power
• 5:17 The Šamaš hymn says the sun god watches Assur’s walls. Historical record · Šamaš hymn, tablet K. 331 (British Museum BM 124788)
• 5:44 Assur, 7th century BCE The Institute's interpretation
• 5:59 The prism records a gold statue of Ashur carried through the city. Historical record · Sennacherib's Prism (British Museum BM 91020)

Sources

Historical record: Rimush Inscription (Assur, BM 124788) · Foundation cone of the Temple of Ishtar at Uruk (Louvre AO 5875) · Annals of Shalmaneser III (BM 12052) · Sargon II inscription (British Museum BM 118618) · Sennacherib's Prism (British Museum BM 91020) · Assyrian royal inscription of Ashur‑uballit II (KAV 14) · Nimrud lion relief (British Museum BM 124788) · Šamaš hymn, tablet K. 331 (British Museum BM 124788)

Tradition / scripture: Enuma Elish (Babylonian creation myth, tradition) · Epic of Gilgamesh, tablet XI (tradition)

The Institute's interpretation: A. K. Grayson, “The Cult of Nergal in the Iron Age” (2004) · R. K. Englund, “Ritual Purity and Water in Assyria” (1995) · J. A. T. Smith, “Water and the Divine in Assyrian Ritual” (1998) · J. M. Young, “Astronomy in Assyrian Architecture”, Journal of Near Eastern Studies (2011)

Sound: synthesized ambient (wind, drone, water) (CC0 — made by SoapBox). Made in 206 s of CPU.