It is fair to conclude that it was military rule--and not kingship, per se--that led to the self-deification of kings.
The Self-Deified King | A Story of Military Rule in Mesopotamia
The Legends of Letters | Scribe Schools of Ancient Mesopotamia
The ancient Mesopotamians not only created schools, but saw them as fundamental to their progress as a people.
The Literary Legacy of Ashurbanipal | A Great King Who Collected Books
During and throughout the course of his long reign, Ashurbanipal utilised the resources at his disposal to construct the Library of Ashurbanipal: a collection of texts and documents of various different genres.
The Goddess Inanna and Kingship in Ancient Mesopotamia | An Insight into Politics, Power and Religion
Inanna's care and protection of the king, her concern for his life and his fate, as well as her ability to ensure his victory during battle; are all dominant themes in what are considered to be the blessings she bestows.
The Power of Political Retribution | A Story of Inanna and Gilgamesh
It is the story of two politicians whose love affair made ancient headlines and whose story was inscribed into the tablets that tell the tale of how the unrequited love for power led to tremendous misfortune.
The Political Power of a Marriage Alliance | An Analysis of the Goddess Ishtar
In the ancient world, when two people got married, it was also a marriage between the two families.
The Ancient Mesopotamian Quest for Divine Justice | The Legend of Inanna
At the heart of Inanna’s quest for justice is a provocation. A provocation spurred on by perceived acts of disloyalty, slights to her status, romantic mishaps, sexual transgressions and even acts of violence.
The Code of Hammurabi | A Legacy of Law
Criticisms notwithstanding, the fact remains that our modern legal system is not too different from Hammurabi’s time and is even considered to be a continuation of it.
The Exaltation of Innana | Interview with Dr. Louise Pryke
"Enheduanna is indeed the world’s first individually identified author. As well as being a priestess, she was also a princess as the daughter of Sargon of Akkad (‘Sargon the Great’). Ishtar was worshipped with songs of praise, festivals, and libations."
The Household Gods of Ancient Mesopotamia and Sumer | The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
Hitherto, my understanding of the Abrahamic religions was that they were monotheistic from the very inception of the religion. But through The Red Tent, I saw a different story, one in which a pantheon of Gods and Goddesses existed alongside a monotheistic belief.