Best products from r/Sumer
We found 18 comment on r/Sumer discussing the most recommended products. We ran sentiment analysis on each of these comments to determine how redditors feel about different products. We found 14 products and ranked them based on the amount of positive reactions they received. Here are the top 20.
1. Myths from Mesopotamia: Creation, the Flood, Gilgamesh, and Others (Oxford World's Classics)
- Oxford University Press, USA
Features:
2. The Treasures of Darkness: A History of Mesopotamian Religion
Yale University Press
3. History Begins at Sumer: Thirty-Nine Firsts in Recorded History
- University of Pennsylvania Press
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4. The Image of the Netherworld in the Sumerian Sources
- INSIGHT EDITIONS
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5. Gods, Demons and Symbols of Ancient Mesopotamia: An Illustrated Dictionary
- INSIGHT EDITIONS
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6. The Harps that Once...: Sumerian Poetry in Translation
- Used Book in Good Condition
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7. The Sumerians: Their History, Culture, and Character (Phoenix Books)
- Cinch Lock seals the tail hole to keep waste in-without sacrificing comfort
- Velcro wings, elastic seams and Cinch Lock insures "snugg" fit
- Premium durable fiber retains its shape and absorption properties even after 150 washes
- Thick cotton pad absorbs large volume of liquid waste
- Deeper belly reservoir holds smaller loads of solid waste in an emergency
Features:
8. History Begins at Sumer: Thirty-Nine Firsts in Man's Recorded History
- Cinch Lock seals the tail hole to keep waste in-without sacrificing comfort
- Velcro wings, elastic seams and Cinch Lock insures "snugg" fit
- Premium durable fiber retains its shape and absorption properties even after 150 washes
- Thick cotton pad absorbs large volume of liquid waste
- Deeper belly reservoir holds smaller loads of solid waste in an emergency
Features:
9. The Sumerians: Their History, Culture, and Character (Phoenix Books)
- University of Chicago Press
Features:
10. Design Toscano Ashur The Assyrian God of Earth, Air and Sun Wall Sculpture, 12 Inch, Black and Gold
Exotic Decoration - Display the power of the ancient Assyrian God said to be so great that his mythical power extended to the earth, air and even the sun! Based on the original found in modern day Iraq and currently housed in the British Museum, LondonAssyrian Wall Sculpture - At a foot wide, this d...
11. Ebros Gift Ancient Assyrian Lamassu Bull Statue 8.5" L Decorative Collectible Shedu On Pedestal
This Assyrian Bull Lamassu Statue is 8.5" tall, 7.25" long and 3" deep approximately.This Assyrian Bull Lamassu Statue is made of designer composite resin, hand painted and polished. Color Tone may varyThe Lamassu is an Assyrian protective deity, often depicted as having a human's head, a body of a ...
12. Assyrian Lamassu Nimrud Palace Guardians Winged Bull Sculpture www.Neo-Mfg.com 8.5" Mesopotamia
Hand made in USA by Neo-MfgDesigner cast Hydrostone in Aged Stone Faux finishStone portal guardian or Lamassu (mythical winged guardian) from the Palace ofSargon II (r. 722-705 BCE), DurSharrukin, now Khorsabad (Louvre Museum, Paris)In art, lamassu were depicted as hybrids, with bodies of either win...
Welcome to the subreddit, Sadmonad.
When it comes to Mesopotamian "Genesis" accounts, there are actually four different versions that we currently know about, each of which is unique, while also sharing a pool of overlapping motifs. The four accounts are:
The "Eridu Genesis" and "Enki and Ninmah" were probably composed during the Third Dynasty of Ur, circa 2100 BCE, but likely represent an older oral Sumerian tradition. "Atrahasīs," and the "Enûma Elish" come from the Old Babylonian Period, circa 1800 BCE, and represent a blend of Sumerian and Akkadian cultural motifs.
Regarding Zechariah Sitchin's so-called "translations," I'll say, first and foremost, that Sitchin has no real experience with ancient languages, and all modern scholars dismiss his "translation" as erroneous. In truth, what the texts actually say is usually far more interesting than what Zechariah Sitchin wants you to think they say.
I'll do my best to summarize, below, the various accounts of the creation of human beings.
Here is where Sitchin's first error comes into play: there is no mining of gold, at all, in any of the "Genesis" texts. The labor that the Gods are performing is the maintenance of Nature: digging canals, directing the course of the Tigris and Euphrates, erecting walls for cities, herding and shepherding, causing the plants and vegetation to sprout, etc.
Nowhere in any of the accounts are we created to be slaves, or gold-miners. We are created solely to help ease the burden of tending for the Earth and its myriad natural functions. How we're created is a different story though, and each account seems to differ slightly, so I'll outline each below:
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Enki and Ninmah
In this myth, clay gathered along the banks of the subterranean freshwater aquifer, ABZU, is given to a coterie of Mother Goddesses who mold it into the first human forms. These forms are assigned a "Fate" by the sea-goddess Namma, and given the task of tending to the Earth by the goddess Ninmah.
Later, Enki, who devised and oversaw our creation, has a drinking contest with Ninmah. Both deities get drunk, and Ninmah challenges Enki to a contest to determine whose powers are superior. The rules are simple: Ninmah will make a series of "defective" humans, and Enki must find a place for each in Sumerian society. If Enki fails, then Ninmah is superior. If Enki succeeds, then he gets to make a series of defective humans, and Ninmah must find a place for them in Sumerian society.
Ninmah creates six defective humans and Enki successfully places them into Sumerian society. Enki, however, creates only one defective human being (essentially an infant), and Ninmah is unable to find a proper place for it. After admitting her defeat, Enki is declared the winner.
A scholarly translation of this text can be read here.
​
Atrahasīs
This myth begins with an account of the Igigū rebellion. Tired of bearing heavy loads, the Igigū surround the house of Ellil, King of the Anunnakkū, and demand his surrender. Ellil calls for the Great Gods, Ea and Anu, and demands that they solve the problem. Ea (who is an Akkadian cognate of the Sumerian Enki) declares that he can solve the problem, but only if the goddess Ninmah will assist him. Everyone agrees and Ea reveals his plan.
Ea's plan calls for the leader of the Igigū rebellion to be offered up as a sacrifice so that Ea might collect his divine flesh (shirū), blood (damu), and breath (napishtu). These divine ingredients are then mixed with clay and spittle to shape the first human forms. Over these forms, Ninmah recites an incantation that imbues them with intelligence (consciousness, wisdom, sentience, etc). As a result, the human forms develop a ghost (spirit, shade, phantom, etc). As a result of their success, Ninmah is given the title Bēlit-ilī, which means "Lady of All the Gods."
In this account, the sacrificial deity is called Wê, a name that means "intelligence" or "wisdom," and several clever insights can be gained from this. The word for "humanity" in Akkadian is awīlu, a play on the words "wê" and "ilū," which, together, say: the Wisdom (wê) of the Gods (ilū). Further, the "ghost" that is created as a result of Ea's plan is called an eṭimmu, this is also a play on the words "wê" and "ṭēmu," which, together, say: an Intelligent (wê) Design (ṭēmu).
A scholarly translation of this text can be read in Stephanie Dalley's Myths From Mesopotamia.
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Enûma Elish
The final account is that found in the Babylonian creation epic. This text is a piece of national propaganda created to foster pride in the city of Babylon and the nation of Babylonia. It is, nearly beat-for-beat, a retelling of the "Atrahasīs" account, with the primary difference being that Marduk, instead of Ea, creates humanity. Marduk also accomplishes this feat independently, without the aid of Ninmah. Otherwise, the two versions are nearly identical in build-up and pay-off.
A scholarly translation of this text can be read in Stephanie Dalley's Myths From Mesopotamia.
​
As you can see, there is a mystical element to the creation of humanity. However, it is neither consistent, nor so simple as Zechariah Sitchin describes. Personally, I prefer the version found in "Atrahasīs," as it seems to be the most complete, and includes an abundance of mystical themes that can be explored further through theological angles.
If you have any other questions about this topic, don't hesitate to ask.