mesopotamian god weh

Imdugud, later known as Anz, is an enormous bird-like monster with the head of a lion described as so huge that the flapping of its wings was thought to be the cause of sandstorms and whirlwinds. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Sumerian God Weh. An The god of heaven, An, was believed to have been conceived by the Sumerians as the supreme ruler of the pantheon. They said something about how Yahweh was derived from a Sumerian god named Yah, and a Mesopotamian god Weh. Thus Genesis 4:16, attributed by literary critics to the so-called `Yahwistic' source, traces the worship of Yahweh back to the earliest days of the human race, while other passages trace the revelation and worship of Yahweh back to Moses [in the Book of Exodus]. ", Ninhursag ("Mistress of the mountain ranges". The overwhelming importance of the god of metallurgy reflects the central role played by the copper smelters in the emergence of civilizations throughout the ancient world. Kabta was a deity commonly paired with Ninsianna. The names of the principal gods of Akkad and Sumer, c.3100 BC. Sign up for our free weekly email newsletter! [12] In these texts, he is often mentioned alongside traditional Graeco-Roman deities and Egyptian deities. By the time these works were written, the worship of Yahweh had undergone a dramatic transformation from what it had been in the early days of the Israelites in Canaan. Indeed, the meaning of Yahweh's name appears to have been a problem in search of an explanation even during the time when the Hebrew Bible was still being composed. [3] The origins of his worship reach at least to the early Iron Age, and likely to the Late Bronze Age if not somewhat earlier,[4] and in the oldest biblical literature he possesses attributes typically ascribed to weather and war deities, fructifying the land and leading the heavenly army against Israel's enemies. In 931 BCE, following the death of Solomon, the kingdom split in two and a new political entity, the Kingdom of Judah with its capital at Jerusalem, emerged in the south. That's a fairly meaningless distinction. We have 73 individual gods listed in the Mesopotamian pantheon of gods and spirits. During times of peace, the tribes will have depended heavily on Baal in his various local forms to ensure fertility. He was known as the god of wisdom, magic, crafts, and healing. The Godchecker Holy Database currently contains 149 Mesopotamian deity names these are listed below. The Bull of Heaven is a mythical beast that Ishtar demands from her father Anu in both the Sumerian poem, Girtablullu were creatures with the upper body of a human (. [8], Towards the end of the Babylonian captivity, the very existence of foreign gods was denied, and Yahweh was proclaimed as the creator of the cosmos and the one true God of all the world,[9] giving birth to Judaism, which has c. 1415 million adherents today. Scholars J. Maxwell Miller and John H. Hayes write: The origins of Yahwism are hidden in mystery. Updates? The sun god Shamash crossed the heavens in a chariot as the Egyptian god Aren in Mesopotamian and Egyptian times and the Greek god Apollo would later do. Tweet. Yes, the clouds dropped water. Although the Bible, and specifically the Book of Exodus, presents Yahweh as the god of the Israelites, there are many passages which make clear that this deity was also worshipped by other peoples in Canaan. Essentially the supreme lord of all the gods and mortals according to Mesopotamian religion. Abraham's initial community was developed by his son Isaac and then his grandson Jacob (also known as Israel). During the Second Temple period, speaking the name of Yahweh in public became regarded as taboo,[10] and Jews instead began to substitute other words, primarily adonai (.mw-parser-output .script-hebrew,.mw-parser-output .script-Hebr{font-family:"SBL Hebrew","SBL BibLit","Taamey Ashkenaz","Taamey Frank CLM","Frank Ruehl CLM","Ezra SIL","Ezra SIL SR","Keter Aram Tsova","Taamey David CLM","Keter YG","Shofar","David CLM","Hadasim CLM","Simple CLM","Nachlieli",Cardo,Alef,"Noto Serif Hebrew","Noto Sans Hebrew","David Libre",David,"Times New Roman",Gisha,Arial,FreeSerif,FreeSans}, "my Lord"). Question about yahweh after watching rick and morty. A passage like this reflects the early beliefs of the Canaanites and Israelites in polytheism or, more accurately, henotheism (the belief in many gods with a focus on a single supreme deity). The name YHWH, consisting of the sequence of consonants Yod, Heh, Waw, and Heh, is known as the tetragrammaton. Moses mother was called Jochebed (Yokheved), a name based on the name Yahweh. Latin knowledge, translations and politics during the Palaeologan period / Costas N. Constantinides; Lateinische Texte und bersetzer der Palologenzeit in Konstantinopel: der B [77][78][79][80] In any event, Tacitus, John the Lydian, Cornelius Labeo, and Marcus Terentius Varro similarly identify Yahweh with Bacchus-Dionysus. 1. He is generally involved in the creation of the world and/or the creation of humans. Yahweh. During the Second Temple Period (c.515 BCE-70 CE) Judaism was revised, the Torah canonized, and a new understanding of the divine established which today is known as monotheism the belief in a single deity. Nergal was associated with the Underworld. Shuwala, the tutelary goddess of Mardaman, a city located in the north of modern Iraq, is attested in sources from the Ur III period. Introduction Venerated as the patron deity of Babylon itself, Marduk as one of the major Mesopotamian gods formed an important part of the Babylonian pantheon. Allani, in Mesopotamia known as Allatum, was the Hurrian goddess of the underworld. Mammitum was one of the goddesses who could be identified as the wife of Nergal. Kumarbi was one of the main gods of the Hurrians, An Elamite deity known chiefly from a passage mentioning "the forest of Manziniri.". Not only do we pay for our servers, but also for related services such as our content delivery network, Google Workspace, email, and much more. Dingirma was a goddess from Kesh regarded as analogous to Ninhursag. As the traditional sacrifices to Yahweh (see below) could not be performed outside Israel, other practices including sabbath observance and circumcision gained new significance. The period of Persian rule saw the development of expectation in a future human king who would rule purified Israel as Yahweh's representative at the end of timea messiah. Erragal, also known as Errakal, is a relatively rarely-attested deity who was usually regarded as a form of Erra, Gareus was a god introduced to Uruk during late antiquity by the. [67] There is no universally accepted explanation for such aniconism, and a number of recent scholars have argued that Yahweh was in fact represented prior to the reforms of Hezekiah and Josiah late in the monarchic period: to quote one study, "[a]n early aniconism, de facto or otherwise, is purely a projection of the post-exilic imagination". Yahweh the Destroyer: On the Meaning of Heath D. Dewrell. Musician goddesses always mentioned as a pair who were handmaidens of Shaushka. The Sumerians regarded Inzak as the chief god of the Dilmunite pantheon. Lugalbanda was an early legendary king of the Sumerian city-state of Uruk, who was later declared to be a god. Map of the Levant circa 830 BCERichardprins (GNU FDL). "God said to Moses, 'I am who I am.' And he said, 'Say this to the people of Israel: "I am has sent me to you."' Many scholars believe that the most proper meaning may be He Brings into Existence Whatever Exists (Yahweh-Asher-Yahweh). Amzallag notes that the Edomites, Kenites, Moabites, and Midianites all worshipped Yahweh to one degree or another and that there is evidence the Edomites who operated the mines at Timnah converted an earlier Egyptian temple of Hathor to the worship of Yahweh. The most important god in the Sumerian pantheon is An (known also as Anu to the Akkadians). Enki was said to reside in the Abzu, which the Mesopotamians believed was a freshwater ocean located beneath the earth that was the source of all streams, rivers, and lakes. "[14] The sacrality of the name, as well as the Commandment against "taking the name 'in vain'", led to increasingly strict prohibitions on speaking or pronouncing the term in writing. Later on, An's leadership role was either shared or taken over by other gods. [45], Yahweh filled the role of national god in the kingdom of Israel (Samaria), which emerged in the 10th century BCE; and also in Judah, which emerged probably a century later[46] (no "God of Judah" is mentioned anywhere in the Bible). Aruru was initially a distinct minor goddess, regarded as violent and connected to vegetation; Sherida (Sumerian) or Aya (Akkadian) was the wife of the sun god Utu/Shamash and the goddess of dawn. Tweet. [83][84][85] According to Sean M. McDonough, Greek speakers may have confused Aramaic words such as Sabbath, Alleluia, or even possibly some variant of the name Yahweh itself, for more familiar terms associated with Dionysus. [28] An answer many scholars consider plausible is the Kenite hypothesis, which holds that traders brought Yahweh to Israel along the caravan routes between Egypt and Canaan. When republishing on the web a hyperlink back to the original content source URL must be included. I was wondering if anyone knew if this was true and could explain to me like I'm five one way or the other? The ancient Mesopotamians believed that their deities lived in Heaven, [9] but that a god's statue was a physical embodiment of the god himself. Thank you! Canaanite inscriptions mention a lesser god Yahweh and even the biblical Book of Deuteronomy stipulates that the Most High, El, gave to the nations their inheritance and that Yahweh's portion is his people, Jacob and his allotted heritage (32:8-9). Birtum was the husband of the prison goddess Nungal. The Assyrians had a weather god named Adad who carried lighting bolts in his hand and bore a striking . Mesopotamian Gods Family Tree UsefulCharts 1.38M subscribers Subscribe 24K Share 1M views 1 year ago Watch Mythology with Mike's video about Ishtar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Anpre.. [36] Although the Biblical account draws a clear distinction between Israelites and Canaanites in this period, and this was followed in early scholarship, the modern consensus is that there was no distinction in language or material culture between these groups and scholars accordingly define Israelite culture as a subset of Canaanite culture. Assyriologists regard Ninshubur as the most commonly worshiped. Thanks in advanced for any information on the origins of this specific sky wizard's name :) This thread is archived In some myths and god lists, Anshar and Kishar are a primordial couple, who are male and female respectively. Levine, Lee I. Judaism and Hellenism in Antiquity: Conflict or Confluence? Lane, Eugene N. Sabazius and the Jews in Valerius Maximus: A Re-Examination. The Journal of Roman Studies, vol. Omissions? Enki, also known as Ea, was the Mesopotamian god of water and wisdom. For more information, please see our The World History Encyclopedia logo is a registered trademark. Enslaved haben mit Heimdal vieles richtig gemacht und ein vielseitiges wie weitsichtiges Werk abgeliefert, trotz den erwhnten . Yahweh was an ancient Levantine deity that became the national god of ancient Israel and Judah. Lulal, also known as Latarak in Akkadian. Adad or Hadad - the God of Storm and Rain The Mesopotamian storm god varied from place to place. While the great gods of the pantheon were worshipped by priests at . Shuzianna was a goddess regarded as the second wife of Enlil. 1. The monotheism of the Hebrew Scriptures would later be appropriated by the adherents of Christianity who would continue veneration of Yahweh, eventually known as Jehovah and then, simply, as God, and Islam would also develop the deity under the name of Allah (the God) beginning in the 7th century CE. An was believed to be a sky god, and was initially regarded to be the Lord of the Heavens, or the supreme deity of the Sumerian pantheon. [5] The early Israelites were polytheistic and worshipped Yahweh alongside a variety of Canaanite gods and goddesses, including El, Asherah and Baal. Beginning in the second millennium B.C., Babylonian theologians classified their major gods in a hierarchical numerical order. Hendursaga was a Sumerian god described as "protective god with a friendly face" in inscriptions. (397). "Yahweh." Numushda was a god who was associated with the city of Kazallu. As it has been established they were a nomadic people, attempts have been made to link them with the Hebrews and with the Habiru, a group of renegades in the Levant, but these claims have been refuted. [75] The frequent occurrence of Yahweh's name was likely due to Greek and Roman folk magicians seeking to make their spells more powerful through the invocation of a prestigious foreign deity. Learn about the Hebrews, whom Moses led out of slavery in Egypt. ), long fingers and fingernails, and the feet of, Ninazu, Ningishzida; Tishpak; Marduk, Nabu; Ashur. Ninhegal was a goddess of abundance worshiped in Sippar. Sumer (not Sumeria, which wasn't a thing) is the southern part of Mesopotamia (so that's like saying "a Texan god named Yah and an American god named Weh"). In fact, the word Mesopotamia means "between rivers" in Greek. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Known as enki in the sumerian language, ea was the mesopotamian god of water. He is the son of the couple Anshar and Kishar (heaven and earth, respectively), the second-born of the primordial couple Apsu and Tiamat. You can get the definition (s) of a word in the list below by tapping the question-mark icon next to it. [44] The earliest known Israelite place of worship is a 12th-century BCE open-air altar in the hills of Samaria featuring a bronze bull reminiscent of Canaanite Bull-El (El in the form of a bull) and the archaeological remains of further temples have been found at Dan on Israel's northern border, at Arad in the Negev and Beersheba, both in the territory of Judah. In the late middle ages, `Yahweh' came to be changed to `Jehovah' by Christian monks, a name commonly in use today. Many legendary characters have more than one name. Yahweh, according to Amzallag, was transformed from one god among many to the supreme deity by the Israelites in the Iron Age (c.1200-930 BCE) when iron replaced bronze and the copper smelters, whose craft was seen as a kind of transformative magic, lost their unique status. The following is a list of Mesopotamiandeities. Model of Herod's Renovation of the Temple of Jerusalem, Although the Bible presents Yahweh as the god of the Israelites, there are many passages which make clear that this deity was also worshipped by other peoples in. The earliest portrayals of Yahweh as the principal deity to whom "one owed the powers of blessing the land" appear in the teachings of the prophet Elijah in the 9th century BCE, and was likely well established by the time of the prophet Hosea in the 8th century BCE, in reference to disputes between Yahweh and Baal. For this reason, the Sumerian god was also known by the title Lord of the Sweet Waters. Mesopotamian God Names: Anu - "Sky," the chief god of the Babylonian pantheon Nergal - "Lord of the Underworld," the Babylonian god of death and disease Adad - "Thunder," the Babylonian god of storms and rain Ninhursag - "Lady of the Mountains," the Sumerian goddess of fertility and nature The discovery of Amenhotep III's mention of the Shasu of Yahweh placed the god much earlier in history than had been accepted previously. the earth trembled, the sky also dropped. It's based on the fusion of a Sumerian god named Yah and a Mesopotamian god named Weh." Nothing about that sentence is even remotely right. At this time, scholars have established, the older works which eventually became the Hebrew Scriptures were revised to reflect a monotheistic belief system among the Israelites far earlier than was actually practiced. Simut was an Elamite god associated with Mars, Umbidaki was a god worshiped in the temple of Ishtar of, Nintinugga, "mistress who revives the dead," worshiped in Ninlil's temple in Nippur, Ninisina, who in addition to her primary role was also the goddess of Isin. Wer was a weather god worshiped chiefly in northern Babylonia and in Assyria. [72] Finally, in the national crisis of the exile, the followers of Yahweh went a step further and outright denied that the other deities aside from Yahweh even existed, thus marking the transition from monolatrism to true monotheism. The name Bl-arbi means "lord of the poplar" (the tree meant is assumed to be, Most historians generally agree that Gilgamesh was a historical king of the Sumerian city-state of. Mark, Joshua J.. Yahweh as the all-powerful creator, preserver, and redeemer of the universe was then later developed by the early Christians as their god who had sent his son Jesus as the promised messiah and Islam interpreted this same deity as Allah in their belief system. "Yahweh." [57][58] From these ideas, Second Temple Judaism would later emerge, whence Christianity, Rabbinic Judaism, and Islam. He creates animals and human beings, destroys all in a great flood except Noah, Noah's family, and the animals Noah saves, and elects Abram (later known as Abraham) to lead his people to the land of Canaan and settle there (Genesis 1-25). Silili is an obscure goddess who was apparently the mother of all horses. Last modified October 22, 2018. Kusarikku ("bison man") was a creature depicted as a human-faced bison standing on its hind legs. An is the Sumerian word for heaven, and he represents the father of all the gods. Amzallag writes: An essential link between Yahweh and copper is suggested in the Book of Zechariah where the dwelling of the God of Israel is symbolized by two mountains of copper (Zech. Mark, Joshua J.. The biblical narrative, however, is not as straightforward as it may seem as it also includes reference to the Canaanite god El whose name is directly referenced in `Israel' (He Who Struggles with God or He Who Perseveres with God). This paper views the relevance of cuneiform texts to the history of science from inside, i.e., from the perspective of the available sources, as well as from outside, i.e., from t Many Greek transcriptions also indicated that YHWH should be pronounced Yahweh. Though scholars know the Anunnaki as the gods of ancient Mesopotamia, fringe theorists believe they are ancient alien invaders from the planet Nibiru. Written in sumerian script but in a language closely related to hebrew, the tablets showed. Some Rights Reserved (2009-2023) under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license unless otherwise noted. The meaning of the personal name of the Israelite God has been variously interpreted. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Our publication has been reviewed for educational use by Common Sense Education, Internet Scout (University of Wisconsin), Merlot (California State University), OER Commons and the School Library Journal. [54] In 539BCE Babylon in turn fell to the Persian conqueror Cyrus the Great, the exiles were given permission to return (although only a minority did so), and by about 500BCE the Temple was rebuilt. ubula was a minor god most likely associated with the. The kingdoms of Israel and Judah periodically warred or allied with each other until 722 BCE when the Assyrians destroyed Israel and, in keeping with their usual military policies, deported the inhabitants and replaced them with others from their empire. Kilili was a demon or minor goddess who served as a messenger of Ishtar. Yahweh, as the actual name of the supreme being, seems to have remained in use until the Babylonian Exile in the 6th century BCE. 6:1-6). Aralu A nether-world that is expansive, but dark and gloomy. Cookie Notice [86] Other Roman writers, such as Juvenal, Petronius, and Florus, identified Yahweh with the god Caelus. Largo al factotum / Rossini; Lucia di Lammermoor. YHWH. Nanna, Enzu or Zuen ("Lord of Wisdom") in Sumerian, later altered as Suen and Sin in Akkadian. World History Encyclopedia. Jewish God Yahweh Originated in Canaanite Vulcan, Says New Theory by Ariel David, On the Origins of Yahweh: A Response to Martin Leuenberger, Yahweh, the Canaanite God of Metallurgy? Yahweh, name for the God of the Israelites, representing the biblical pronunciation of YHWH, the Hebrew name revealed to Moses in the book of Exodus. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. and our Uur-amssu was one of the deities regarded as children of Adad and Shala. The discovery of Amenhotep III's mention of the Shasu of Yahweh placed the god much earlier in history than had been accepted previously but also suggested that Yahweh was perhaps not native to Canaan. Whoever the Shasu were, they were not Hebrew and the Habiru seem to be Canaanites who simply refused to conform to the customs of the land, not a separate ethnic group. Damu was a god who presides over healing and medicine. Particularly compelling are his arguments from biblical passages and the archaeological evidence cited from the ruins of the mines of Timna. As the Israelites developed their community in Canaan, they sought to distance themselves from their neighbors and, as noted, elevated Yahweh above the traditional Canaanite supreme deity El. [70] The early supporters of this faction are widely regarded as being monolatrists rather than true monotheists;[71] they did not believe Yahweh was the only god in existence, but instead believed he was the only god the people of Israel should worship. The centre of Yahweh's worship lay in three great annual festivals coinciding with major events in rural life: Passover with the birthing of lambs, Shavuot with the cereal harvest, and Sukkot with the fruit harvest. The Sumerian term Martu, also used as the gods' name, had a more vague meaning - "westerner." The god was envisioned as a tutelary deity of the Amorites by the Mesopotamians, and in texts he was a courtier or even son of the sky god An and his wife Urash. The deities of Sumer were usually associated with aspects of nature, such as fertility of the fields and livestock. [52] The next 50 years, the Babylonian exile, were of pivotal importance to the history of Israelite religion. All of these stipulations and details were applied to the god later, however; it is unclear exactly when Yahweh was first worshipped, by whom, or how. [37], Yahweh was originally described as one of the sons of El in Deuteronomy 32:89, but this was removed by a later emendation to the text. Ugallu ("big day" or "big weather beast") was a class of beings in Mesopotamian mythology, attested after the Ur III period. Lugaldukuga was the father of Enlil in some traditions, Nammu is the primordial goddess who, in some Sumerian traditions, was said to have given birth to both An and, Ama-arhus (Nin-amaaruu; "(lady) compassionate mother") was a sparsely attested Mesopotamian divinity, explained as a title of the medicine goddess, Amasagnudi was the wife of Papsukkal in the god list, Amashilama was the daughter of Ninazu and his wife, Antu is a goddess who was invented during the. This in itself suggests a shift in cultural prominence from the ancient Sumerians to the later Babylonians. The temple was built by Amenhotep III (r. 1386-1353 BCE) and the reference to Yahweh established that this god was worshipped by another people long before the time when the events of the biblical narratives are thought to have taken place. Gazbaba was a goddess closely associated with Nanaya, like her connected with erotic love. [20] One scholarly theory is that he originated in a shortened form of el yahw abat, "El who creates the hosts",[21] but this phrase is nowhere attested either inside or outside the Bible, and the two gods are in any case quite dissimilar, with El being elderly and paternal and lacking Yahweh's association with the storm and battles. These ancient gods of Mesopotamia had wings, wore horned caps, and possessed the ability to . In Roman times, following the Siege of Jerusalem and destruction of its Temple, in 70CE, the original pronunciation of the god's name was forgotten entirely. [73], Yahweh is frequently invoked in Graeco-Roman magical texts dating from the 2nd century BCE to the 5th century CE, most notably in the Greek Magical Papyri,[74] under the names Iao, Adonai, Sabaoth, and Eloai. TEXT CUT BOOK Keep Your Card in Tins Poilet Books will be issued only on presentation of proper library cards. Detail, Noah Window, ChartresWalwyn (CC BY-NC-SA). Lahmu ("hairy one") was a type of apotropaic creature. As the name of the supreme being was considered too holy to be spoken, the consonants YHWH were used to remind one to say the word 'adonai' (lord) in place of the god's name, a common practice throughout the Near East in which epithets were used in referencing a deity. 3000 - 323 BC, 2nd Edition, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike. [55], Towards the end of the Second Temple period, speaking the name of Yahweh in public became regarded as taboo. Judah was able to withstand the Assyrian military campaigns but only by paying tribute to Assyria. An was said to be both the brother and husband of Ki, the goddess of the Earth, and was at some points considered the de facto father of all creation. [66], Yahweh-worship was famously aniconic, meaning that the god was not depicted by a statue or other image. Kulullu ("fish man") was an apotropaic creature depicted a centaur-like fish-man. Secondly, the only source I can find for Yah immediately is. Cruda, funesta smania / Donizetti; Thine alone ; Ah, sweet mystery / Herbert; Zaz. The name Yahweh (yah-WEH) occurs more than 6,800 times in the Old Testament. Rick's spiritual apathy is often represented in the depictions of these powerful beings and the devotion they inspire. (111). El was the chief deity of the Canaanite pantheon and the god who, according to the Bible, gave Yahweh authority over the Israelites: When the Most High [El] gave to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of men, he fixed the bounds of the peoples according to the number of the Sons of God. Sumer was the southern part. Latin-speaking Christian scholars replaced the Y (which does not exist in Latin) with an I or a J (the latter of which exists in Latin as a variant form of I). Early Christian writers, such as St. Clement of Alexandria in the 2nd century, had used a form like Yahweh, and this pronunciation of the tetragrammaton was never really lost. Yahweh is the name of the state god of the ancient Kingdom of Israel and, later, the Kingdom of Judah. [11] During the Hellenistic period, the scriptures were translated into Greek by the Jews of the Egyptian diaspora. In Mesopotamian texts, Dumuzi is described as the son of Enki, the god of water, and the brother of Geshtinanna, the goddess of agriculture and dream interpretation. Just a few days before Super Bowl Sunday, in which Drake bet nearly a million dollars on the Kansas City Chiefs, it looks like he's hit with some interesting news. World History Encyclopedia. Bitu's primary function is that of a gatekeeper (. In I Samuel, God is known by the name Yahweh Teva-ot, or He Brings the Hosts into Existence, in which Hosts possibly refers to the heavenly court or to Israel. He was the son of Anu and was derived from an earlier Sumerian God, Iskur. World History Publishing is a non-profit company registered in the United Kingdom. [59] These probably pre-dated the arrival of the Yahweh religion,[59] but they became linked to events in the national mythos of Israel: Passover with the exodus from Egypt, Shavuot with the law-giving at Mount Sinai, and Sukkot with the wilderness wanderings. Aruru Aruru was the Goddess of creation. Alala and Belili were ancestors of Anu, usually appearing as the final pair in god lists accepting this tradition of his ancestry. The Assyrian Empire fell to an invading force of Babylonians, Medes, and others in 612 BCE and the Babylonians claimed the region of Canaan. The word 'mesopotamia' comes from the ancient words 'meso', which means 'middle', and 'potamos', which means 'river or stream'. In Mesopotamia and Syria, Artemis was identified with the goddess Nanaya. Bau was a prominent goddess of Lagash, and some of its kings regarded her as their divine mother.