Comparisons with the Ancient Near East Flashcards
How did the Greeks explain the Egyptian gods?
The Egyptian gods were the Greek gods in different forms. They had hidden in Egypt in animal form after fleeing from Typhon, and that’s where the Egyptian gods came from
How did the Greeks explain where the Egyptian goddess Hathor came from?
Hathor is Io. When she arrived in Egypt, Jupiter turned her back into human form, she was then worshipped as a goddess in Egypt
What is the Babylonian myth of the origin of the universe from Enuma Elish (when on high)?
Two primordial beings: Apsu (freshwater) and Tiamat (saltwater)
They produce Anu (heaven)
Anu produces Ea and Marduk
Tiamat helps Marduk overthrow the older generations of gods, but then turns against him produces monsters to try to take him out. She eventually fights him in dragon form, he kills her, and carves up her body and creates the cosmos
What is the Hittite myth of the origin of the universe from Kingship in Heaven?
primordial deity: An (heaven)
Kumarbi bites off An’s genitals, and he gets pregnant. He later gives birth to tons of other gods from everywhere on his body, including Tessub, who later takes over the universe
How are Hesiod’s Theogony and the Babylonian myth similar?
The final ruler of the universe is a storm god, involves a primordial female deity turning against said storm god
How are Hesiod’s Theogony and the Hittite myth similar?
The final ruler of the universe is a storm god, involves the castration of a god and other gods being born from that, a male god giving birth, someone sending monsters monsters after the storm god to get rid of them
What do the Theogony, the Babylonian myth, and the Hittite myth all have in common?
Final ruler is a storm god, and they’re all succession myths, they were all written at about the same time
