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cosmos-godsWe're still mapping where this idea was first discussed. Key passages and related ideas below.

The Pantheon & the Divine Assembly

The gods govern as a council — and the world's fate is whatever they decide in session.

The Mesopotamian gods form a society, not a solitary deity. The great gods — An/Anu (sky), Enlil (the divine ruler), Enki/Ea (wisdom and the sweet waters), the moon Nanna/Sin, the sun Utu/Shamash, Inana/Ishtar — meet as an assembly (puhru) to deliberate and to fix destinies. Decisions are reached collectively and announced as decrees. This 'divine assembly' models the cosmos on a human city-council and is the setting in which floods are decreed, kings are chosen, and the world's order is debated.

Key passages(20)

Ashurbanipal 113

Very high

When (the god) Aššur, the father of the gods [... ]; the god Anu, the supreme one... [... ]; the god Enlil, the exalted lord [... ]; the goddess Mullissu, the mother of the great gods [... ]; (5) the

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Very high

Nanna = Sin Suen = ditto (Sin) Suen (written numerically) = ditto (Sin) Ŋešnugal = ditto (Sin) BUNIR = ditto (Sin) Abkar = ditto (Sin) Menšudu = ditto (Sin) Mendurahana = ditto (Sin) Menzalagbur = dit

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High

I, Ashurbanipal, great king, [ strong king ], king of the world, king of Assyria, king of [ the four quarters (of the world) ], creation of the hands of (the god) Aššur (and) the goddess Mullissu; one

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High

I, Ashurbanipal, great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, king of the four quarters (of the world), offspring of Esarhaddon, king of Assyria, governor of Babylon, king of the land

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Sennacherib 153

High

When (the god) Aššur, king of the gods of heaven and netherworld, [... ], the father of all of the gods, foremost of... [... ] the exalted circumspect one who [ is surpassing ] in insight, [... ], the

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High

I, Ashurbanipal, the creation of (the god) Aššur and the goddess Mullissu, the senior son of the king of the House of Succession, the one whom (the god) Aššur and the god Sîn — the lord of the (lunar)

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High

[... ]... in a gold našappu - bowl [... ] [... ] he passes [... ] to Ellil and as many gods as are in the main courtyard. He passes a gold [... ] from Antu to in front of the goddesses that are in the

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High

Anu [... ] as himself. Ellil is present as Lugaldukuga, (that is) Enmešara, Enmešara (also relating to) Anu. Ea is present as the Apsu, the Apsu (also relating to) the sea (and) the sea (to) Ereškigal

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Ashurbanipal 002

High

[ I, Ashurbanip ] al, great king, [ strong king, k ] ing of the world, king of Assyria, [ kin ] g of the four qu [ art ] ers (of the world), [ the cr ] eation of (the god) Aššur and the goddess Mullis

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High

Lacuna I placed (the bed) [... ]... [... which ] is laden [ with sexual charm ]. I presented the god Marduk, the one who loves my reign, with [ a b ] ed of ebony, a dur [ able ] wood, (and) which is c

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High

For the god Nergal, perfect warrior, mightiest of the gods, foremost hero, po [ werful ] lord, [... ], king of battle, lord of strength and power, lord of the Deluge that brings abo [ ut... ], the exa

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Esarhaddon 098

High

The god Aššur, father of the gods, who loves my priestly service; the god Anu, the powerful, the foremost, the one who called my name; the god Enlil, lofty lord, the one confirmed my reign; the god Ea

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Tiglath-pileser III 35

High

(erased signs) [ (The god) Aššur, great lord, the ] Enlil of the gods, the one who decrees fates; [ the god Marduk, the one who formula ] tes designs, creator of mankind, the one who inspects [... ],

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High

Lacuna [ In that y ] ea [ r, his (Urtaku’s) life came to an end (and) he passed away ]. [ (As for) Bēl-iqī ] ša, a Gambul [ ian who had cast off the yoke of my lordship ], he l [ aid down (his) life t

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High

Lacuna [... For 1 ],63 [ 5 years, the Elamite destruction..., the gods Aššur ], Bēl (Marduk), Nabû, [... in the di ] vine assembly place [... (5´) they (the gods) commissioned m ] e, Ashurbanipal, the

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A hymn to Enki (?) for Išme-Dagan (Išme-Dagan X)

High

Lord who among the gods makes the clever decisions, most prominent among them from the south to the uplands; who holding a staff in his hand determines their destinies as the Anuna gods come to him; w

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High

Lacuna (No translation possible) [ My battle troops (who are stationed) in the city Mang ] isi — which is inside (the territory of) the city [ Sumandir — came up against them ] and brought about [ the

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High

The palace of Esarhaddon, great king, mighty king, king of the world, king of Assyria, governor of Babylon, king of Sumer and Akkad, king of the four quarters, true shepherd, favorite of the great god

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Sennacherib 036

High

[ The god ] Aššur, the great mountain, father of the gods, the one who decrees [ fates,..., who deli ] berates (only) with himself; the gods Anu, Enlil, (and) E [ a,... ] the designs of heaven and ear

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A hymn to Marduk for Abī-Ešuḫ (Abī-Ešuḫ A)

High

King who gathers up the divine powers of heaven and earth, foremost son of Enki, Marduk, mighty lord, perfect hero, foremost of the Great Princes , strong one of the Anuna, the great gods who have giv

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