Mesopotamian Gods

The ancient Mesopotamians believed that their deities lived in Heaven, but that a god’s statue was a physical embodiment of the god himself. As such, cult statues were given constant care and attention and a set of priests were assigned to tend to them. 

A deity’s temple was believed to be that deity’s literal place of residence. The gods had full-sized barges, which were normally stored inside their temples and were used to transport their cult statues along waterways during various religious festivals. The gods also had chariots, which were used for transporting their cult statues by land. Sometimes a deity’s cult statue would be transported to the location of a battle so that the deity could watch the battle unfold. 

The major deities of the Mesopotamian pantheon were believed to participate in the “assembly of the gods”, through which the gods made all of their decisions.

The Anunnaki. (c) ComicVine

Anu

Ashur

Bau

Dumuzid

Enlil

Enki

Ereshkigal

Gula

Inanna

Ishkur

Istaran

Marduk

Nabu

Nanaya

Nanna-Suen

Nergal

Ninazu

Ninhursag

Ninlil

Ninshubur

Ninurta

Nisaba

Utu

Zababa

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