1.3 Hell: Views of the Underworld in Mesopotamia
Examples of visions of the afterlife in Mesopotamian literature.
If you find that I may have made a mistake or would like to add something please comment and contribute!
Corrections: The Anunnaki are under world judges.
the
Igigi help bin the heavens and can be compared to the Eloheim.
Links on the material mentioned here:
Books Mentioned:
Myths from
Mesopotamia:
Creation, the
Flood,
Gilgamesh, and
Others
http://www.amazon.com/Myths-Mesopotamia-Creation-Gilgamesh-Classics/dp/0192835890
Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the
Old Testament with
Supplement
http://www.amazon.com/Ancient-Eastern-Relating-Testament-Supplement/dp/0691035032
Gods ,
Demons and
Symbols of
Ancient Mesopotamia (Paperback)
http://www.amazon.com/Gods-Demons-Symbols-Ancient-Mesopotamia/dp/0714117056
Recommended:
Before The Muses:
An Anthology Of
Akkadian Literature
http://www.amazon.com/Before-Muses-Anthology-Akkadian-Literature/dp/1883053765
Texts mentioned:
The Vision of the Netherworld-
About: http://www.hell-on-line.org/TextsANE
.html#The%20Vision%20of%20Kumma
Vision on Enkidu:
http://www.ancienttexts.org/library/mesopotamian/gilgamesh/tab7
.htm
Erra and Ishum epic:
http://www.piney.com/Baberraishum.html
Daniel Chapter 7:
http://www.truthnet.org/Daniel/Chapter7/
Ezekiel visions:
Then a spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me the voice of a great rushing: '
Blessed be the glory of the
LORD from His place';
(
JPS)
So a spirit lifted me up, and took me away; and I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit, and the hand of the LORD was strong upon me.
( JPS)
And the form of a hand was put forth, and I was taken by a lock of my head; and a spirit lifted me up between the earth and the heaven, and brought me in the visions of God to
Jerusalem, to the door of the gate of the inner court that looketh toward the north; where was the seat of the image of jealousy, which provoketh to jealousy.
( JPS)
Then a spirit lifted me up, and brought me unto the east gate of the LORD'S house, which looketh eastward; and behold at the door of the gate five and twenty men; and I saw in the midst of them
Jaazaniah the son of Azzur, and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah, princes of the people.
( JPS)
And a spirit lifted me up, and brought me in the vision by the spirit of God into
Chaldea, to them of the captivity. So the vision that I had seen went up from Me.
( JPS)
Eze_3:12; Eze_3:14; Eze_8:3; Eze_11:1; Eze_11:24;
Descent Of Inanna
http://www.piney.com/InanasDescNetherKram.html
Nergal and Ereshkigal
http://www.piney.com/BabMarNergal.html
Ishtar and Izdubar
http://www.beyondweird.com/
Magick/ane/iai/index.htm
Epic of Gilgamesh
http://www.sacred-texts.com/ane/eog/index.htm
Adapa and the food of life:
http://www.sacred-texts.com/ane/adapa.htm
DESCENT OF THE GODDESS ISHTAR INTO THE LOWER
WORLD
http://www.sacred-texts.com/ane/ishtar.htm
"Even so, however, I did not get them away without misadventure. We had with us a certain youth named Elpenor, not very remarkable for sense or courage, who had got drunk and was lying on the house-top away from the rest of the men, to sleep off his liquor in the cool. When he heard the noise of the men bustling about, he jumped up on a sudden and forgot all about coming down by the main staircase, so he tumbled right off the roof and broke his neck, and his soul went down to the house of
Hades. -The
Odyssey book 10
http://classics.mit.edu/
Homer/odyssey.10.x.html
Essay on the demons:
http://www.deliriumsrealm.com/delirium/articleview
.asp?
Post=384
Extra Credit:
How is the underworld of today viewed as compared to that of Mesopotamia?
What were the
Gates of Hell?
What was Christ doing in the underworld?
http://www.reformed.org/master/index.html?mainframe=/documents/Christ_in_hell/
What was Ishtar's threat about the release of the
Dead and how is this compared to the release of the dead
from Hell in the NT texts.
And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.
How do funeral rites compare to that of the last supper in the NT?
What importance was it for the women to anoint
Jesus head with oil in light of Mesopotamian theology?
Be sure to see:
Flat Earth Bible -
EP 2 A word from the bible
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEWC5gmBpu8