Religion in ancient Babylon

Babylon believed in polytheism, and the main god was Marduk, the wind god.

The procedure of offering sacrifices to gods can be divided into tribute and sacrifice. Mesopotamia believed that man depended on God for everything, and if he wanted to get God's gift, he had to worship devoutly to please God. Paying tribute is the first step to express loyalty. In the religious concept of Mesopotamia, God, like ordinary people, needs food, clothing, housing and transportation, and may get married and have children when he is happy. Therefore, the needs of people's daily life are the needs of God. Tribute is also a necessity of people's daily life, mainly food, drinks, livestock and oil. The number of offerings shows people's attitude towards the gods. Naturally, the more the better. There are basically tribute activities every day, and major festivals are even more grand. An inscription of Akkadian dynasty provides us with relevant information about tributes: the daily offerings to Shamash, the sun god, include: 20 sheep, 4 cows, 6 grains, 3 grains of flour, and the same amount of dates, lard, milk and honey. If it is a major festival, the number of sacrifices is more. For example, a clay tablet found in the temple of enlil in Nipur has more than 3,500 livestock with a list of offerings! The king's tribute to the country is the richest. This includes not only the national offerings, but also the personal offerings of the king. The following is the self-report of Nebuchadnezzar, the new king of Babylon, when he presented a gift to God on the Autumn Equinox:

I brought gold, silver, precious stones, gorgeous clothes, treasures from mountains and seas, mature fat rams, clean livestock, lambs, goats, fish in clear water, birds in the sky, poultry, roosters, Malatu birds, pigeons, onions, musk, rich plants, gold ornaments, gold trophies, dates and flowers from Dimon.

Sacrifice is another important sacrificial activity to serve the gods. This is a religious ceremony in Mesopotamia to offer sacrifices to ghosts and gods. Sacrifice is usually performed on a specific altar at the top of the temple. The temples in Mesopotamia are all trapezoidal tower buildings, and the top floor is often the place where sacrificial ceremonies are held, because Mesopotamian people believe that the top of the tower can reach the sky directly, and only at the top of the tower can they communicate with the gods. Sacrifice is usually a slaughtered lamb. They believe that the lamb is a substitute for human beings, and to dedicate the life of the sheep is to dedicate the life of human beings. Sacrifice should be accompanied by libation and incense burning. Because God likes the smell of trees, and the smell can smoke away people's sins.

Tributes and sacrificial ceremonies were presided over by priests. Senior priests preside over major sacrificial activities, while ordinary priests are responsible for daily sacrificial activities. At the ceremony, we must sing hymns. The following is Nebuchadnezzar's hymn to Marduk:

God, without you, the so-called king has nothing, and the king is not a king.

God, you appointed a king,

You, guiding my steps,

Therefore, I must obey you.

God, not only my name, but even my body, you created it.

God, you believe that I can rule all people,

I will make all countries benefit from you.

Let us fear you and love you.

Let your soul fill my heart,

Let me never leave you for a moment.

In addition to the tributes and sacrificial ceremonies in temples, ancient Mesopotamia also offered sacrifices to ghosts and gods through religious festivals. There are many religious festivals of various ethnic groups in Mesopotamia, which are generally stipulated according to the cyclical seasons of agricultural production. For example, there are ceremonies to celebrate the tying, unlocking and harvesting of plowshares. One of the most important festivals is the grand New Year celebration held in spring. Sacrificial activities will last for many days. The significance is to worship the gods and pray for good weather in the coming year. During the festival, just like today's carnival, almost the whole country and the whole people come to participate in the all-night carnival. The most interesting activity is the "holy wedding" attended by the king. The king plays the legendary god Dumuzi, and a priestess plays Hista, the goddess of love. The two of them repeated the legendary wedding of Dumuzi and Hista in public, which meant a bumper harvest and eternal happiness. (From: Lost Civilization: Babylon)