Mythology of Mesopotamia: gods, spirits, legends

Ekaterina Mikhailovna Berzon – candidate of historical sciences, researcher at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Assyriologist. Her scientific interests focus on the history and culture of Mesopotamia during the Hellenistic period. Olga Vitalyevna Popova... – candidate of philological sciences, PhD in Ancient History, Assyriologist, senior researcher at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Her scientific interests include the Akkadian language and the history of Babylonia in the 2nd and 1st millennia BC. This book is dedicated to the mythology of ancient Mesopotamia. The reader will become acquainted with the main gods of the Sumerian-Akkadian pantheon, as well as the good and evil spirits believed in by the residents of Mesopotamia: from the supreme deities An, Enlil, and Enki, the goddess of love and war Ishtar, and the god of the underworld Nergal to the winged protective spirits, mysterious mythical creatures, and dangerous night demons. In addition, the authors address Mesopotamian myths, including the epic of creation of the world "Enuma Elish", the "Tale of Atrahasis", which narrates about the Great Flood, as well as the "Epic of Gilgamesh" – one of the oldest literary works, etc. The publication contains color illustrations redrawn from ancient reliefs, statues, seals, and plaques. The book is aimed at researchers, students, as well as a wide range of readers interested in ancient history.