What is God? - Part 2

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Gods have probably been a facet of Homo sapiens lives since we lost a lot of hair and started wondering what the stars were. Since the dawn of time humans across the globe have been looking to the heavens and at their own existence and trying to attribute meaning and cause to life’s events. Without any understanding of cause and effect, or atoms and molecules, or physics and physiology, we attributed the unknown to a superior understanding and power. The cause and meaning of all life was in the gods.

While indigenous cultures across the globe have their own creation and god myths, the modern Western idea of God developed in Mesopotamia around the period 18-13 BC. Before the monotheistic God, there were numerous ‘Pagan’ gods, all holding different powers and responsibilities. The gods were primarily attributed to the creation of the Earth, and control over its environment. They held sway over different regions and had unique powers. In the various conflicts of the gods in their struggle for supremacy some were destroyed while others increased in power to take over the mantle of the supreme god. Many changed their names, and morphed into other gods in other regions throughout Mesopotamia.

The earliest known written record of the gods, is the Sumerian creation myth found on a clay tablet in Nippur and known as the Eridu Genesis, dating to about the 18th century BC. Although incomplete, the tablet vaguely describes gods creating the Sumerians and the animals.

After An, Enlil, Enki and Ninursaĝa had fashioned the black-headed people, they also made animals multiply everywhere, and made herds of four-legged animals exist on the plains, as is befitting.

The gods of the Eridu Genesis also cause a mighty flood (the seed idea for the flood myth in Genesis perhaps) to destroy the lands and irrigate them. The god of the water instructs Atra-hasis to build an Arc and save the animals and the seed of mankind.

All the windstorms and gales arose together, and the flood swept over the ……. After the flood had swept over the land, and waves and windstorms had rocked the huge boat for seven days and seven nights, Utu the sun god came out, illuminating heaven and earth.

The detailed reason for the flood is not clear, but we can assume it is to purify the lands because of some evil deeds committed by the creatures inhabiting it.

"I will …… the perishing of my mankind; for Nintur, I will stop the annihilation of my creatures, and I will return the people from their dwelling grounds.

This is the first written account of the work of the gods, who they may be, and their purpose. Although incomplete, it shows us that the earliest understanding of god(s), and the origin of life, to be more poetic than factual or scientific.

This creation myth was made at a time when there was no understanding of the world, or it’s functioning. Life was desperate and survival was the prime objective. People would have been extremely fearful of the unknown. Unnatural or random events, such as storms, lightening, earthquakes, or even eclipses, had no meaning at this time. How did primitive people explain such events?

From the Eridu Genesis it is difficult to make any conclusion as to the significance of these gods mentioned. There are no idols or archeological evidence to suggest that they were worshiped or how wide their influence was. We can only assume that this account is the earliest attempt to guess how the earth was created and how humans came to be on the planet.

Next: The Enuma Elis