preview

Babylonian Empire Religion

Decent Essays

What can be learnt of personal and state religion from the religious and divine iconography and symbolism present on kudurru from European museum collections?
Following the collapse of the first Babylonian Dynasty and the so termed golden age of Hammurabi's reign, the Babylonian kingdom eventually stabilised under the influence of the new Kassite Dynasty. The Kassites promptly implemented the Babylonian language as well as Babylonian cultural values and traditions. They introduced the use of stone steles known as kudurrus. The evidence of the use of kudurrus dictates that later dynasties continued the practice until the 7th century BC.
Kudurrus are defined and identifiable by their form, imagery and inscriptions. The most common shape is …show more content…

I would like to include a brief explanation of the refocus of my initial question. Prior to my study tour, after several meetings with my study tour supervisor I was advised that I should broaden my question to investigate depictions and representations of religion within Mesopotamia, and simultaneously to keep an open mind regarding objects from European collections which could potentially help me narrow down my ideas if I was inspired to do so. During the study tour it became apparent that many of the objects which I had initially expected to be able to assist me in answering my question were not usable in my report. One of the major obstacles was the design of some exhibitions and displays. Although I found these exhibitions to be innovative and extremely accessible to the public, an unfortunate consequence was that various objects became difficult to properly represent through photography, obscured by magnifying glasses, mirrors and specialised lighting. These factors ultimately led to a minor refocus and a narrowing down of my question to focus on

Get Access