Babylonian Religion and Mythology

Monday, October 7-December 2 (8 weeks, class does not meet on November 25), 6-8pm Central (Chicago) Time on Zoom and recorded

Cost: Non-members ($392), Members ($314), Docents/Volunteers/ISAC Travellers ($157), UChicago Lab Students, Faculty, and Staff ($98). Not yet a member? Become a member today and save! https://isac.uchicago.edu/Join%20and%20Give/friends-isac

Instructor: Zach Rubin, PhD, Brown University

Welcome to Babylon, the city that bridges heaven and earth. In this course, we will explore how the ancient inhabitants of Babylon and its domain encountered the divine forces in myths, rituals, and everyday life. Witness the rise of Marduk, patron god of Babylon, as king of all gods, as encountered in the heroic poem Enuma Elish and celebrated each year in the New Year’s ritual. Survey the Babylonian cosmos, from the depths of the netherworld to the highest pinnacle of heaven, and meet their powerful inhabitants, from the demonic Lamashtu and Pazuzu to the mighty goddess Ishtar. Delve into the lives of priests and scholars who dedicated their lives in the service of the gods, as abundantly recounted in cuneiform records. Learn Babylonian wisdom arts such as divination, astrology, and exorcism, and see how they blur the boundaries between religion, magic, and science. Investigate the how the divine world pervaded other aspects of life, from elite politics to daily interactions. And explore the context of these religious traditions within history: how they engage with the earlier traditions of ancient Sumer, and how they were received by generations after the extinction of cuneiform writing. No prior knowledge of Mesopotamian history is required for this course!

Image Credit: Babylonian, Mesopotamian; Neo-Babylonian, Mesopotamian, Mushhushshu-dragon, Symbol of the God Marduk, 604 - 562 BCE, molded and glazed baked brick. Detroit Institute of Arts, Founders Society Purchase, General Membership Fund, 31.25.

Zachary Rubin received his PhD in Assyriology from Brown University with a dissertation examining the reception of the writing god Nabû in the Assyrian empire, as well as the role of his cult in imperial politics, intellectual thought, and elite propaganda. He also served as a Fulbright postdoctoral fellow at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where he conducted research in perceptions of the gods in Babylonian lamentation hymns. He has published extensively on the development of Babylonian religious traditions and their transformations over time. He has previously taught courses at Brown University, Hunter College, and Fordham University.

Host or Publisher The Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures