Religion apparently was by far one of the most important factors in the Babylonian society. For example, many rigid rituals were carried out to show respect for the gods and even critical political decisions were based on the gods’ will, which is most likely a conjecture that people made from various omens. Religion has always played an important role in all societies, including that of Uruk and the one we live in now; but I can’t help feeling that the emphasis people put on the temple and gods had gone a little absurd in Babylon that it almost reached the level of superstition.
In order to worship the gods and deities, people dressed up the statues and fed them food, believing that such deeds would please the gods and thus bringing them prosperity. The rituals of such ceremonies were very strict; people were expected to behave their best at temples. Maybe it sounds a little too drastic, but the imagery reminded me of witchcraft, where people performed some cryptic ceremonies, hoping to receive messages from spirituals. Unlike in Uruk, the temple was separate from the government; instead of controlling the economy and wealth distribution, the Babylonian temple was solely a place for people to practice their religion. This might be why that people could go a little overboard, since they only looked pursue their religious life in the temples.
More importantly, it’s hard to imagine that, despite the separation between the temple and the government, many political decisions were made based on what people got from the temple. Depending on the messages gods had given, the leaders decided whether certain actions and changes should be made. Overall, religion came before everything else and the whole entire Babylonian society pretty much functioned based on religion. On the other hand, it seems like such emphasis on religion makes the Babylonian society prone to civil unrest, since religious views can be very different from each other.
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