One of the most interesting things mentioned in Joanne’s chapter on religion and culture in Babylonia is the god’s statue in the sanctuary. They were treated as if they were living objects. People came to them with offerings and prayers. They were fed four times a day, brought together with other gods’ statues for a meeting, and were adorned with jewels and garments. Feast days were held for the statues by the king. And the populace got to see the god’s statue on a festival day once a year when the statue is paraded throughout the city.
People clearly believed that the statue itself held power over their welfare. Giving offerings to the statue was an ingrained practice. When the empire’s wealth increased, the rulers gave even more ridiculous amount of food. In the reign of Nebuchadnezzer II, the goddess Ishstar of Uruk received in a single day the basic food ration for 100 people.
The god’s statue held a powerful position in the city. Each city had its own local god that held the most importance. And the inhabitants within that city were first and foremost loyal to that god within the pantheon of gods. Thus, it is interesting to note that when another city-state conquers another, it takes captive that city-state’s god’s statue. It sends the message that the god is no longer watching over that city-state. In some cases, the disappearance of a god’s statue to people believing that their city was doomed.
-Ruby Lin
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