The Temple and the Scribes

The system of the temple in Babylonia seems to have evolved in a different route than the temple that we studied in Uruk: The First City. Compared to the economic system that was run by the temple in Uruk, the temples in Babylonia were dedicated to the worship of the gods that they served. This was the case in Uruk, but there the temple was in control like a government power. Contrastingly, Babylonia’s temples were sacred and had rituals that the priests would perform in order to make sure that the god was satisfied.

The temple in Babylonia and the surrounding area changed drastically and was focused on the gods more than the economy. The statue of each god was prepared and clothed and fed daily in order that the god would be satisfied and ready for the worship by the people. The statue was prepared and then the god was welcomed to dwell inside of it so that it could receive the worship better and eat the food. The text doesn’t actually say how the food was consumed, but I think that would have been quite an interesting sight, especially what they did when nothing happened. But the ritual continued on, and society was centered on the worship of the gods.

We’re able to know how the ceremonies were performed and how much each god had because of the development of the scribes and written traditions. The job of scribe and writer was very important and preserved their knowledge and traditions. Being a scribe was not an easy task because it consumed one’s whole life. However, it was definitely an honor, and not very many people had the capacity or ability to do it so skillfully. Chapter 7 takes us through the traditions and customs of the religious temples and practices and on to how they’re known and recorded today: through the use of plates and archives where scribes could document it. This shows us the importance of documentation to the Babylonians and their ways of continuing on the traditions and requirements.