In Ancient Mesopotamia there were at least 3,000 deities. The Mesopotamian scribes compiled long lists of their gods. There were hundreds of gods who were responsible for everything in the world, from rivers and mountains to making bread or pottery. The gods were known by different names depending on whether the scribes wrote Sumerian or Akkadian.

In ancient Mesopotamia, the facts of nature were attributed to the workings of divine forces. Thus, there were many gods and goddesses, including 4 creator gods. The forces of Taimat and Abzu, who had emerged from a primordial chaos of water, created the 4 creator gods. The ancient Greek story of creation tells of primordial beings who emerged from Chaos, too.

The Anunnaki or Gods of Mesopotamia are a race of superhumanly powerful humanoid beings who were once worshipped by several of the races and cultures of Mesopotamia, particularly the ancient Sumerians and Babylonians from about 4000 BC during the rise of human civilization to 1500 BC when their worship was replaced by other religions, particularly the Judeo-Christian Church.

The human worshippers of the Anunnaki often referred to their deities by other names than by which they were originally known: for example, the Sumerians worshipped a sea-god named Ea whereas the Babylonians knew him as Enki. The Anunnaki no longer have or actively seek worshippers on earth.

Many Mesopotamian Gods have Sumerian and Akkadian variations. They’re virtually identical, but with cunning changes of name. For example, TAMMUZ is the Akkadian equivalent of DUMUZI. Things became a little easier when the two regions joined together to form Babylonia. At least until the Tower of Babel came along and confused it all again.

Some of the most passionate, courageous, magical and joyful mirrors of masculine wholeness can be found in Ancient Mesopotamia. The brilliant civilisation that developed between the rivers Tigris and Euphrates at the dawn of history have legated to us a wealth of written sources that show us different ways of being divine, male and female, passionate, angry, even foolish sometimes, but always joyful and with incredible zest for life in all spheres.

The gods played a crucial role in the Sumerians’ lives, both as a nation and as individuals – most Sumerians appear to have had a personal god or gods with whom they forged a special relationship. Their texts and stelae indicate that they looked to them for protection and assistance in all things, while also blaming them or looking upon it as a punishment – just or otherwise – when things went wrong.

This article gives information on:
Ancient Mesopotamian Gods Anunnaki
Sumerian and Akkdian Gods