1. Marduk Marduk is a “late-generation god from ancient Mesopotamia and patron deity of the city of Babylon”. He was the son of Ea and Damkina, the wisest of the gods and eventually the ruler of the gods. Marduk is also the Babylonian counterpart of the Sumerian Anu and Enlil. He had a son named Nabu. It has often been suggested that Marduk's religious importance increased with the city's growing political influence. Marduk is associated with the planet Jupiter. His main temples were located in Babylon, the most famous one being the “Ziggurat Etemenanki”. The temple where Marduk was worshipped was called the “Esagil”. Marduk was also worshipped in other Babylonian cities, such as Sippar, Borsippa, and Nippur. Marduk was sometimes referred to as 'Bel' which means 'lord'. In Babylonian mythology, Marduk is called upon to fight an army of demons led by the goddess Tiamat. He goes into battle when the other gods agree to elect him as their leader. He hunts down Tiamat, kills her and is crowned as the supreme god. The citizens of Babylon celebrated a New Year festival, during which the king would kneel before a statue of Marduk and vow that he was a good ruler. 2. Gilgamesh Gilgamesh is the main character and hero of the Ancient Babylonian epic poem, 'Gilgamesh.' The poem was …show more content…
His main symbol, however, is the sun disk. The ancient Egyptians believed that as the sun god, Ra’s role was to sail across the heavens during the day in his boat called the “Barque of Millions of Years.” In the morning when Ra emerged from the east, his boat was named, “Madjet” which meant “becoming strong.” By the end of the day the boat was called, “Semektet” which meant “becoming weak.” At the end of the day, it was believed that Ra died and sailed on to the underworld, leaving the moon in his place to light up the world. Ra was reborn at dawn the very next