HIST 3370 Lecture Notes - Fall 2018 Lecture 4 - Euphrates
Document Summary
Culture defines the way of life of a community. Herodotus" description focuses on a broad range of cultural elements, including politics, religion, architecture, and technology. Such elements provide useful insight into the culture of the babylonians. Religion and belief system form an essential part of the societal culture. The sumerian civilization believed in the existence of a supreme higher authority, and the babylonians held the same perception. The god was supposed to be appeased through the conduction of a wide range of spiritual rituals in both civilizations. For instance, to appease the babylonian goddess venus, every woman born in the kingdom was supposed to ensure they consort with a male stranger once in her lifetime in the precinct of venus. The custom was observed as a measure to maintain fertility in the society. Burial rites such as the burning of incense were performed in line with the cultural requirements of the gods.
