Ancient Near Eastern

Statuettes from the Square Temple, Eshnunna, Iraq,ca. 2700 BCE

For the main theme of my journal entries, I wish the focus solely on Religion. I chose this in an attempt to understand better the way different cultures from the past valued their beliefs. In ways of worship, it is interesting to me when I am able to make a connection, having recognized similarities between nowdays to thousands of years before. I chose this particular piece to discuss for the Ancient Near Eastern period because I am not only entertained by the work, but there are several symbols that I am well aquatined with in my own acts of worhsip.

The statuettes in this work were carved from soft gypsum and inlaid with shell and black limestone, ranging from the size of well under a foot to about 30 inches tall. The largest figures found are the two that are shown above. The Sumerian religious beliefs are made clearer as the figures are clearly in the act of worship. It is important to mention that these two figures are mortal. Their faces are raised toward heaven with wide-eyed expressions, said to represent an "eternal wakefulness necessary to fulfill their duty." Their hands are folded in front of their chest taking on the nature of prayer, where in their hands they are holding a cup of some sort, most likely used in a religious rite. It is interesting also to mention the small foot placed beside the lady figure. Easily enough it could be recognized as belonging to a child. I am interested in this mainly because the figures were found within the temple. Not only are they in acts of worship, but there is a child present as well. Rituals were most often made by thoes who held some form of power, such as a priest. This particular piece of artwork allows you to assume that children as well as men and woman have the ability to be found in acts of worship. Religious rites most often are taken away from those deemed uworthy, in that mortals are given the opportunity to act upon relgious rites it would be easy to consider that there was less of a emphasis in the Sumarian religion on whom could worship, but rather that all could participate in an attempt to draw closer to the dieties.