Don't Know Much About Mythology - Kenneth C. Davis [60]
The other key concept from Mesopotamian myth was the me (pronounced “may”), a somewhat abstract collection of divine laws, rules, and regulations that governed the universe from its creation and kept it operating. Unlike the Egyptian concept of maat, which was order, truth, and justice, the Mesopotamian me was a far more complex list of institutions, people, rituals, and other elements of a culture that included more than one hundred separate characteristic items forming the basis of Sumerian society. In some respects, it was comparable to the intricate laws of ancient Judaism that went far beyond the basic Ten Commandments, and defined the role of priests and the manner of worship.
But the me was, in many ways, even more complex, covering nearly every dimension of Sumerian society. Among the varied aspects of the me were a catalog of official institutions, like kingship and the priesthood; certain ritualistic practices, including holy purification; desirable qualities of human character and moral laws; and even lists of occupations that included scribes and blacksmiths. Highly conceptual, the list of what constituted the me also included such acts as lamentation, rejoicing, sexual intercourse, and prostitution. Various parts of the me could also exist in physical objects, such as the throne—in which kingship resided—or drums that contained rhythm. Like building blocks of an orderly society, all of these basic ideas, institutions, and practices had to be maintained intact to ensure the cosmic order. Possession of the me meant to hold supreme power, and Enki, the chief god of Sumer, was the keeper of the me.
Where did Mesopotamia’s gods live?
If the poet Robert Frost was right that “good fences make good neighbors,” walls may be even better. To fortify their cities against invasions, the Mesopotamians built high-gated walls around their cities, with temples, palaces, and royal houses enclosed within another set of walls in their centers. Around them were “suburbs,” encompassing the fields and orchards. Every city also had a riverfront harbor area, which was the center of commerce.
But the temples provided the focal point of Mesopotamian life and society. Housed within the prominent ziggurat towers that loomed high above the relatively flat plains of Mesopotamia, the temples were more than just symbolic or ritual buildings, or tombs for dead kings. Built for the cult worship of a particular god who was responsible for both the city and the people, the temples were thought to be the actual home of the gods, where they lived with their families and servants. The gods of Mesopotamia’s cities might be fearsome and powerful, but they were homebodies, completely tied to their cult city and its temple, and they needed the daily attention of priests and priestesses. Each day, the rituals of feeding, clothing, and washing the god were carried out within the sanctuary. As anthropologist Gwendolyn Leick put it, “Heaven was no further than the temple roof. By providing the gods with lodgings and sustenance, the city partook of the essence of divinity.”
Employing large numbers of workers, these city temples drove daily life. They were run by a priestly hierarchy and controlled enormous wealth collected through taxes and offerings, held large tracts of fields and orchards, and even functioned as “banks,” making loans. Though the daily worship of the gods was a priestly duty, religion played a great part in the lives of ordinary people. Everyday worshippers attached themselves to a particular god or goddess—just as modern Christians might be especially devoted to a favorite saint—and they offered prayers and sacrifices in return for blessings and protection from evil spirits. Even though they