Middle Eastern Mythology
Middle Eastern mythology is made up of various regions, including Mesopotamia, Egypt, Persia, and the Near East. Due to its close cultural ties, the region has been regarded as one of the most significant mythologies in the world. The common theme across all these mythologies is the belief that you live only once, distinguishing it from Indian mythologies based on rebirth.
Mesopotamian mythology is one of the oldest of the collection. It believed that the world was controlled by various Gods. If the humans displeased them, they would cause floods to destroy them. The area gave us the world’s first empires, including the Sumerians and the Akkadians. Every city in the region had its own God. In the Babylonian Empire, Marduk was regarded as the most powerful god.
If Mesopotamian kings gave us many gods, then Persia gave us one king. In Persian mythology, God is good and opposes all bad. The concept of God is presented through the prophet Zarathustra, who tries to live a good life. The people in the kingdom were allowed to live in various ways. Unlike the Egyptians, who believed that the people served the Gods, the Mesopotamians believed that they were there to help them.
The idea of a god who enforces rules comes from the Near East. In Middle Eastern mythology, the prophet comes down to us through the messenger, who becomes the son of God. This concept is also present in Christianity. Like in Christianity, the idea of God being a prophet who demands obedience from humans has become a dominant theme in the world.
