Babylonian Mythology
The religious practice of Babylonia has greatly influenced Babylonian religion, and their mythology was heavily influenced by their counterparts in the Sumerians. The myths were written on clay tablets, which were inscribed with cuneiform script and were written in either Akkadian or Sumerian, with some notable exceptions. Some of the names of some of the deities were changed to correspond with the adapted religious practices.
Some of the stories that were written about the Tanakh were said to have been inspired by the mythological past of the Near East. Many of the Babylonian deities and religious writings were singular to that culture like for instance, Marduk replaced Enlil as the head of the pantheon. The rituals and worship of the statues of the gods were considered sacred in Babylonian religion. The gods were constantly in their temples, and they were also embodied in the natural forces around them.
Tablet fragments from the Neo-Babylonian period describe a series of festival days celebrating the New Year. The Festival began on the first day of the first Babylonian month, Nisannu, roughly corresponding to April/May in the Gregorian calendar. This festival celebrated the re-creation of the Earth, drawing from the Marduk-centered creation story described in the Enûma Eliš.
