Unit 3 Study Guide: Babylon, Akkad, and the Enuma Elish

Flashcards covering key figures, dates, legal codes, and mythological texts from the History 8 Unit 3 Babylon study materials.

What legend surrounds the birth and early life of Sargon the Great?

He was thrown into the river, found by the king's irrigator, and eventually became king.

Who were the Ensi in Akkadian society?

Leaders of city-states.

What are the exact dates for the Akkadian Period?

2334-2193 BCE.

What are the exact dates for the Old Babylonian Period (Amorites)?

1900-1600 BCE.

According to Akkadian stele descriptions, what religious explanation was given for the downfall or weakening of Narum-sin?

Narum-sin went against the gods, which made them weaker.

Who was Shamash in Babylonian religion, and what was his relationship to Hammurabi?

Shamash was the god of the sun who gave Hammurabi his set of laws.

How were punishments determined under the Code of Hammurabi?

Punishments were based on social status and gender, and used past events (precedent) to determine consequences.

In what year did Hammurabi defeat the city of Larsa?

1763 BCE.

In what year did Hammurabi defeat the city of Eshnunna?

1755 BCE.

How did Marduk's status change as Babylon's political power grew?

He was originally a local Babylonian god who was raised to chief god status when Babylon conquered all of Mesopotamia.

In the Enuma Elish, who was Anu and what did he create for Marduk?

Anu was Marduk's grandfather, and he created the four winds for Marduk to play with.

Who was Ea in the Enuma Elish, and how did he react to Marduk?

Ea was the father who begot Marduk; he exulted and glowed with gladness, making Marduk perfect and endowing him with a double godhead.

How is the physical appearance of Marduk described in the Enuma Elish?

He had four eyes, four ears, fire blazed from his lips when moved, he had exceeding tall stature, and was clothed with the halo of ten gods.

How did Marduk defeat Tiamat and what did he create from her body?

He crushed her skull with a mace, severed her blood vessels, split her like a shellfish into two parts, and set up half of her body as the sky.

According to the Enuma Elish, who contrived the uprising against Marduk and how was he punished?

Xingu contrived the uprising; the gods bound him, severed his blood vessels, and used his blood to create mankind.

What was the purpose of creating humans according to Marduk in the Enuma Elish?

Humans were created to be charged with the service of the gods so that the gods might be at ease.