Intro to World Religion Archives

The Ancient Religion of the Babylonians

Post last modified:May 24, 2021

There were two empires of Babylonia – the Old Empire (c. 2200–1750 BC) and the Neo-Babylonian Empire (625–539 BC). Both the Babylonian and Assyrian religions, which bore a lose resemblance to one another, originally derived from that of Sumeria. However, differences between them evolved over time. The Babylonian religion stressed goodness, truth, law and order, justice and freedom, wisdom and learning, courage and loyalty. The chief Babylonian god was Marduk, ‘king over the universe entire’.

The Ancient Religion of the Sumerians

Post last modified:March 20, 2021

The Sumerians built the region’s first- known civilization between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers from the fourth millennium BC. By the eighteenth century BC the new state of Babylonia had been formed and this gradually overtook that of Sumeria. The Babylonian Empire eventually absorbed that of Assyria.

How the World Views Religion

Post last modified:March 20, 2021

Although many indigenous religions exist in isolated area, there has been a global dissemination of other beliefs, in particular the spread of Eastern religion, satires Buddhism, to the West in recent years. Many countries are also seeing a further integration between Church and State as religion and politics become interwoven.

The Nature of Religion

Post last modified:March 20, 2021

Religion, for billions of people, is a vital way of making sense of their life, and of giving purpose and meaning to existence. Through ethical and metaphysical theology, and through ceremony and liturgy, religion imbues people with a powerful sense of meaning.