Women's Roles In Ancient Mesopotamia And Babylon

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Ancient Western civilizations revolved solely around religion and patriarchy. Babylonian women had some legal rights, but were used as bargaining chips for their husbands or fathers who had committed crimes; they sometimes faced more drastic punishments for crimes they committed themselves. Inana was a goddess, and worshipped by citizens in ancient Mesopotamia. However, she was the goddess of sex and love, essentially for the pleasure of men and other gods. She was also known to support her favorite kings in times of war. While human women or goddesses in ancient Mesopotamia and Babylon may have had some privileges, everything they did was for the benefit of men. In Babylon in the early eighteenth century, women had contradicting roles. They had rights to divorce, controlled their own jobs, and engaged in business deals, but were sometimes used as property for punishments. The Code of Hammurabi was carved into a stone statue, and adorned with an image of Hammurabi and the god of justice, which is significant because at this time kings were divinely appointed, and having a relationship with the gods asserted their power. Unlike other ancient societies, Babylonian women did have certain jobs outside of the household: “If outlaws have congregated in the establishment…show more content…
“The goddess Inana or Istar was the most important female deity of ancient Mesopotamia at all periods” (Inana – Dictionary Entry, 108). In Sumerian rituals, Inana was portrayed as the goddess of sex, love, and possibly even prostitution, and was said to support her favorite kings in battle. She was often portrayed as naked and winged in Mesopotamian art. In this Sumerian source, Inana feels disrespected by the Ebih mountain range. She seeks the sky-god An’s advice on how to destroy it. He advises her against it, but she ignores his warning and conjures up a great storm and, ultimately, defeats the

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