The ancient Sumerians believed that their gods were polytheistic, meaning they had many gods. This belief led to a cultural practice called "polygyny", where men could have multiple wives at once. The reason for this was because it reflected the idea of divine plurality - each god represented a different aspect of life and society needed all those aspects to function properly.
One god might be responsible for fertility while another was responsible for war. By having multiple wives, a man could ensure his family would remain strong in both areas.
Polygamy was seen as a way to maintain social harmony. If one woman could not provide enough children or produce enough crops, then adding another wife would help solve these problems. It also helped create alliances between families through marriage and provided more laborers for farming and other tasks. These justifications are evident in several religious texts from the time period. One such text is the Code of Hammurabi, which contains laws regulating marriages and divorces. In it, the king says "If a man takes a second wife without the consent of the first, he shall pay her ten shekels of silver" (Hammurabi, Art. 159), implying that multiple wives were acceptable but required permission from the primary wife. Another text is the Epic of Gilgamesh, which mentions a hero who has two wives named Siduri and Shamhat. Their names literally mean "sweet wine" and "temptress," respectively, suggesting they may have been chosen for their roles as caretakers and childbearers.
There's also the Akkadian Creation Myth, where the gods Enki and Ninhursag are shown creating humans from clay and naming them after their body parts. This reflects how polygamy was seen as a necessary part of society - each god needed a specific type of human to keep things running smoothly.
Akkadian religious texts clearly justify polygyny as both a reflection of divine plurality and a social necessity. They show that having multiple wives was not only allowed but encouraged because it ensured family stability and success. By understanding these justifications, we can better understand the cultural practices of ancient Sumeria and Mesopotamia.
How did Akkadian religious texts justify polygamy as both a reflection of divine plurality and a social necessity?
The Akkadian religious texts justified polygamy by explaining that it was both a reflection of divine plurality and a social necessity. According to these texts, men were allowed to have multiple wives because they represented different aspects of their godly nature, each with unique qualities and abilities that complemented one another. This reflected the idea of divine plurality, where there are many gods and goddesses who come together to form a complete whole.