Description
In Antiquity, the ancient civilization that flourished in the territory of modern-day Iraq and Syria was perceived as structured by its fluvial courses, as it was conveyed in its old Greek designation, “the land between the rivers”.Yet, for ancient Mesopotamians the territorial perception was much wider, encompassing not only the rivers, but also the mountains, the deserts, and, of course, the sea. In fact, literary references dated to the 3 rd millennium BCE, state how the Mediterranean Sea and the Arabo-Persian Gulf (“Upper and Lower seas”, respectively) were understood as both physic and mental limits of the land.
The importance of the aquatic environment was, therefore, extremely strong. Hence, it is not surprising that aquatic metaphors were elaborated, very early in time, impacting the political, cultural, and religious constructions/discourses of this civilization.
One of the most significant metaphors was the diluvian one, which referred to a massive aquatic destruction, unleashed by deities, which would allow for a new era, at all levels. In what concerns Lower Mesopotamia, the meridional territory marked by the Arabo-Persian
Gulf and by the alluvial plain, the first known literary references to the diluvium are dated to the end of the 3 rd millennium BCE, being traditionally understood as a way to explain the political turbulence experienced after the fall of the Third Dynasty of Ur (ca 2112-2004 BCE), and the subsequent affirmation of new powers.
However, and following the interdisciplinary approach we have been developing together, which intertwines History of Religions and Environmental History, it is our understanding that the environmental changes experienced throughout that millennium also concurred to the elaboration of this metaphor. The drastic increase of aridity and the retreat of the marshes and of the Persian Gulf forced a change in human behavior towards nature, thus provoking
alterations on the aquatic imagery, in general, and of the diluvian metaphor, in particular.
With this paper, focused in an ancient period of human history, we intend therefore to contribute to the discussion on the relation between climate changes and religious constructions.
| Period | 14 Oct 2021 → 16 Oct 2021 |
|---|---|
| Event title | IV Encontro REPORT(H)A “Sapiens, Saúde e Meio Ambiente - Fronteiras Naturais e Artificiais” |
| Event type | Conference |
| Degree of Recognition | International |