Mesopotamian Cosmic Geography.

• Author: REYNOLDS, F. S.
• Position: Review

Mesopotamian Cosmic Geography. By WAYNE HOROWITZ. Mesopotamian Civilizations, vol. 8. Winona Lake, Ind.: EISENBRAUNS, 1998. Pp. xiv + 410, illus., 10 plts. $52.50.

The series "Mesopotamian Civilizations" has made a substantial contribution to scholarship on ancient Mesopotamia since the first publication in 1989. This volume by Wayne Horowitz, the eighth in the series, continues the tradition. The book has as its subject ancient Mesopotamian beliefs about the structure of the universe and stems from a doctoral thesis Written under the supervision of Professor W. G. Lambert at the University of Birmingham.

Mesopotamian concepts of the universe were a blend of empirical observation and theological speculation. The nature of ancient Mesopotamian thought permitted the co-existence of varying traditions, which did not necessarily harmonize with one another. The belief that the basic structure of the cosmos was a series of superimposed layers is common to all known traditions. Traditions also agree regarding the two layers defined through observation: the visible sky and the visible earth. However, layers above and below this pair were theoretical concepts, and differing traditions developed. Above the visible heavens the cosmos, regarded as the domain of the gods, was defined as one or two layers. When this part of the cosmos is divided into two, the location of a god is related to that god's role: for example, Anu, as king of heaven, lived in the topmost layer. The waters of the Apsu and the underworld of the dead are attested as layers below the visible earth. Observation played a role, since the earth was the s ource of springs of water as well as the place of burial. According to one tradition, the Apsu lay between the visible earth and the underworld but, according to another, the underworld was located immediately below the earth.

Horowitz cites all the Sumerian and Akkadian evidence he knows of and draws on an extensive range of textual sources. Texts containing information about Mesopotamian concepts of the universe are very diverse in terms of date, place of origin, and textual genre. Moreover, no systematic description of the universe is extant and relevant material often takes the form of incidental references. The author has painstakingly combed through a large number of texts and extracted the pertinent information. This volume presents a synthesis and evaluation of the results.

Given the nature of the sources, organizing and...