Esagil and the kings of the First Babylonian dynasty

Abstract

The Esagila temple, which was the main temple of the city of Babylon and its supreme god Marduk, has been an important religious center of Mesopotamia since the establishment of the local royal dynasty in the city and especially after the conquests of king Hammurabi. From an ideological point of view, the support of the temples and the gods living in them was the main duty of any Mesopotamian ruler. In this article the data of cuneiform sources on the relationship of the main temple of the god Marduk with the royal power in the Old Babylonian period (2003–1595 BC) are considered. The data of the year formulas of the kings of the First Babylonian dynasty regarding the temples of their kingdom and, in particular, the Esagil temple are analysed. Excerpts from the prologue and epilogue of the Laws of Hammurabi concerning Esagil are also studied. The following conclusions are made in the article: the kings of Babylon installed cult objects in the temple, carried out renovation work in it, and also made offerings of various objects to the gods of Esagila; in the Laws of Hammurabi, particular attention is paid to the special relationship of the king with the temple of Marduk; judicial activity was carried out under Hammurabi, although it is not clear who carried it out, the temple staff or the judges of the king.