Myths on the Origins of Time in Ancient Mesopotamia

Many Mesopotamian mythological texts offer a remarkably rich and imaginative vision of the origins of time and its division into days and nights, seasons, and years. By analysing a selection of myths and literary passages, this contribution aims to retrace the long temporal journey from a mythical past to a present in which the structure and perception of time remain deeply influenced by ancient Mesopotamian thought. The seminar focuses first on the mythical creation of time in one of the most celebrated texts of Mesopotamian literature, the Enūma Eliš, and then turns to the opening lines of the Enūma Anu Enlil astronomical compendium, a passage from the Great Prayer to Šamaš, and finally to Gilgameš’s journey along the path of the sun. Though drawn from diverse literary genres, all these texts share a common thematic thread: the measurement, regulation, and cosmic meaning of time in ancient Mesopotamia.