Studying literature is very important despite the fact that what is written may not be relevant to the way society acts today. The code of Hammurabi states many different ways of handling situations that are in great contrasts to how our society handles the breaking of law today. However, it is still important, as not only does this piece of literature contain a viewpoint to the history of the Babylonian people, it allows the reader to dive into the mind set of that ancient time.

Much can be learned from ancient texts. Culture, beliefs and even ways of farming, can be derived from texts such as The Epic of Creation, The Epic of Gilgamesh and even the bible! Each one of these texts gives an insight to how the people lived and thus gave today’s scholars ideas on why the people did certain things. From worshipping certain gods to produce rain, to building temples for a single god that supposedly created the world by Himself, the reader can see why the culture was a certain and why cultures living relatively close to one another, acted so differently.

Then there is the concept of studying religion. Today people still study about God, and practice the ways of the bible. For these people it is important for them to understand where and perhaps how their way of life originated. It is important to read these texts as today people can benefit from learning of the history of the ancient civilizations and even discover the evolution of their religion.

The study of Near Eastern literature has the same value as the study of any other form of literature: it is the analysis of literary art for the sake of analyzing literary art. Though this may seem impractical to some, the fact of the matter is that art, good art at least, exists to shed light on the human condition. Therefore, ancient Near Eastern literature has as much value as one is willing to ascribe to the truths it is trying to present. If you can relate to the literature, then it is valuable.
The trouble with applying this to ancient Near Eastern literature, though, is that it was written by members of and for members of a society that is completely alien to the one in which we live. To try and relate to whatever point the author is trying to get across is an uphill battle from the start. However, at the same time, this may actually give the texts more value. For though we may not be able to relate to what is being said, we can understand that the most published texts must have been such because they were the most popular, and thus must have been what people at the time related to.
In this sense, Near Eastern literature has significant historical value. By understading what the average person in, say, Akkadian society valued, we are given a clearer picture of that society and what it stood for. This, in combination with other evidence such as architecture and archaelogical remains, can tell us a lot about a society that was part of the world and past that led to our world today. Though facts about Akkadian society in a vacuum may seem irrelevant, understanding the society as a whole and why it rose and fell can provide crucial information about our past and about how we can better function as a society. Like the old saying goes, "Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it." By providing us with the values of this society, this literature is perhaps some of the most valuable evidence we have. And that is the why all good art is valuable; it provides small time capsules of how people, or even a person, at the time felt about the world around them or a specific subject. Without these, all we have are objective, physical objects that require us to do a lot of extrapolation that is, in most cases, unjustified. Art is history.

Ancient Texts Today

Even though Ancient Near Eastern literature was written by people of the past, their experiences still reflect upon modern times as well. They help us understand many things, such as culture. To gain a clearer understanding behind the bible one has to know why it was written and for whom it was written for. Studying such texts can help us do just that. Studying issues such as corruption in ruler ship, friendship, mortality and much more help us understand ourselves better. Even though these issues trouble us today, they were more than present back then. For example issues with friendship and power were evident and extremely important because they serve as themes in the text and they are important issues today. Friends can influence you for better or worse. Gilgamesh was influenced for the better as he became a better ruler after meeting Enkidu. It can be negative as well because we see Gilgamesh grieve when Enkidu dies. Studying ancient texts is very important as it influences us still to this day.

Ancient Near Eastern texts today

Ancient Near Eastern literature is relevant to us because it helps us understand the origins of things like religion, politics, and culture. A text that is obviously very important today is the Bible, because it is central to the beliefs in Christianity and Judaism. Studying the history behind the Bible is just as important as knowing what is written in it. Having background information why it was written the way it was gives the reader a much deeper understanding of the meaning of the stories. Instead of taking certain beliefs for granted, we can understand why those beliefs came to be. Other texts have universal themes about issues that still affect us today, but some texts are not as essential to know just because they are not as widespread and central to people's beliefs like the Bible. For example, one theme in the Epic of Gilgamesh is the struggle to accept mortality. Mortality is something that has not changed much, and people still do whatever they can to put off death. Although the Epic of Gilgamesh is about something that is important to us today, I would say studying it is not as important as studying the Bible. There may be other contemporary literature that deals with the same topics just as well. On the other hand, the Bible is not replaceable.

How the Past Touches Today

            Even when cultures are separated by thousands of years, human nature at its core changes very little. What researchers have uncovered from the texts of the ancient Near East are stories that pertain to this human nature. Movies and books today tell much of the same stories of conflict, heroes, journeys, and the purpose of existence. Though the texts from the ancient Near East were written thousands of years ago, they still reflect much of what we can relate to today.

            The Epic of Gilgamesh, for example, speaks of two heroic men who journey across the earth in search of fame and glory. This theme can be seen in countless modern movies. Tropic Thunder, The Prestige, and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World are just three modern movies that depict one or more heroes in search of renown, just as in Gilgamesh in the epic. Another topic that plays a large role in both ancient and modern society is the question of the meaning of existence. In early ancient Mesopotamia, one can see this answered in the Epic of Creation and many of the following works, telling readers that the purpose of life is to serve the gods. The Bible later dictates that the purpose of readers’ lives is to serve a single God. This topic of existence and the message of the Bible has carried on through the centuries to modern society. Now, the Bible has helped create Christianity and allow it to grow into one of the world’s largest religions. Lastly, some interesting works of ancient literature deal with societal laws and regulations. These are what eventually evolved into modern society’s laws. Without their creation, modern laws may have not developed as thoroughly as they have to create modern society’s laws.

            Whether it be actions of individuals, questioning the purpose of existence, or setting down laws for nations, ancient Near Eastern and modern societies share many of the same themes through literature and art. Without the influence of past literature, modern culture would neither be as developed nor as diverse as it is today. The ancient Near East has affected us in many ways, probably in more than we can imagine.

Friendship in the Near East

Ancient Near Eastern literature was written by the people of the Ancient times, but even their literature applies to the problems of our modern times. As we can already see, the Hebrew Bible, which is an Ancient Near Eastern text, still persists in the Jewish people and their beliefs. The guidelines for life in the Bible are what the Jewish people abide by. However, this is not the only case in which Near Eastern literature applies to contemporary society.

The Epic of Gilgamesh displays the power and importance of friendship, which can be seen between Gilgamesh and Enkidu. Friendship is an important concept in current society as it was in all of humankind's presence in the world, as the world is full of problems relating to finding friends and lovers. Just as when we make friends we become happier and feel safer in the hectic modern world, so Gilgamesh finds more strength and security within himself after befriending such a powerful creature as Enkidu. When Gilgamesh attains his friend, he finds more meaning in his life, as can be seen with his newfound desire to conquer certain challenged, like finding and killing Humbaba. In our lives, friends are what push us forward to achieve certain goal, and they help us learn and open our minds to new things.

However, there is a downside to gaining true friends, and that is becoming more emotionally vulnerable to whatever may happen concerning the friendship. For Gilgamesh, it was losing his friend Enkidu. The loss of his dear friend has caused Gilgamesh to lose control of himself, rendering him weak and unstable. This too applies to our lives now, as we become vulnerable when we lose our loved ones. We feel grief and sorrow, and it is a big distraction from our major goals in life. Nevertheless, friendship is an essential part of humanity. Be it positive or negative, we need friendship.

Value

Near Eastern literature definitely has importance in today’s contemporary society. Although much of the text we have read was written thousands of years ago, most of the themes touched upon and lessons taught still have much import today. While our surroundings and lifestyles may be incredibly different now, humans are still humans; it seems our flaws and other tendencies have not changed so much in the past few thousand years, as many of the issues and problems faced in the stories we have read this semester closely parallel those seen in the modern world.

Mesopotamian literature is quite entertaining, and it is very interesting to try to get a glimpse of the kind of social and cultural ideas these people practiced through their mythology and stories. The Holy Bible is perhaps one of the most widely read and known pieces of literature in the world today, so at least some knowledge of its lessons and themes is surely prudent for many conversations, people owe it to themselves to some extent to have a little knowledge of the bible’s stories in order to be able to fully appreciate a great deal of our popular culture today. Many of the lessons to be learned in the Bible especially are applicable to our everyday lives, and while some things we have read would seem outlandish or obscene in today’s society, the morals taught and lessons learned from the stories can benefit everyone. I am not religious and am not trying to preach Christianity, but many of the stories give guidelines on how to be a good person in general that even the most adamant atheist can recognize some value.

Ultimately, these texts are part of our history, and anything that can be taken from previous human experience that can be applied to help in our endeavors today is surely valuable. I have thoroughly enjoyed the readings and discussions in this class, and I certainly have gained a great deal more perspective on the parables and writings of the ancient Near East.

I believe that ancient Near Eastern literature is quite significant for our society today. Not only is Mesopotamia the basis for such influential religions such as Judaism and Christianity but it can also be seen as the birthplace of modern civilization. The Bible is the most obvious source of significance from the works we have read given that there are literally billions of people that follow these two religions. The content of the Bible is therefore truly significant in modern society as it has shaped and guided many societies’ and peoples’ morals, values, actions, etc for thousands of years.

In general, all of these ancient works can be seen as crucial for their respective cultures which are the founding civilizations of the modern world. It can then be extrapolated that their views on divinity, power, respect, etc have evolved into our present views. The idea of kings being chosen by gods was a common theme in many cultures until (relatively) recently. The idea of prophets or a select chosen few who were chosen by the gods to lead the people can also be seen in numerous civilizations throughout history. While many of these former norms seem to have dwindled in our current US society, they were no doubt the foundation for the societies that have evolved into ours.

There are a few direct correlations between contemporary society and ancient Mesopotamian works as well. One example is that we seem to find comfort in strong looking rulers, though obviously not to the extent of Gilgamesh. We can also find parallels with many of Hammurabi’s laws such as the necessity of proof and witnesses against the accused. The peace treaty between Egypt and the Hittites reflects the idea of nations who are friendly to each other and offer conditional support. To conclude, I believe that these ancient Near Eastern works are worth studying and can even help us learn more about our society today.

Ancient Near Eastern Texts

In the ancient Near Eastern texts we have looked at, we are always given examples of how humanity is developing as a whole. Starting with the creation of humanity it is apparent how religion has affected the growth of the human moral character and development. These ancient texts give us insight into how are existence has changed since the time of creation. By knowing how our civilization (or lack there of) functioned in the ancient Near East we are able to establish how far we have come through the ages.

If we did not have access or knowledge of the ancient texts of the Near East the history of our civilization would be unknown. Not only does it tell us how humanity began, but it shows how developed as a society it was at its start. The various tellings of creation from the ancient Near East are examples of how we are able to observe the different interpretations of creation as well as the role of religion. Religion is so prevalent in these ancient texts that it is a main theme of all of them, but it is frequently interpreted in different ways.

In The Flood we see the creation of humanity as a source of forced labor for the gods, which depicts humans as slaves to the gods. This contrasts the tale of creation from the Bible where God creates humans in the image of himself for the sake of creating life, and humanity is seen as beautiful and the masterpiece of God's creations. These different viewpoints show us that there were varying religions within the ancient Near East, which created opposing ideas of creation. This is useful for humanity today because we can see that even then there were different gods and viewpoints in religion, just as there are today, so really no one choice is necessarily the right one. It also shows how our civilization is diversifying as more religious sects arise out of the original few as people grow differing views on the gods and religion. These ancient texts also show how ridiculous our society is because then they believed in less ridiculous religions in their time, while we have 'religions' such as scientology today; although this might be a point about how humanity is growing diverse in its beliefs. But still, scientology? Ridiculous.

Roots

When I first walked into this class, I came in with the idea that this would be like any other English class; read the assigned work, analyze the meaning of the text, write an essay explaining what you’ve learned, and take away any universal knowledge that you can from it. Well, this was the typical English class, but I also developed an unexpected deep respect for the origin of human history. I found the study of Near Eastern Literature to be present in many unexpected places and important in many unexpected ways.

The works found in the near east are the earliest known pieces of recorded history that we have ever found. This is our roots. This is where it all started. Not only can we discover our cultural origins, but we can find the origin of law, of commerce, of religion, of government. By studying these roots to see how they evolved, we can develop a better picture of how humanity as a whole progresses. With an objective view, we can find commonalities between cultural divides and religious beliefs that can help us to better come to understand opposing viewpoints. Near Eastern literature reveals that the many completely different schools of thought today all stem from the same basic ideas many thousands of years age. Perhaps understanding this will allow society to become more open and tolerant of fellow schools of thought.

Not only are we looking at the origins of human civilization, but we are also looking into the past at ourselves. The people of these stories are mankind’s ancestors, and by studying the differences between our society today and their society and beliefs then, we can discover more about the human psyche and its evolution. Although they appear to be less developed than modern society, they are still progressive thinkers in relation to their time period. By looking at our past, we can discover more about the natures of our primordial backgrounds and find out more of what it is to be human and what makes us different.

Entertainment and Ancient Near Eastern Texts

The significance of Ancient Near Eastern Text can be witnessed within a plethora of areas in contemporary society, notably, entertainment. The most explicit examples are direct adaptations of literature emanating from the Near East, such as The Prince of Egypt (1998) and The Ten Commandments (1956), both depicting Exodus. Additionally, there are multiple versions of Noah’s Ark (1959, 1995, 1999). An example of a more indirect adaptation, making references to texts such as the Bible, would be Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981).

Aside from re-creating literature for the big screen, there are also multiple themes from Near Eastern literature that remain firmly entrenched in the entertainment culture. The entertainment business reserves the right to be selective in regards to appearance – and the main characters of many of our favorite films, everything from Star Wars to Gone with the Wind, utilize characters similar to heroes like Gilgamesh in that they are distinctly “attractive”.

Another theme explored is that of divine intervention portrayed in texts like The Righteous Sufferer and Job. Modern sitcoms such as Scrubs tackle the same subject. For example, in one episode, Doctor Perry Cox argues with a fellow nurse about why God would bring a fatal disease upon an innocent child, while the nurse’s claims essentially to allude to how God simply works in mysterious ways. Ultimately, there is a conclusion open to interpretation: the initial disease calls for tests that find other symptoms that at first were not noticed and now could be treated, but the child still loses his life to the ailment. In addition to Scrubs, the question of why God would bring certain conditions upon human beings is addressed in comics as well. X-Men the animated series presented Nightcrawler, a character whose physical mutation completely isolated him and brought nothing but harassment from the rest of humanity. Yet, he remained the symbol of piety throughout the series, always praying and accepting God’s way of things even through the worst persecution.

Their Legacy

Many could argue that Near Eastern Literature was written for a society so distant and different from ours, that it is no longer relevant to us today, and therefore bears no real significance. Moments where this is true can be seen in texts such as the Code of Hammurabi. Its countless laws on agriculture and trading for instance, are no longer relevant in contemporary society because our technology, currency, and economy are so different, that they’re system is no longer compatible with ours. In that sense, studying the Code of Hammurabi in hopes of becoming a better economist would be absurd – unless of course you could travel back in time and live in their period. Yet, judging this ancient literature based solely on its immediate relevance to society would be unwise. Truth is, Near Eastern literature is significant, because it better allows us to understand how we came to be.

No one could have portrayed mankind’s obsession with knowing our true origins better than Oedipus Rex. We are intrigued with knowing where we came from, and resort to history and family lineage to appease our appetites. That being said, Near Eastern literature serves as another source of information that provides us with more incite on some of the earliest humans who could write. Their stories, letters, and laws serve as a reference point that we can compare with our own society as a means of seeing how much we have developed and matured (or in some cases, became more immature) as a species. This is important because somewhere down the line, we know some of the developments and breakthroughs that they came up with influence the way we live today. Whether that notion be that women are inferior to men, or that there is some celestial being(s) that watch over us, those ideas must have come from somewhere, and now we have a better idea of where that might have been.

Stating that Near Eastern literature is no longer significant would be improvident. Not only does it allows us to know a little bit more about ourselves, but it can help us avoid the mistakes that past generations had made. In essence, Near Eastern literature adds on to the biography of the human race.

Not so different

When Andrew George visited Berkeley a few weeks ago he mentioned briefly in passing the general apathy of the British government in regards to funding for the translation of the thousands of tablets currently stored in their country. This general apathy was caused by the feeling that there were better things that the government could be spending money on. It seems that we are faced with a similar challenge. We have within our own lives a limited amount of time. This time can be spent in a number of ways, too many ways indeed to allow me to make mention of all of them here. So amongst our busy lives does it make sence to make time for Ancient Near Eastern Literature? I feel each of us will answer this by our individual actions and that those actions will show how important this era of literature is to them. Looking back at my life I can see that I have already answered that question, and the answer has been yes. Like millions of christians I have devoted many hours to studying the bible, which is  without doubt the most famous and widely known piece of Near Eastern Literature. For me it does of course have religious value, but as we have learned the bible is not merely a religious text. It is a unique piece of literature which includes elements of history, phylosiphy, and even politics. The book has impacted the way I see the world and thus has helped shape who I am. Of course as we read other texts we can find a less one sided look at the Middle East. Through these pieces of literature we can better understand the cultures, languages, and the geography of these people. Surely it cannot hurt us to know these things as a society. Indeed perhaps it can do much to help us. In our high speed, super advanced world, perhaps it is good to take a look back and realize that we are still only human. Through the thousands of years of human civilization it is humbling to recognize that though separated by time and space we all have the same fears, desires, and needs. If nothing else maybe our society needs to look back and remember that.

Why we study ancient Near Eastern literature

Throughout the semester and the course we have seen and realized that the ancient Near Eastern literature is limited and not completely accessible. What the writers meant by some of the phrases and why they wrote it will always be up to the combination of our best speculation and imagination to comprehend. Most of the literature that have survived until today are religious texts, and with the ancient civilization no longer existent, it has been difficult to entirely decipher or interpret the religion and its beliefs. Ancient Near Eastern literature is what is left of a civilization that does not exist anymore. This inevitably brings up the question, why bother studying it at all?
I have always wondered about the reason behind studying the works of those that are no longer accessible. For some reason, I believed that analyzing and developing my own interpretation of the writing were somewhat offensive to the authors. If we could not personally talk to the author himself and learn everything about him, from his background to his style of writing, we will never be able to grasp the author’s exact thoughts as he was writing. I wish to respect the author’s true intentions behind his works and to not corrupt them with my own ideas. This goes same for ancient Near Eastern literature, of which I would have very limited knowledge about, unless I have been studying for decades. Who am I to translate these words from a whole different culture into my own and completely reconstruct the very idea and beliefs embedded in them?
However, an essay I have come across presents a very interesting answer to this question. Bill Hemminger, a professor at the University of Evansville, wrote an essay titled, Why Study Ancient World Cultures? In it he explains “the differences among cultures are of greatest interest here, and reading about ancient cultures is thus reading about other people whose lives were surely different from our own.” Through these differences, we readers and scholars can explore new perspectives that can open our own even further. By reading these religious and cultural texts, we can compare and contrast the decisions that the ancient society made with those that we could be making today. For example, the Code of Hammurabi allows the contemporary society to not only understand the justice system that the ancient civilization followed, but also learn its benefits, faults and constraints. Hemminger states that through this process of examining different cultures “may help us better to see – and know -- the limits of our culture and the limits of our language and experience.” Analyzing and interpreting ancient Near Eastern literature does not necessarily mean we are changing its meaning or the culture behind it. We are simply exposing ourselves to different perspectives and ideas to help us better understand our own contemporary culture and ourselves.

Ancient Near Eastern Sex Appeal

The recurring visualization of the strong and handsome hero generally found in myths and tales can be found in the ancient Near Eastern culture too. Winter specifically points to the Stela of Naram-Sin, describing the physics details of Naram-Sin’s body using the words, “well proportioned, lithe, fit, and simply ‘divine’”. It is intriguing to see how common it is for readers to find themselves reading portrayals of the wonderful physique of a certain god or hero. In her article Winter, after analyzing Mesopotamian text and visual art, makes a connection between the sexuality of a man and his potency and power. As Winter notes, there is a set of ideal attributes that compose a dominant male, such as long beard, defined muscles and overwhelming height. Gilgamesh is an obvious example, whose physical characteristics described in the text seem to depict a “true man” of immense strength and toned body. His partner Enkidu is also described with attributes such as long hair and built, creating an image of a powerful man. In the Stela, it is also easy to notice the fine physical features of Naram-Sin’s body, signifying his triumph and supremacy. Through forms of visual art and writing, Mesopotamians have often used sexuality of the male characters to describe their potency and vigor, and modern readers can notice this similar pattern in many texts and paintings after the Mesopotamian era.

Sex, Religion, and Politics

In her article “Sex, Rhetoric, and the Public Monument,” Irene Winter paints a picture of politics that is very different from what we would consider as normal today. She argues that the Victory Stela of Naran-Sin is evidence that in Mesopotamia, sex, in addition to religion, played a large part in politics. Instead of being separated, all three things were intertwined. Sexual appeal was apparently considered an important for kingship. Winter lists banu, damqu, batsu, and kuzbu as attributes that a royal person should have, which are all aspects of physical attractiveness. Since these words were used in literature to describe real kings as well as Gilgamesh, who was an important character in popular culture, there is evidence that importance was placed on them. Winter also presents plausible evidence that this sexuality was also considered connected to the divine. The king’s supreme beauty and sexual appeal were thought of as something bestowed upon him by the gods to symbolize the king’s power. Adad-nirari II claimed that the gods “altered my stature to lordly stature,… made perfect my features and filled my lordly body with wisdom…[and] surrounded my head with the aura of rulership” (17). The way he mentions his stature together with the aura of rulership suggests that his physical beauty was something deeply connected to his political power.

A lot of Winter’s arguments make sense, but some things she claims do not seem to have much evidence. For example, she provides good literary evidence that sexual appeal was important for a king. However, I believe it is difficult to know what people’s reactions would have been when they looked at the Stela. Since our standards of physical attractiveness are no doubt different now, there isn’t a reliable way to know by looking at the Stela whether people would have found the image of the king sexual. Winter claims that women would have looked at the carving as someone would look at an attractive movie star today. She says boys would see it as a model to aspire to, and men would see it simultaneously as a sign of the king’s supremacy and a projection of themselves. If there isn’t literature documenting this, though, we wouldn’t really know this just by looking at the monument.

Sexual Power

A theme that is very prevalent in Near Eastern writing, as well as in today’s writings, television shows, advertisements, political campaigns, etc. is that sexual attractiveness is inherently linked to one’s ability to lead, accomplish tasks, or perform in general. In the victory stela of Naram-Sin, a figure larger, taller, and more attractive than a number of more diminutive people is depicted in a sort of victorious pose. This stela is trying to highlight the sexual attractiveness and therefore overall ability of the man featured. This theme is very common in Near Eastern mythology, for example the great King Gilgamesh, likely the most epic and excessive character we have read about thus far, is described as being gigantic, fully bearded, a great warrior, and also incredibly handsome in a godlike way. Also, Saul, the first king of God’s chosen people, is described as mightier than all his peers, a full head taller, and also very handsome. According to Winter, sexuality is inextricably linked to a man’s potency and male vigor, and therefore also to their overall ability to command, lead, and be a king. It seems in our popular culture we always look up to the handsome, well-muscled guy to save the day or lead the people to safety. This is undoubtedly a deep, subconscious biological programming we all have that the manlier the man (more testosterone or something?) the better he will be at doing just about anything. We are all animals after all, and it is interesting to see that times haven’t changed too much (at least in this respect) since ancient times.

First impressions

When I first saw the picture, or perhaps I should say engraving I didn't really think too much of it. I did notice the tall stature of the top figure and it seemed fairly apparent to me that he was being shown as a superior being. There also seemed to be a sense of victory. This was no doubt due to the fact that he seemed to be quote literally above everyone else. I did notice the beard and was reminded of the figurines on the Code of Hammurabi. I hadn't noticed that his entire right side had been visible, though I realize it was once the author made mention of it. However the sexual imagery that the author alluded to was not something I noticed even upon reading the article. He looked simply healthy and alive to me. All on all I found the author's viewpoints interesting and many of her arguments valid but I felt she was reaching a little bit with her conclusion concerning the sexual nature of this monument.

Sexuality

I felt Winter connected sexuality and the Stela of Naram-Sin very convincingly in Chapter one “Sex, Rhetoric, and the Public Monument.” More the pointing out the obvious indications of power and right to rule, her comparison of Naram-Sim’s features to those written about Gilgamesh shine a light on what might form part of the Mesopotamian lexicon of values.

Her use of the terms “Banu,damqu, bastu,” and “Kuzbu” focus her argument on features present on Naram-Sin’s body. Though the words are not actually written on the stone, they seem appropriate either because the detail is very obvious, or these terms are used to characterize Gilgamesh, a famous king of the City of Uruk. For instance, “damqu” is a term used to describe “persons and things and may be rendered as ‘auspicious and good’” and can be seen on Naram-Sin’s “perfect body.” More importantly, it can be seen on the way his right side and ear are so deeply carved in comparison so the other crevices around him – an indication that the country would prosper. This kind of visual evidence – the kind that catches the viewer’s eye in intensely, hardly seems any more facts to back it up.

Kuzbu on the other hand, refers to someone’s “sexual allure” and cannot be directly assumed from the stela itself. Considering how Gilgamesh, another Mesopotamian king, was always depicted as being large, strong, and seductive enough to temp a goddess however, emphasizes how much this culture often associated attractiveness with its king’s. Thus making it more logical that Naram- Sin’s posture, stature, and clothes are intentionally positioned in such aware to allure his audience.

History can never be completely accurate, but winter’s argument does more than assign words to the Stela of Naram-Sin, it helps us experience a possible set of values people had during this period.

The Ancient Art of Using Sex as a Weapon

Winter’s atricles on Mesopotamian views of sexual potency mentioned in stories, sculptures, and in anceint Mesopotamian politics show that it played a very different role in the ancient world than it does now. She argues that unlike today’s view of sex being a mutual action between two people in a loving relationship, sex in ancient Mesopotamia was dominated by men and used as a political stunt to prove one’s power. The greater the amount of sex appeal a man had and the greater his sexual activity showed others that he was able to produce much lineage and act as a dominant male.

As seen in the stele of Naram-Sin, Naram-Sin himself is depicted as very well proportioned, alluring, and as having a perfect right-side of his body. Enemies lie at his feet gazing up at his magnificent stature. The depiciton on the tablet was most likely a tool used by Naram-Sin to show his dominance to his subordinates and future generations. Leaders now thankfully do not rely on their sexual appeal and battle prowess alone to prove their competence. Instead, modern society today veiws sexual appeal, battle prowess, and competence as a leader as three distinct characteristcs. If society today viewed men in the same way as they did in ancient Mesopotamia, we would probably not have progressed as far as we have in civil rights and understanding of equity between members of society.