Gods and religions in the Ancient World | Irving Finkel and Lex Fridman

Quick Overview

The discussion between Lex Fridman and Irving Finkel explores the nature of ancient Mesopotamian deities, contrasting them with modern monotheistic religions, and concludes that the primary tragedy for humanity is not mortality itself, but the dogmatic insistence on religious exclusivity and the suffering caused by these systems.

Key Points: The Adda Seal (c. 2300 BC) depicts five Mesopotamian deities: a hunting god, the winged goddess Ishtar, the sun god Shamash, the water god Ea, and his vizier Usimu. The ancient Mesopotamian pantheon had a complex structure with major gods like Anu (Father of the Gods), Enlil (King of the Gods/Executive), and Ea (Friend of Humanity), alongside hundreds of other specialized gods and goddesses. Ancient religious belief systems, unlike modern Western monotheism, were highly pragmatic, with gods having specific roles (e.g., overseeing small villages or city states) and temples dedicated to them. The concept of an afterlife in ancient Mesopotamia involved everyone, including ancestors, going down to the netherworld, contrasting with later Abrahamic traditions which often introduced concepts of reward or punishment. The speaker argues that the creation of monotheistic religions, which claim exclusive truth ("I'm right and you're wrong"), is the greatest mistake of mankind because it leads to conflict and suffering. Modern religious adherence in England and Wales shows a sharp decline in Christianity (from approx. 70% in 2001 to under 50% in 2021) while 'No religion' increased to nearly 40% by 2021, according to ONS data. The enduring pain associated with mortality is not death itself, but the realization that one must contend with suffering and loss without the comfort of external divine intervention, especially when confronted with dogmatic certainty.

Context: This segment features an interview between Lex Fridman and Irving Finkel, a renowned Assyriologist, focusing on the structure and nature of ancient Mesopotamian religion, particularly Sumerian and Babylonian pantheons. Finkel draws comparisons between these polytheistic systems, which often featured specialized, localized deities, and the later development of exclusive, singular-God religions (Abrahamic traditions), while also touching upon modern secularization trends shown in UK census data.