God lists, detailed collections of the names of gods and goddesses, were compiled by ancient Mesopotamian priests and scribes for the training of students as early as the early third millennium BCE – a practice that continued throughout the subsequent development of Mesopotamian civilisation. Written in cuneiform script, the god lists were sometimes arranged according to graphic principles derived from the individual signs, but more often were arranged according to the locally-perceived importance – theologically-speaking – of the deities listed. As such, god lists are extremely useful to modern scholars in revealing the structure and development of Mesopotamian belief systems, throughout time (diachronically) and in different areas (geographically).
Select Bibliography
Alberti, A.
1985 “A Reconstruction of the Abu Salabikh God-List”, SEL 2 (1985), pp.3-23.
Genouillac, de H.
1923 “Grande liste de noms divins sumériens”, RA 20 (1923), pp.89-106.
Jean, Ch.-F.
“Noms divins sumériens”, RA 28 (1931), pp.179-194.
Krebernik, M.
“Die Götterlisten aus Fara”, ZA 76 (1986), pp.161-204.
Lambert, W. G.
“Götterlisten”, RLA 3 (1969), pp.473-479.
Litke, R. L.
A Reconstruction of the Assyro-Babylonian God-Lists, An: dA-nu-um and An:Anu ßa am™eli, New Haven, 1998.
Mander, P.
Il pantheon di Abu-Salabikh, Naples, 1986.
Weidner, E. F.
“Altbabylonische Götterlisten”, AfK 2 (1924-25), 1-18, 71-82.