The Mesopotamian domain of the dead and its constraints to divine transcendental power

Abstract

The Mesopotamian religious system had an explicit theocentric nature, as divine figures were understood as the raison d’être for all cosmic aspects and events. Hence, deities were conceived as possessing a transcendental power, which enabled them to control all cosmos and, as such, to freely move between cosmic domains. Yet, their authority and autonomy were not absolute when referring to the Netherworld, the cosmic realm of the dead. The features of this space, which were very particular, seemed to constrain divine figures. Several Sumero-Akkadian mythic compositions clearly show that deities could not act as they pleased in this realm. As such, with this paper, we intend to analyze the specific characteristics and rules of this space, exploring the impact they had on deities and, consequently, on their transcendental power.