New Year festival in Babylon
E766895
The New Year festival in Babylon, known as Akitu, was a major religious celebration marking the renewal of kingship and cosmic order through elaborate rituals, processions, and ceremonies centered on the god Marduk and other deities.
All labels observed (1)
| Label | Occurrences |
|---|---|
| New Year festival in Babylon canonical | 1 |
Statements (48)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
Akitu festival
ⓘ
Babylonian festival ⓘ religious festival ⓘ |
| approximateGregorianTime | March–April ⓘ |
| associatedDeity |
Ea
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Enlil NERFINISHED ⓘ Ishtar NERFINISHED ⓘ Nabu NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| associatedStructure |
city walls of Babylon
ⓘ
processional way of Babylon ⓘ |
| associatedText | Enuma Elish NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| calendarMonth | Nisannu NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| centeredInCity | Babylon NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| cosmologicalMeaning |
re-enactment of creation
ⓘ
victory of order over chaos ⓘ |
| culture | Babylonian ⓘ |
| duration |
several days
ⓘ
up to twelve days ⓘ |
| function |
affirmation of royal legitimacy
ⓘ
reaffirmation of divine covenant with the king ⓘ renewal of cosmic order ⓘ renewal of kingship ⓘ |
| hasName | Akitu NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| historicalPeriod |
Neo-Babylonian period
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Old Babylonian period NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| influence | later Mesopotamian New Year festivals ⓘ |
| kingRole |
leading processions
ⓘ
reinstatement as legitimate ruler ⓘ ritual humiliation before Marduk ⓘ |
| locationType | urban festival ⓘ |
| mainDeity | Marduk NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| politicalMeaning |
centralization of power in Babylon
ⓘ
elevation of Marduk as supreme god ⓘ |
| primaryTemple | Esagila NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| processionDestination | Akitu house ⓘ |
| religion | Mesopotamian religion ⓘ |
| ritualElement |
humiliation and restoration of the king
ⓘ
offerings and sacrifices ⓘ oracular consultations ⓘ processions of divine statues ⓘ public prayers and supplications ⓘ purification rites ⓘ recitation of creation epic Enuma Elish ⓘ ritual combat or symbolic battle ⓘ |
| socialAspect |
involvement of priests
ⓘ
participation of city population ⓘ participation of the king ⓘ |
| timeOfYear | beginning of spring ⓘ |
Referenced by (1)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.