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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. How many figures are contained within this book?

2. For what errand does Ea create the man called Good-Looks?

3. What is the station of the god or goddess who creates man?

4. What reason does the author give for noting similarities between these myths and other, well-known stories?

5. For whom must Ishtar be exchanged in Kurnugi?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Enkidu escape from the Underworld on an alternate tablet?

2. How do the fates of Dumuzi and Belili explain the seasons and rituals of Mesopotamia?

3. How does Ishtar gain entrance into the Underworld?

4. What reasons does Ereshkigal give for her anguish over losing Nergal?

5. After giving up on disease, how does Ellil try to keep the world from becoming overpopulated?

6. According to the story of Atrahasis, how and why was man created?

7. In the Mesopotamian myths discussed in this book, what early beliefs are depicted?

8. What arrangement is made for Ishtar's release from the Underworld?

9. In the longer version of this story, what happens after Namtar fails to find Nergal outside of the Underworld?

10. For what reasons does Enkidu die?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In the story of Etana, the eagle betrays the snake by eating its young, leading to the eagle's violent punishment. Discuss the roles of the eagle and the snake. What are some of the natural connotations, literary and otherwise, dredged up when thinking of snakes? What about eagles? How does this role reversal shift the reader's preconceptions of these animals? How does this speak to the diversity of Mesopotamia? What are the underlying themes of the eagle and the snake's story?

Essay Topic 2

What is the significance of the Tablet of Destinies? What powers does it hold? Why do the gods hold it in such esteem? How did it come to be and how does that relate to Ninurta's recovery of the Tablet? How does Anzu having possession of the Tablet reveal the heroism of some of the gods? How does the Tablet of Destinies relate to Mesopotamian religious beliefs?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the role of women within Mesopotamian culture as depicted within these myths in the following format:

Part 1) Shamhat.

Part 2) The story of Atrahasis to explain childbearing.

Part 3) Ishtar's relationships to men.

Part 4) Ereshkigal as both queen and loner.

Part 5) Belet-ili and her contributions to both deities and mankind.

Cite specific examples from the text to support your answers.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,091 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample