What did students learn about the gods in ancient Babylon?

(Image Credit and Source: The Metropolitan Museum of Art)

New research examining Babylonian clay tablets reveals that religion was woven into scribal education rather than taught as a separate subject. Young students copied long lists of divine names, studied hymns and myths, learned about temples and sacred cities, and explored ideas about how humans related to the divine.

In some cases, their school exercises even became votive offerings deposited in temples.

The surviving tablets offer a rare look at how religious knowledge was passed from one generation of Babylonian scribes to the next — and how traditions surrounding Marduk, Babylon, Ninurta and other gods could differ from one region to another.

The evidence also reveals that Babylonian education was not simply about learning how to write. It helped preserve religious traditions, moral teachings, professional knowledge and cultural identity for centuries.

Read the full story to discover how ancient Babylonian education worked.