Tašmetu Embodied Wisdom and Sexual Attractiveness in Ancient Mesopotamia

Tašmetu was the wife of Nabu, the divine scribe of destinies. This made Nabu the god of wisdom because knowledge was transmitted in written form. As his consort, Tašmetu was also linked to wisdom. But she was also associated with sexual attractiveness, an aspect she shared with the goddess Inanna/Ishtar. The Marriage of Nabu and... Continue Reading →

The Mesopotamian War God Zababa, Patron of Kiš

In ancient Mesopotamia, each city had its own patron deity that protected the city. He was the patron of the city of Kiš, a major urban center in the 3rd millennium BC, a city believed to be the first city to receive kingship after the Great Deluge. Zababa was a fierce warrior god who was... Continue Reading →

How Jupiter Dolichenus Became the Patron of Rome’s Soldiers

Jupiter Dolichenus is one of the many new gods created when the Romans syncretized their deities with local deities they encountered as they expanded their empire. Unlike similar counterparts, this god became extremely popular beyond its region of origin, and his mystery cult was practiced, mostly by soldiers, across the empire. Mystery cults were very... Continue Reading →

How Medusa Transformed from a Divine Protector to a Victim

When most people think about Medusa, they think about the story told by the Roman author Ovid in his Metamorphoses. He casts her as a priestess of Athena who was ravaged by Poseidon in Athena’s temple. As punishment for this sacrilege, Athena transformed Medusa into a hideous monster with snakes for hair and a gaze... Continue Reading →

Are Paganism and Neopaganism the Same?

While Neopagans are pagans, the nuance of language is used to distinguish between the pagan religions that defined ancient cultures and modern takes on pagan philosophy. This article explains ancient paganism and when and how it started to be referred to as “pagan,” the disappearance of traditional pagan religions, and the modern revival of pagan... Continue Reading →

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