Loomade loomisest ja olemusest sumeri ja Piibli mütoloogias
The Creation of Animals and their Nature in Sumerian and Biblical Mythology

Summary/Abstract: The paper initially discusses some aspects of modern scientific animalhuman / non-human-animal studies and determines that the relations with or understandings of “animal” have changed considerably not only in comparison to ancient times but also compared to our near past which makes the analysis of the nature of animals more difficult in Ancient Near Eastern contexts. It is further discussed that animals had many different meanings for the ancient Sumerians. They could be understood in a negative manner and compared to the characteristics of invading and barbaric peoples such as the Gutians. On the other hand, domestic animals were also a source of prosperity and well-being for the mankind. It is determined that there were no large differences between man and animal in the physiological functioning of their bodies – their reproduction and also creation processes were often seen in similar terms. What made animal and human different was their different level of civilisation: man certainly belonged to the higher levels of the civilizational pyramid, being situated directly below gods. It is also concluded that the creation and nature of animals in Sumero-Akkadian contexts was quite similar in the Old Testament stories.

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