This contribution offers an anthropological view of holy waters, springs, sacred rivers, and
trees in the ancient Mesopotamian religious framework. Water is omnipresent in Mesopotamian
myths and rituals, particularly in association with the cosmic Apsû, the primeval
source of all waters. The pristine waters flow out through springs in the mountains and form
the flowing bodies of rivers. For the Babylonians and Assyrians, rivers and watercourses
were sacred and cosmic entities, often worshipped as deities. The Tigris and the Euphrates
particularly appeared as river deities, with life-giving, motherly, healing, and judging roles.
This essay considers the interrelationships between the Apsû, springs and sacred rivers, and
the associated sacred trees, mountains and anthropomorphic deities, to shed new light onto
ancient Mesopotamian notions about nature, religion, and the cosmos.Rad nudi antropološki pogled na svete vode, izvore, svete rijeke i drveće u religijskom okviru
drevne Mezopotamije. Voda je sveprisutna u mezopotamskim mitovima i ritualima, osobito
u vezi s kozmičkim Apsûom, praizvorom svih voda. Netaknuta voda izvire iz planinskih
izvora i tvori riječna tijela. Za Babilonce i Asirce rijeke i vodotoci bili su sveti i kozmički entiteti
i često su ih štovali kao božanstva. Osobito su se Tigris i Eufrat pojavljivali kao riječna
božanstva, a imali su životvornu, majčinsku, iscjeliteljsku i sudačku ulogu. Članak razmatra
međuodnose između Apsûa, izvora i svetih rijeka te povezanog svetog drveća, planina i antropomorfnih
božanstava, nastojeći ponuditi novu perspektivu na drevne mezopotamske
predodžbe o prirodi, religiji i kozmosu
