WORLD CIVILIZATION

Detailed explanation-1: -Akitu: the Babylonian New year’s festival, celebrated to honor the supreme god Marduk, his crown prince Nabû and other gods. The name Akitu is very ancient. In the third millennium BCE, the Sumerian population of southern Mesopotamia celebrated the á-ki-ti-še-gur10-ku5, the festival of the sowing of barley.

Detailed explanation-2: -The Akitu festival of the Babylonians occurred in the spring, marking the rebirth of nature, the reestablishment of the kingship by divine authority, and the securing of the life and destiny of the people for the coming year.

Detailed explanation-3: -Akitu or Akitum is a spring festival and New Year’s celebration held on the first day of Nisan in ancient Mesopotamia, to celebrate the sowing of barley.

Detailed explanation-4: -The New Year Festival of Babylon has taken its name from the Sumerian Akiti-Festival, an agrarian rite performed at harvest and sowing time. In the first millennium, the Babylonians continued to celebrate two Akitu-Festivals a year, one in Nisan (the first month) and one in Tashritu (the seventh month) .

Detailed explanation-5: -The Babylonians are said to have started the tradition during Akitu, a 12-day New Year celebration. During the Akitu festival, the ancient Babylonians would plant crops, crown a new king (or pledge their loyalty to the reigning king), and make promises to the gods to pay their debts and return any borrowed items.