WORLD CIVILIZATION

Detailed explanation-1: -A Sumerian list of kings (some real and some mythical), says that kingship “descended from heaven.” It was a gift from the gods and the king was therefore divinely chosen.

Detailed explanation-2: -Generally, however, the king was not identified with a specific god but rather was regarded as himself a god.

Detailed explanation-3: -The Sumerians originally practiced a polytheistic religion, with anthropomorphic deities representing cosmic and terrestrial forces in their world. The earliest Sumerian literature of the third millennium BC identifies four primary deities: An, Enlil, Ninhursag, and Enki.

Detailed explanation-4: -Mesopotamian kings were, for the most part, considered to be selected by and ruling on behalf of the gods, although a few Mesopotamian kings did attempt to claim divinity. The first kings found it necessary to claim divine authority in order to establish their right to govern.