The Emergence and Development of Religious Beliefs in Ancient Iraq

Objectives: The aim of the research was to study the emergence and development of religious beliefs in ancient Iraq. The main idea of the research is that religion is considered as a basic pillar of any ancient civilization and is a spiritual aspect in human thinking. The presence of the religious idea among a people shows us the aspects of its general development. Because of the importance of religion in public life, it was necessary to study the most important ancient components in shaping it as a spiritual aspect of human thinking. Religious ideas and beliefs determined general human behavior and affected his customs, traditions, customs, and the pattern of his intellectual and spiritual construction. The ancient Iraqi religion focused on the main elements of religious thought, rituals, and worship.Methodology: The study relied on the historical research approach and focused on the emergence of religious thought in ancient Iraq and the development of the generative forces of nature, as embodied in works of art and archaeological remains, to analyze events and factors in daily life, including the method of worshiping the gods or offering sacrifices, and religion became of lofty moral values ​​represented by honesty and reverence for the gods.Results: The results showed that religious thought in ancient Iraq focused on the human being who was created to serve the gods. Therefore, their religious motive did not go beyond offering sacrifices to the goddess and her priests in accordance with the established ceremonies, because the ancient Iraqi human believed that the source of all goodness was due to the satisfaction of the goddess and was primarily due to religious duties. What is required of humans is supplication, sacrifice, and prayer, the second of those religious duties. Intellectual and religious awareness has developed among the inhabitants of ancient Iraq, as well as a reverence for the vital factors affecting rain and vegetation. It can also be said that the Mesopotamian important factors that contributed to the development of the thinking of ancient Iraqi man. The gods in ancient Iraq represented the various attributes of nature, such as lightning, thunder, the sun, and life. The Mother Goddess emerged from her, the gods of good and evil, and she was distinguished by distinctive characteristics other than humans, including eternity, continuity, and vitality.Recommendations: The study recommends shedding light and intensifying research and studies on the importance of religious beliefs in the history of ancient Iraq and the role of religion in the life of ancient Iraqi people, as everything was assigned gods to worship and thus became obligated to perform certain rituals towards them and study the first beginnings of religious belief.