Mesopotamian Reconstructionism

Mesopotamian Reconstructionism is a contemporary Pagan religious movement focused on the revival and reconstruction of the ancient religious traditions of Mesopotamia, particularly those of Sumer, Akkad, Assyria, and Babylonia. Emerging during the late nineteen-sixties, but growing significantly during the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, the movement draws upon archaeological discoveries, cuneiform literature, hymns, ritual texts, temple records, and academic scholarship in order to restore devotional practices directed toward the gods and goddesses of the Ancient Near East. Among the most commonly venerated deities are Inanna/Ishtar, Enki/Ea, Anu, Enlil, Utu/Shamash, Nanna/Suen, Ereshkigal, and Dumuzi/Tammuz. Mesopotamian Reconstructionism developed alongside the wider modern Pagan revival but differs from more eclectic forms of NeoPaganism through its emphasis on historical continuity, textual fidelity, and reconstructed ritual practice. Early influences included ceremonial magic, Thelemic currents, Goddess spirituality, and Assyriological scholarship, with the rise of the internet playing a major role in connecting isolated practitioners and forming the first international communities devoted to Mesopotamian polytheism. Pagan Reconstructionism or 'Recon' for short is succinctly defined by one of its foremost spokespersons, Drew Campbell, author of Old Stones, New Temples. Campbell explains that 'Pagan Reconstructionism is a methodology for developing and practicing historical forms of Paganism in the modern world. It begins from the twin assumptions that the religious expressions of the ancients were meaningful in themselves, and that forms of religious practice remain valid across time.' Practices within the tradition vary between communities and individuals but commonly include devotional prayer, offerings of food and drink, hymn recitation, ritual purification, lunar and seasonal observances, ancestor veneration, and the study of ancient texts. Some groups seek strict historical reconstruction based upon surviving evidence, while others combine reconstructionist methods with contemporary spiritual practice and mysticism. The movement has expanded considerably in recent decades through online communities, publishing projects, conferences, and devotional organisations dedicated to the religions of the Ancient Near East. Contemporary Mesopotamian Reconstructionists generally regard their work as both a religious revival and an act of cultural remembrance, seeking to restore living relationships with deities whose worship stretches back more than five thousand years. Steff V Scott is a Scottish researcher and practitioner of contemporary Mesopotamian Polytheism, and founder of the Temple of Inanna. His research includes A History of Modern Paganism: The Roots of Contemporary Sumerian and Near Eastern Religious Revival, From Diffusion to Entanglement: Rethinking the Movement of Deities in the Ancient World, Reassessing the Burney Relief: A Case for Ishtar, and The Mother of Sin Arises: Betrayal, Abandonment, Sacred Transgression, and the Dark Path to Inanna's Descent, with his research papers available through Academia.edu. His books include From 'Ishtar to Eostre : Reframing the Near Eastern Origins of an Anglo Saxon Goddess' and 'SAG ŠU-BAL: The Head Overturning Rite'; he is also editor of 'Gateways to Babylon: An Introduction to the Sumerian and Babylonian Pagan Religion' and co-editor of 'Inannanthology: An Anthology of Literature, Prayers, Poetry, Original Artwork, Hymns, Pathworkings, Personal Reflections, Solitary and Temple Rituals all dedicated to the Goddess Inanna'.