Newscriticism: "Mysterious symbols from ancient Iraq temple baffled researchers for years — until now" (Yahoo News, May 9th 2024)

SUMMARY

For over a century, archaeologists puzzled over symbols etched into Assyrian temple* ruins in Iraq. Martin Worthington, an expert on Mesopotamia, claims to have deciphered these symbols, revealing a hidden message spelling out the name of King Sargon II. The symbols, resembling Egyptian hieroglyphs, were previously interpreted as representations of gods or meaningless designs.

Constructed over 2,700 years ago during King Sargon II's reign, the temple's symbols can be seen as a clever double entendre, spelling out the king's name while also representing specific constellations in the night sky. These constellations, including Leo and Taurus, are associated with stars linked to gods, immortalizing the king's name in the heavens. While Worthington's interpretation provides insight, he acknowledges that past explanations may still hold validity.

*[NOTE: Misidentified by the article as (Old) Assyrian-era period Temple; actually, its a Neo-Assyrian-era period Temple, since it's architecture and its king are from this era of the Assyrian periods of Civilization.]

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NEWSCRITICISM

The integration of Religion and the Civilization (such as this example – a previous article I wrote) is, surprising to say, common; all the Six Pillars of Civilization (Religion, Politics and Economics, Language and Writing System, Philosophy, History, and Culture) will always be integral to the existence of a Civilization itself; but when one becomes the great primacy over the others, then you know that is Thier common, most prioritized worldview: and usually, it's Religion that was the essence of a Civilization's worldiview at best in the ancient world.

While this discovery may prove that the Neo-Assyrian Empire was by essence, a fully fledged theocracy in the sense of the ontological imperative of the word – actually, it's not; the Neo-Assyrian Empire/Neo-Assyrian Civilization takes the essence of Politics at the center of its worldview, focusing on the figure (and basing its system and worldview) on the King; in this case, King Sargon II. But why is his name there at one of the sacred places of worship of Ashurism (Assyrian-style Ancient Mesopotamian Religion)?

Simple: because he wants to project power and legitimacy to society by means of displaying his name across all important buildings in the greater society. Notice not just the name, but also the symbols ascribes to his names: each 'glyph' a symbol for a constellation, and each constellation, a symbol for the Pantheon of Assyrian/Neo-Assyrian Gods under the Ashurist Religion. In those symbols, there is too, an ascribed symbol for Ashur himself – the supreme Pantheon of the Ashurist Polytheistic Pantheon, the great protector of the Assyrian Civilization.

Thus in short, it is a sign of a mechanism of how to project power and legitimacy to make a stable society in order to keep it society organized whatever mechanism of government, form or idea-ideation present in the country itself; it is not a sign of pure integration of state and religion that would characterize a Theocratic style of Government. If it's going to be a theocracy, this process of projecting political power and legitimacy should be much more elaborate than some symbolic and simplistic scribblings on a temple's wall; a mural or some other system fully displaying the union of Politics and Religion shall be displayed instead.

Thus, during King Sargon II's reign is no way a proof of Theocracy; what we can find there is only a Monarchy with Religious Trappings as a basis for political cohesion and legitimacy.

Joshua Kyle T. Rovero

Estado Rovero

May 13th 2024