Mythology
Mesopotamian Mythology Quiz
Gilgamesh, Ishtar, Marduk — the myths that started civilization.
Gilgamesh, Ishtar, Marduk — the myths that started civilization.
This Mesopotamian mythology quiz draws from a pool of 50 questions spanning the Sumerian, Akkadian, Babylonian, and Assyrian traditions that flourished between roughly 3500 and 500 BCE in modern-day Iraq. These civilizations produced the world's oldest written literature on cuneiform clay tablets — and their flood narrative predates the Biblical story of Noah by more than 1,000 years.
Each round presents 10 randomized multiple-choice questions drawn from a pool of 50, so every playthrough is different. You get instant feedback with explanations after each answer, plus a shareable score at the end.
Questions cover the Epic of Gilgamesh, the Enuma Elish creation myth, the descent of Inanna to the underworld, the great flood of Utnapishtim, and the deities who ruled heaven and earth — from Anu and Enlil to Marduk and Ishtar. You'll also discover how Mesopotamian myths influenced later traditions including the Bible, astrology, and the seven-day week.
The Epic of Gilgamesh is the oldest surviving work of literature, composed around 2100 BCE. It follows Gilgamesh, the king of Uruk who is two-thirds god and one-third human, as he befriends the wild man Enkidu, battles monsters, and — after Enkidu's death — embarks on a quest for immortality. He ultimately meets the flood survivor Utnapishtim but fails to achieve eternal life, learning instead to accept his mortality.
Many scholars believe so. The Mesopotamian flood narrative in Tablet XI of the Epic of Gilgamesh predates the Biblical account by over 1,000 years. Both stories share striking parallels: a righteous man is warned by a god to build a boat, loads it with animals, survives a great flood, and releases birds to find dry land. The Mesopotamian survivor is named Utnapishtim. When George Smith translated Tablet XI in 1872, it caused a worldwide sensation.
It depends on the era. In the earliest Sumerian period, Enlil — god of wind and authority — was the chief deity who commanded the assembly of gods. When Babylon rose to power around 1800 BCE, Marduk replaced Enlil as king of the gods. Among goddesses, Inanna (later called Ishtar) was arguably the most important, governing love, war, and fertility across all periods.
Last updated: April 2026