(Tamil version of this article is uploaded already: swami)
Pasupati/Lord of the animals from the Middle East
Bahrain was called Dilmun 3000 years ago. It had wider contacts with Indus Valley Civilization. Indus valley seals have been recovered from Gulf countries. Dilmun seals were discovered in Indus Valley as well. Ancient cuneiform tablets praise this land as holy and pure. One of the tablets says, “ In Dilmun no cry the raven utters, Nor does the bird of ill-omen foretell calamity. The lion kills not, nor does the ravening wolf snatch away the defenceless lamb. Unknown is the wild dog who tears the kid. The dove does not conceal its head. No one here says, ”My eyes are sick,” No one here says, ”My head is sick,” No one here says, ”I am an old woman,” No one here says, ”I am an old man.” The maiden walks here in innocence. No lustrations need to be poured. The somber death priest walks not here, By Dilmun’s walls he has no cause for lamentations”. These words come from one of the world’s oldest poems. It was first written down some 4,000 years ago in the ancient Sumerian city of Nippur near the Euphrates, using cuneiform wedge script on a clay tablet.
There are lot of strange things about Dilmun. There is unusually large number of graves. This is known as a land of dead people (Necropolis). Another mystery is the discovery of number of children graves. There are 350,000 graves or burial chambers, big and small. The children graves are at the rate of 1.6 children per family. Some scholars wonder whether it was due to the sacrifice of children. Bible and Jewish books refer to child sacrifice in several places. Phoenicians and Hebrews sacrificed children for their gods Tanit and Molek/Moloch.
Though many of the graves were plundered, still there are some which were untouched. This helps us to understand the life of people who lived 5000 years ago in the Gulf area. The biggest burial chamber is 4X9 metres.
Barabar in Bahrain has a temple of Sumerian Water god Enki. Most of the artefacts recovered from Dilmun are displayed in the National Museum of Manama. Western scholars are showing great interest in studying them. Thousands of burial mounds have become a big tourist attraction.
Dilmun seals: middle row: monkey figures, bottom row: Vahanas
Monkey Figures and Snake Burials
Throughout the Middle East and Gulf countries we see strange monkey figures on seals. No one could explain them correctly. Vedic scriptures speak about a monkey god Vrshakapi. Hindu epic Ramayana talks about monkey god Hanuman. Strange snake burials are common feature in the Gulf. Why did they bury snakes? It is a big puzzle.
Greeks called Dilmun, Tylos. Another name for Dilmun is Awal, name of a god that was worshipped for thousands of years until Islam came to this country. Dilmun people worshipped a God with a bull head. Bahrain means Two Seas meaning both sweet water and salt water are available in the area. But I think the Sanskrit words Tyla, Til mean Sesame seeds, which Hindus use in the ceremonies for the departed souls. This must be the reason for Dilmun or Tylos. The country was also called land of ash and land of the dead. But why do we find lakhs of burial mounds only in Bahrain in the world? It remains a mystery.
Like snakes, scorpions are also seen on various seals. Indus Valley also has got scorpion seals. Scorpion gods were worshiped in Egypt and Babylonia. These seals along with the figure of footprints are puzzles to scholars. Following is the list of seals found until recently:
Monkey-20, Scorpion-36, goat-27, Bull-90, Tortoise-6, Fish-6, Snake-15, Footprint-36, Crescent moon- 126, sun and star- 42, Flag and God-22, Bullman-8, Crab-6, Donkey-2, Peacock-1, Land-5
Like Indus valley a seal with a god surrounded by animals (Pasupati) is also is also excavated. We see several similarities with the Indus valley seals. These may help us to decipher the Indus script. Erotic scenes on seals are also common.
Dilmun seals: top:Bull Man, Middle: Monkey man, Bottom: Sri Chakra like designs
When I read the description about Dilmun, I am reminded of Hindu scriptures where India is described as a land of the PURE and HOLY souls. When I see the monkey figures on seals I am reminded of Ramayana and Hanuman. But further research is required before jumping into any conclusion.
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Pasupati/Lord of the animals from the Middle East
Bahrain was called Dilmun 3000 years ago. It had wider contacts with Indus Valley Civilization. Indus valley seals have been recovered from Gulf countries. Dilmun seals were discovered in Indus Valley as well. Ancient cuneiform tablets praise this land as holy and pure. One of the tablets says, “ In Dilmun no cry the raven utters, Nor does the bird of ill-omen foretell calamity. The lion kills not, nor does the ravening wolf snatch away the defenceless lamb. Unknown is the wild dog who tears the kid. The dove does not conceal its head. No one here says, ”My eyes are sick,” No one here says, ”My head is sick,” No one here says, ”I am an old woman,” No one here says, ”I am an old man.” The maiden walks here in innocence. No lustrations need to be poured. The somber death priest walks not here, By Dilmun’s walls he has no cause for lamentations”. These words come from one of the world’s oldest poems. It was first written down some 4,000 years ago in the ancient Sumerian city of Nippur near the Euphrates, using cuneiform wedge script on a clay tablet.
There are lot of strange things about Dilmun. There is unusually large number of graves. This is known as a land of dead people (Necropolis). Another mystery is the discovery of number of children graves. There are 350,000 graves or burial chambers, big and small. The children graves are at the rate of 1.6 children per family. Some scholars wonder whether it was due to the sacrifice of children. Bible and Jewish books refer to child sacrifice in several places. Phoenicians and Hebrews sacrificed children for their gods Tanit and Molek/Moloch.
Though many of the graves were plundered, still there are some which were untouched. This helps us to understand the life of people who lived 5000 years ago in the Gulf area. The biggest burial chamber is 4X9 metres.
Barabar in Bahrain has a temple of Sumerian Water god Enki. Most of the artefacts recovered from Dilmun are displayed in the National Museum of Manama. Western scholars are showing great interest in studying them. Thousands of burial mounds have become a big tourist attraction.
Dilmun seals: middle row: monkey figures, bottom row: Vahanas
Monkey Figures and Snake Burials
Throughout the Middle East and Gulf countries we see strange monkey figures on seals. No one could explain them correctly. Vedic scriptures speak about a monkey god Vrshakapi. Hindu epic Ramayana talks about monkey god Hanuman. Strange snake burials are common feature in the Gulf. Why did they bury snakes? It is a big puzzle.
Greeks called Dilmun, Tylos. Another name for Dilmun is Awal, name of a god that was worshipped for thousands of years until Islam came to this country. Dilmun people worshipped a God with a bull head. Bahrain means Two Seas meaning both sweet water and salt water are available in the area. But I think the Sanskrit words Tyla, Til mean Sesame seeds, which Hindus use in the ceremonies for the departed souls. This must be the reason for Dilmun or Tylos. The country was also called land of ash and land of the dead. But why do we find lakhs of burial mounds only in Bahrain in the world? It remains a mystery.
Like snakes, scorpions are also seen on various seals. Indus Valley also has got scorpion seals. Scorpion gods were worshiped in Egypt and Babylonia. These seals along with the figure of footprints are puzzles to scholars. Following is the list of seals found until recently:
Monkey-20, Scorpion-36, goat-27, Bull-90, Tortoise-6, Fish-6, Snake-15, Footprint-36, Crescent moon- 126, sun and star- 42, Flag and God-22, Bullman-8, Crab-6, Donkey-2, Peacock-1, Land-5
Like Indus valley a seal with a god surrounded by animals (Pasupati) is also is also excavated. We see several similarities with the Indus valley seals. These may help us to decipher the Indus script. Erotic scenes on seals are also common.
Dilmun seals: top:Bull Man, Middle: Monkey man, Bottom: Sri Chakra like designs
When I read the description about Dilmun, I am reminded of Hindu scriptures where India is described as a land of the PURE and HOLY souls. When I see the monkey figures on seals I am reminded of Ramayana and Hanuman. But further research is required before jumping into any conclusion.
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