Pan-Babylonism

Pan-Babylonism was a historiographical theory popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It proposed that many ancient cultures, particularly those in the Mediterranean and Near East, derived their myths, religious ideas, and cultural practices from a single Babylonian source. This theory suggested that Babylonian civilization was the origin point for much of what was considered foundational in Western culture and religion.

The development of this theory was influenced by the increasing discovery and translation of ancient Mesopotamian texts, such as the Epic of Gilgamesh and creation myths like the Enuma Elish. Scholars like Max Müller played a role in disseminating these texts and sparking interest in their potential influence. However, Pan-Babylonism has since been largely discredited by modern scholarship, which emphasizes the independent development of various ancient cultures and the complex, multi-directional influences between them, rather than a single origin point.123