| Summary: | The divine statues worshiped in 1st millennium BC Babylonian temples were wearing rich adornments. Temple archives, written to organize and to control the work of the jewellers and goldsmiths, contain many details on the materials used to make these adornments, the techniques and the social status of the craftsmen. By comparing these documents with religious texts, it is possible to observe the symbolic functions of these objects and their role in Babylonian religious practices and beliefs. How does one make people believe in the divinity of an object - the god statue - and what is the role of divine adornments in this process? We will study the manufacturing of these adornments, then their appearance and shape, before identifying their uses and meanings. Divine power could be expressed through these objects, especially headdresses, which became consubstantial elements of the divinity.
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