The Phenomenon of God-nap in Ancient Mesopotamia: A Short Introduction

published in 'Rosetta'

In Ancient Mesopotamia, when kings conquered other lands, after sacking the city and gathering together all objects of worth, they sometimes chose to take the statues of the gods of certain cities back home with them.  The statue of the god was central to cult worship because it was not merely a representation of the god, but the god himself.  Proper care of the statue was necessary for the worshippers to remain in the good favour of the god.  Since there were many pantheons, the taking of different statues would have different effects on each city.  With the god gone, the citizens were not able to carry out the necessary rituals and therefore could not appease the gods and might even incur their wrath.  The taking of the statue was both a political and religious assault on those whose lives had already been destroyed in a major way.

Review of Collins, Assyrian Palace Sculptures