Ritual sacrifices were often used as a means of atoning for wrongdoing or curing disease. Illness was a punishment from the gods and, by offering an animal in sacrifice, the individual hoped to regain divine favour. Sacrifices in the Mesopotamian culture were often designed to offer meals to the gods, with rituals carried out several times a day in elaborate ceremonies with music, food and incense. The daily menu offered to the Sumerian god, Anu, was said to be vast and included bulls, rams, lambs and an array of birds.
