Apkallu

The apkallu are mythic sages in Mesopotamian literature who serve as intermediaries between the divine and human worlds. Often portrayed as semi-divine beings, they are credited with teaching humanity essential knowledge such as writing, ritual practice, craftsmanship, and social order. These figures appear especially in traditions connected to early kingship, where they symbolize ideal wisdom and stability and rather than functioning as gods themselves, apkallu represent the transmission of divine instruction into human society. They eventually influenced early Jewish and Christian apocalyptic traditions, that interpreted the apkallu negatively and reshaped them into the Watchers.