Merfolk: Oannes and the Case for Neighbors Beneath the Sea
Around the 3rd century BCE, Berossus, a Babylonian priest, described Oannes. The being came from the Persian Gulf onto land each day, taught the people of Mesopotamia writing, law, building, surveying, and city organisation, then returned to the water at night. Greek authors preserved the account, so it is not a biological report. It does describe an underwater teacher with language and practical knowledge, not merel
⬛ CONFIDENTIAL nhat141210/data 8/14/2026 1 min read
Around the 3rd century BCE, Berossus, a Babylonian priest, described Oannes. The being came from the Persian Gulf onto land each day, taught the people of Mesopotamia writing, law, building, surveying, and city organisation, then returned to the water at night. Greek authors preserved the account, so it is not a biological report. It does describe an underwater teacher with language and practical knowledge, not merely a shadow misread by a sailor.
Around the 3rd century BCE, Berossus, a Babylonian priest, described Oannes. The being came from the Persian Gulf onto land each day, taught the people of Mesopotamia writing, law, building, surveying, and city organisation, then returned to the water at night. Greek authors preserved the account, so it is not a biological report. It does describe an underwater teacher with language and practical knowledge, not merel
Around the 3rd century BCE, Berossus, a Babylonian priest, described Oannes. The being came from the Persian Gulf onto land each day, taught the people of Mesopotamia writing, law, building, surveying, and city organisation, then returned to the water at night. Greek authors preserved the account, so it is not a biological report. It does describe an underwater teacher with language and practical knowledge, not merel
Around the 3rd century BCE, Berossus, a Babylonian priest, described Oannes. The being came from the Persian Gulf onto land each day, taught the people of Mesopotamia writing, law, building, surveying, and city organisation, then returned to the water at night. Greek authors preserved the account, so it is not a biological report. It does describe an underwater teacher with language and practical knowledge, not merel
Around the 3rd century BCE, Berossus, a Babylonian priest, described Oannes. The being came from the Persian Gulf onto land each day, taught the people of Mesopotamia writing, law, building, surveying, and city organisation, then returned to the water at night. Greek authors preserved the account, so it is not a biological report. It does describe an underwater teacher with language and practical knowledge, not merel