Shamash was the sun god in the mythology of the ancient Near East. The son of the Sumerian moon god Sin, Shamash was the brother of the goddess Ishtar. … His wife Aya (youth) bore him four sons—Giru (fire), Kittum (truth), Mesharum (justice), and Nusku (light).
Who was Shamash in the Epic of Gilgamesh?
Shamash. The sun god, brother of Ishtar, patron of Gilgamesh. Shamash is a wise judge and lawgiver.
What is Shamash and how is it used?
shammash, also spelled shamash or shammas (Hebrew: “servant”), plural shammashim, shamashim, or shammasim, salaried sexton in a Jewish synagogue whose duties now generally include secretarial work and assistance to the cantor, or hazan, who directs the public service.
What Egyptian god is equivalent to Shamash?
Utu (Shamash) | |
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Siblings | Ereshkigal (older sister) and Inanna (twin sister), Ishkur/ Hadad (in some sources) |
Consort | Sherida |
Children | Kittu (“Truth”) and Misharu (“Justice”) |
Greek equivalent | Helios |
Who was Hammurabi in the Bible?
Hammurabi (r. 1792-1750 BCE) was the sixth king of the Amorite First Dynasty of Babylon best known for his famous law code which served as the model for others, including the Mosaic Law of the Bible. He was the first ruler able to successfully govern all of Mesopotamia, without revolt, following his initial conquest.
What is Hammurabi’s code?
The Hammurabi code of laws, a collection of 282 rules, established standards for commercial interactions and set fines and punishments to meet the requirements of justice. Hammurabi’s Code was carved onto a massive, finger-shaped black stone stele (pillar) that was looted by invaders and finally rediscovered in 1901.
Who was Shamash father?
Shamash, (Akkadian), Sumerian Utu, in Mesopotamian religion, the god of the sun, who, with the moon god, Sin (Sumerian: Nanna), and Ishtar (Sumerian: Inanna), the goddess of Venus, was part of an astral triad of divinities. Shamash was the son of Sin.
Is Shamash an Apollo?
Shamash (Utu), his counterpart in Babylonian (Sumerian) culture, represents light, truth, and justice. Artemis (Diana) is the twin sister of Apollo and goddess of the moon. … Like Artemis, he is associated more with nature than with the city.
Why did Shamash help Gilgamesh?
The Sun-god and Gilgamesh’s main go-to-god. It must be nice to have a personal god. Shamash, the sun-god, basically seems to hang around to help out Gilgamesh and Enkidu. … Gilgamesh knows which side his bread is buttered on, because he prays to Shamash every night during their journey.
Why do we use a shamash?
The menorah has nine branches, one for each night of the Festival of Lights, plus a shamash, meaning helper or attendant, which is lit first and then used to light the other candles. The shamash always sits a bit higher or lower than the rest of the candles so as to not get confused with the others.
What is Sun called in Hebrew?
The Sun: Epiphanius lists the two main terms for ‘sun’ in Hebrew, hamm gemes. Traditionally, however, the latter term is not used in astrological cont post-biblical Hebrew.
How old is Shamash?
The first literary hymns addressed to this god by the name Shamash (Samas) date from c. 2600 BCE, but he was referenced as Utu or Shamash regularly throughout Mesopotamian history from the advent of cuneiform writing (c. 3500 BCE) until its abandonment c. 100 BCE, well over three thousand years.
What does the Tablet of Shamash say?
Inscription translation: (1) Sin, Shamash and Ishtar are set over against the heavenly ocean (2) within the divine judge. Inscription note: The label clearly refers to the position of the lunar disc, solar disc and eight-pointed star on the stone.
Who is Ishtar?
Ishtar, (Akkadian), Sumerian Inanna, in Mesopotamian religion, goddess of war and sexual love. Ishtar is the Akkadian counterpart of the West Semitic goddess Astarte.
What is UTU god?
Šamaš (Sumerian Utu) is the god of the sun. He brings light and warmth to the land, allowing plants and crops to grow. At sunrise Šamaš was known to emerge from his underground sleeping chamber and take a daily path across the skies [Image 1].
What is the name of the religion founded by Jesus?
Christianity originated with the ministry of Jesus, a Jewish teacher and healer who proclaimed the imminent kingdom of God and was crucified c. AD 30–33 in Jerusalem in the Roman province of Judea.
What was Hammurabi’s famous quote?
“Hammurabi, the king of righteousness, on whom Shamash has conferred the law, am I.” “An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.“
What are 3 of Hammurabi’s code?
3. If a man bears false witness in a case, or does not establish the testimony that he has given, if that case is case involving life, that man shall be put to death. … If a man has stolen goods from a temple, or house, he shall be put to death; and he that has received the stolen property from him shall be put to death.
Why is Hammurabi important?
Hammurabi ruled Babylon from about 1792 to 1750 BCE. He is noted for his surviving set of laws, which were inscribed on a stela in Babylon’s temple of Marduk. Hammurabi’s Code was once considered the oldest promulgation of laws in human history, though older, shorter law collections have since been found.
What was the first law ever?
The Code of Ur-Nammu is the oldest known law code surviving today. It is from Mesopotamia and is written on tablets, in the Sumerian language c. 2100–2050 BCE.
How was Hammurabi’s code written?
It is written in the Old Babylonian dialect of Akkadian, purportedly by Hammurabi, sixth king of the First Dynasty of Babylon. The primary copy of the text is inscribed on a basalt or diorite stele 2.25 m (7 ft 41⁄2 in) tall.
Where is Tiamat from?
In music, Tiamat is a Swedish Gothic metal band that formed in Stockholm in 1987.
What does Shamhat represent?
Shamhat was a sacred temple prostitute or harimtu. She was asked to use her attractiveness to tempt Enkidu from the wild, and his ‘wildness’, civilizing him through continued sacred love-making.
Who is Enki in Greek mythology?
Enki/Ea is essentially a god of civilization, wisdom, and culture. He was also the creator and protector of man, and of the world in general. Traces of this version of Ea appear in the Marduk epic celebrating the achievements of this god and the close connection between the Ea cult at Eridu and that of Marduk.
How is Hammurabi depicted?
Hammurabi is portrayed receiving the laws directly from Shamash the sun god. (a parallel to Moses can be made here). Shamash is the dominate figure—he is seated on his throne, wears a crown composed of four pairs of horns, holds a ring and staff, and has flames issuing from his shoulders.
What religion was Babylon?
The religion of the Babylonians and Assyrians was the polytheistic faith professed by the peoples inhabiting the Tigris and Euphrates valleys from what may be regarded as the dawn of history until the Christian era began, or, at least, until the inhabitants were brought under the influence of Christianity.
Why does Gilgamesh refuse to marry Ishtar?
Why does Gilgamesh refuse the goddess? Deeply insulted, Ishtar prevails on her father, the sky-god, to let her have the Bull of Heaven to wreak vengeance on Gilgamesh and his city. … The loss of Enkidu is devastating to Gilgamesh.
Why does Ninsun adopt Enkidu?
She wants to know from Shamash why Gilgamesh is going on such a dangerous quest and why Shamash inspired him to do so. She entrusts her son to Shamash’s protection and then formally adopts Enkidu as her son, placing a sacred pendant around his neck. Gilgamesh and Enkidu are now formally brothers.
What Shamash tells Enkidu?
Shamash tells Enkidu that when he dies, Gilgamesh will wander the earth, undone by grief. Enkidu finds comfort in Shamash’s words. He retracts his curse and supersedes it with a blessing for the prostitute: May her patrons be generous and rich.
Do you leave the shamash lit?
Step 3: Light the Shamash The candle that is raised or in the center of the menorah is the shamash (helper candle). … On the first night of Hanukkah, place a candle in the holder on the far right, and light it with the shamash. Then put the shamash back in its spot (leaving it lit).
Who celebrated Hanukkah?
Hanukkah | |
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Observed by | Jews |
Type | Jewish |
Significance | The Maccabees successfully revolted against Antiochus IV Epiphanes. According to the Talmud, a later text, the Temple was purified and the wicks of the menorah miraculously burned for eight days, even though there was only enough sacred oil for one day’s lighting. |
What does the 9 candle menorah symbolize?
The defining characteristic of a Hanukkah menorah is eight lights in a row, with a ninth lamp off to the side or above, separated from the other eight. The ninth lamp is called a shamash, a “servator,” and it symbolically differentiates the eight holy flames from other, mundane light sources.
What is the Greek word of sun?
Helios, (Greek: “Sun”) in Greek religion, the sun god, sometimes called a Titan.
What does Orion mean in Hebrew?
Manory proposes, that giving Orion a name meaning “fool” was a jab at both Nimrod himself and at ancient Babylonian mythology? … Probably, the stars took their Hebrew name from the month; possibly, it was the other way around and there was a now unknown Babylonian name for Orion from which the word Kislimu derived.
What is the Hebrew name for Earth?
Adamah (Biblical Hebrew : אדמה) is a word, translatable as ground or earth, which occurs in the Genesis creation narrative.
How is the god Shamash similar to Apollo?
Shamash is depicted as overcoming darkness and death. In the Epic of Gilgamesh he assisted the hero’s victory over the monster Humbaba, guardian of the deep forests of Lebanon. Like the later Apollo, he made his daily journey through the heavens, either on horseback, in a chariot, or on a boat.
What is a sun god tablet?
The Sun God tablet was excavated by Hormuzd Rassam in the late 19th century CE. The upper part of the tablet has a carved panel. … Within the shrine (Ebabbara), the Sun God, wearing a horned headdress, sits on a stool and holds a ringed rod in his right hand.
Who is Marduk god?
Marduk, in Mesopotamian religion, the chief god of the city of Babylon and the national god of Babylonia; as such, he was eventually called simply Bel, or Lord. … Originally, he seems to have been a god of thunderstorms.
Where did Enki live?
The god Ea (whose Sumerian equivalent was Enki) is one of the three most powerful gods in the Mesopotamian pantheon, along with Anu and Enlil. He resides in the ocean underneath the earth called the abzu (Akkadian apsû), which was an important place in Mesopotamian cosmic geography.