More Neo-Sumerian Texts from American Collections

Owen, David I.

doi:10.2307/1359937

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“…Prof. Charles Fensham, also a doctoral product of William F. Albright, use to say: "They see the trees, but they do not see the wood." (Drawings by K. van Wyk, Andrews University, Berrien Springs, Michigan, 1993-1994 Obverse Reverse…”

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Another Cuneiform Tablet from Drehem in the Ur III Period

Wyk¹

2018

IJHSS

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Another Cuneiform Tablet from Drehem in the Ur III Period

Wyk¹

2018

IJHSS

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“…Hunger 1992: 230 No. 405, which is a report sent 26 For the reed shrine of Sara in Umma see Owen 1991: by a Neo-Babylonian scholar: "If the moon and sun are in No. 9 (Su-Suen 6): "royal sacrifices for the reed shrine of opposition: the king of the land will widen his understand-Sara" (siskur lugal e §-gi d Sara-se).…”

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Twilight of the Sun-God

Fischer¹

2002

Iraq

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In the middle of the third millennium, the ruling Akkadian elite introduced new traditions into Sumer which resulted, among other things, in a wide-ranging harmonization of their own gods with those of the Sumerian pantheon. A complete Sumerian-Akkadian syncretism, however, did not apply for all deities. During the reign of the Akkadian kings, a shift in influence between two important deities of the Sumerian pantheon occurred as the moon-god Nanna/Suen rose to prominence, displacing the sun-god Utu/Samas. Discovering when this shift took place is difficult to pinpoint because Sargonic Sumerian religion is poorly documented.' Also, convincing archival data are only available from the time of Naram-Suen. In the following I will argue, with examples taken from official art, that this shift most likely happened during the reign of Naram-Suen, when a new imperial ideology is discernible from visual imagery, showing the king assuming the role of the sun-god. Utilizing Ur III textual sources I will also demonstrate that the three gods shown on the seal drawn as Fig. 12 are depicted with their cult places: Enki/Ea in the Abzu, Utu/Samas in the fields, probably in an open-air shrine, and Nanna/Suen on the ziggurat, signifyingcontrary to mainstream scholarly opinionthat ziggurats already existed in Sumer prior to the Ur III period. The seal analysed below is from Ur and cut in mature Akkadian style, reflecting the status quo of religious awareness at the time when it was engraved. A highly interesting scene is depicted, showing the sun-god and the moon-god in attitudes of adoration in front of the enthroned Enki/Ea. The seal-cutter used a variety of components that were in vogue at this time, mixing them with antiquated elements in order to emphasize the moon-god's higher rank. He indicated the sun-god's reduced status, for example, by attiring him i "old-fashioned" headgear, while the moon-god and Enki/Ea wear "modern" headgear. The craftsperson chose specific iconological elements to transform these abstract ideas into visual images. Akkadian cylinder seals, such as that depicted in Fig. 1, are considered one of the high points of Mesopotamian craftsmanship. Their broad palette of motifs executed in an elaborate naturalistic and vivid style has long attracted the attention of researchers. Yet their importance for the analysis of material culture, as well as for our understanding of ancient social and religious concepts, has often been undervalued by scholars. In this paper I shall be taking a multi-layered approach, analysing the seal in its textual, historical and socio-political context. Since seals consist of complex networks of figurative and non-figurative images used as pictorial systems of communication for transmitting information through signs, they are excellent tools for research that can produce farreaching results, especially when contemporary written sources are silent. Three divine protagonists Over the years, seal Fig. 1 has intrigued various researchers. E. Porada, for instance, devoted an article to it...

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More Neo-Sumerian Texts from American Collections

Cited by 2 publications

References 0 publications

Another Cuneiform Tablet from Drehem in the Ur III Period

Another Cuneiform Tablet from Drehem in the Ur III Period

Twilight of the Sun-God

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