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Ishtar of Arbela
Tutelary goddess of Arbela, protectress of the king, source of prophecies
8th century BCE stele from Til Barsip depicting Ishtar of Arbela standing on a lion.
Major cult centerArbela

Ishtar of Arbela was a prominent goddess of the Neo-Assyrian Empire. She was the tutelary goddess of the city of Arbela (or Arbail, modern Irbil) as well as a patron goddess of the Neo-Assyrian king.

Worship

Second Millennium BCE

The earliest known potential mention of Ishtar of Arbela comes from a fourteenth century BCE ritual text found at Nuzi

A reference to the Egašankalamma temple has survived from the reign of Shalmaneser I (1273-1244BCE), who describes how he has rebuilt this temple and its ziggurat for the 'goddess Ištar, mistress of the city Arbail, my mistress' along with other temples through the empire.[1] He claims that he rebuilt these 'cult-centres (and) shrines better than previously', implying that the temple already existed prior to this date. Given that the city probably never existed without a temple and its name is known from third millennium BCE texts from Ebla and the Ur III period, her cult may have existed in the third millennium BCE.[2][3] Cultic texts from the 12th century BCE refer to clothing and sacrifices for the temple, and a bronze statue found at Lake Urmia for King Aššur-Dan bears the following text:[4]

To the goddess Ištar, the great mistress who dwells in Egašankalamma, mistress of Arbail, [his] mistress: For the life of Aššur-dān, king of [Assyria], his lord, Šamšī-bēl, temple scribe, son of Nergal-nadin-ahi (who was) also scribe, for his life, his well-being, and the well-being of his eldest son, dedicated and devoted (this) copper statue weighing x minas. The name of this statue is: 'O goddess Ištar, to you my ear (is directed)!'

First Millennium BCE

Ishtar of Arbela attained her highest prominence in the first millennium BCE. While letters suggest that Arbela and Ishtar's temple were poorly maintained during the reign of Sargon II,[5] the Sargonid kings considered her one of their principal supporters. Esarhaddon described the extravagant renovations he made to the temple including silver and gold overlays,[6] and Ashurbanipal also described renovations he had made and the assiduous care he took to support the temple's activities (RINAP Ashurbanipal 5 185:4, RINAP Ashurbanipal 7 v 98–106).[5][7] Ashurbanipal's victorious campaign against king Teumman of Elam began with an act of worship at the temple of Ishtar in Arbela. In the Prism B version of his annals, Ashurbanipal makes Ishtar of Arbela the driver of the narrative and his unswaying supporter. She deprives Teumann of his reason so that he wishes to fight against the Assyrian king. Ashurbanipal goes to Ishtar of Arbela, bows before her and weeps as he invokes the goddess:[8]

Ishtar of Arbela wielding a bow and standing on a lion on a Neo-Assyrian cylinder seal from the late 8th century BCE.

O Lady of Arbail, I am Ashurbanipal, king of Assyria, the creation of your hands, whom Aššur king of the gods thy father desired and whose name he called to restore the sanctuaries of Assyria and renew their rites, to guard their secrets and to make their hearts glad. I have sought out your sanctuary and come to worship your divinity. Now this Teuman king of Elam who does not value the gods is setting in motion his whole military in order to make war on my forces. O thou Lady of Ladies, goddess of war, lady of battle, who gives counsel to the great gods her fathers, who spoke favourably before Aššur, the father who begot you, (so that) by the lifting of his pure eyes he chose me to be king: because Teuman king of Elam who has rebelled against Aššur king of the gods, thy father, has [withheld his] tribute, mustered his troops, prepared himself for battle and sharpened his weapons in order to march on Assyria: may you, heroic one among the gods, in the midst of battle drive him away like a pack animal! Call up against him a tempest and an evil wind!

The goddess then appears to one of Ashurbanipal's seers in a nocturnal vision, fully armed, and comforts Ashurbanipal while turning her rage on Teuman.

Teuman was defeated at the Battle of Ulai. When the Assyrian forces returned from their campaign, they paraded Teuman and his wife in neck-stocks before Mulissu and Ishtar of Arbela before beheading the Elamite king.[9]

During Ashurbanipal's time staying in the city of Arbela, he celebrated festivals of the goddess in the months of Abu (V, Jul/Aug) and Addaru (XII, Feb/Mar).[5] A text known as the "Rites of Egašankalamma" describes how the temple's rites were similar to those of Nippur. The text describes how particular ceremonial actions relate to mythological events in a ritual narrative. The narrative of ritual begins with Ishtar weeping at the death of Ishtaran. Bel casts Enki down into the Abzu, Nabu slays the monster Anzû, Bel defeats Anu and cuts off his head, and a god descends into and then returns from the underworld.[10]

First Millennium CE

Assyriologist Dr. Stephanie Dalley has suggested that the priesthood of Ishtar of Arbela continued until at least the 4th century CE. According to the hagiographical text known as the Acts of Aithalaha the (Pagan) Priest and Hafsai the Deacon, a priest of 'Sharbel-of-Arbela' who had recently converted to christianity was martyred in the year 355 during the persecutions of Sasanian king Shapur II[11]. However, Dr Joel Walker cautions against relying on this sole martyr narrative, especially given that it is a fictional work modelled on older Edessan martyr literature. He notes that so far we have no reliable evidence of the cult of Ishtar of Arbela from the Persian period onwards, a situation which may change with further archaeology.[12]

Temples

The main temple of Ishtar of Arbela was the Egašankalamma (é.gašan.kalam.ma or bēt šarrat māti, "House of the Queen of the Land").

Role in Prophecy

While Ishtar of Arbela is not the only deity in whose name prophecies from the Neo-Assyrian period survive, prophecies from Ishtar of Arbela are the most numerous. As the divine nurse of the king, she was tied to legitimacy and succession, which was a major concern for kings such as Esarhaddon and Ashurbanipal whose succession was contested (SAA 9 1.6). She also assured his personal safety (SAA 9 1.10) As a goddess of war, she gave the king of victory over his enemies on campaign, as in SAA 9 1.1 i 6′–24′:[13][14]

What wind attacked you? Whose wing have I not broken? Like a ripe apple, your enemies will constantly roll down before your feet. I am the Great Lady, I am Ištar of Arbela who throws your enemies before your feet. I will flay your enemies and deliver them up to you. I am Ištar of Arbela, I go before you and behind you. Fear not! You are paralysed, but in the midst of woe I will rise and sit down (beside you).

Associations with other deities

The Hymn to the City of Arbela presents the city of Arbela as a religious centre and refers to it as "the city of the temple of jubilation" and "gate of heaven". Alongside the references to Ishtar of Arbela it also mentions Nanaya and Irnina.

As joint protectors of the king, Ishtar of Arbela and Ishtar of Nineveh often appear together in texts and may speak as one in prophecy, such as in SAA 9 2.4[15].

The ritual text known as the "Rites of Egašankalamma" describes Ishtaran as Ishtar of Arbela's brother.[16]

References

  1. ^ Grayson 1987, p. 204.
  2. ^ Nissinen & Mattila 2021.
  3. ^ MacGinnis 2014, p. 46-52.
  4. ^ Grayson 1987, p. 307.
  5. ^ a b c Zaia 2021.
  6. ^ Leichty 2011, p. 115.
  7. ^ Novotny & Jeffers 2018.
  8. ^ MacGinnis 2014, p. 74-76.
  9. ^ MacGinnis 2014, p. 77.
  10. ^ Livingstone 1989, p. 95-97.
  11. ^ Dalley 2007, p. 203.
  12. ^ Walker 2006, p. 253.
  13. ^ Parpóla 1997.
  14. ^ Gorden & Barstad 2013, p. 73.
  15. ^ Parpóla 1997, p. 16.
  16. ^ Livingstone 1989, p. 95-96.

Bibliography

  • Dalley, Stephanie (2007). Esther's Revenge at Susa: from Sennacherib to Ahasuerus. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780191527128.
  • Gordon, Robert P.; Barstad, Hans (2013). “Thus Speaks Ishtar of Arbela”: Prophecy in Israel, Assyria, and Egypt in the Neo-Assyrian Period. Penn State University Press. ISBN 9781575068602.
  • Grayson, A. K. (1987). Assyrian Rulers of the Third and Second Millennia BC (RIME1). University of Toronto Press. ISBN 9781442671065.
  • Leichty, Erle (2011). The royal inscriptions of Esarhaddon, king of Assyria (680-669 BC) (RINAP4). Penn State University Press Press. ISBN 9781575066462.
  • Livingstone, Alasdair (1989). Court Poetry and Literary Miscellanea: State Archives of Assyria (SAA III). Helsinki University Press. ISBN 9780520245785.
  • MacGinnis, John D. A. (2014). A City from the Dawn of History. Oxford:Oxbow. ISBN 9781782978008.
  • Nissinen, Marrti; Mattila, Raija (2021). "The Temple of Ištar of Arbela". Advances in Ancient, Biblical, and Near Eastern Research. ISSN 2748-6419. Retrieved 2022-11-03.
  • Novotny, Jamie; Jeffers, Joshua (2018). The Royal Inscriptions of Ashurbanipal (668–631 BC), Aššur-etel-ilāni (630–627 BC), and Sîn-šarra-iškun (626–612 BC), Kings of Assyria, Part 1 (RINAP5). Eisenbrauns. ISBN 9781575069975.
  • Parpóla, Simo (1997). Assyrian Prophecies: State Archives of Assyria (SAA IX). Helsinki University Press. ISBN 9515701678.
  • Walker, Joel (2006). The legend of Mar Qardagh: Narrative and Christian heroism in late antique Iraq. ISBN 9780520245785.
  • Zaia, Shana (2021). "Let Praise of Aššur Not Be Forgotten: Temple Heterarchies and the Limits of Royal Patronage in the Neo-Assyrian Empire". Journal of Ancient Near Eastern Religions. 21 (1): 92–129. ISSN 1569-2124. Retrieved 2022-11-03.
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