318:, and it was not necessarily the result of confusion or conflation. The only evidence for association between Ašratum and Ishtar is an esoteric text from the second century BCE, meant to explain the relationship between the names Ašratum and Gubarra. It has been pointed out that due to its late date and character the text is unlikely to provide information relevant to earlier references to Ašratum.
156:) and "wife." However, due to Ašratum's position in the Mesopotamian pantheon and distinct circumstances of her development, information pertaining to her character cannot be necessarily assumed to apply to Athirat, and vice versa. For example, while it is possible Ašratum was associated with eroticism and voluptuousness, no analogous evidence exists for Athirat. In a bilingual
531:
Ašratum could be referred to with the
Sumerian name Gubarra. In some bilingual texts, Ašratum and Amurru appear in the Akkadian version, side by side with Gubarra and Martu in the Sumerian passages. Steve A. Wiggins assumes that Gubarra was a distinct goddess in origin, but came to be identified with
337:
god list from the Old
Babylonian period, Ašratum nonetheless occurs among underworld deities. Jeremiah Peterson proposes that this might have been the result of her husband Amurru/Martu sometimes being grouped with underworld deities such as
512:" and "bride", but the latter meaning relied on the social practice of fathers picking the brides of their sons. As an epithet of goddesses, it denotes their status as a daughter in law of a specific deity. For example,
206:
inscription of a man bearing the name Itur-ašdum is considered to be the most significant source for the study of Ašratum's character. It refers to her as "mistress of voluptuousness and joy" (Sumerian:
375:
Oldest attestations of Ašratum are
Amorite personal names from the first half of the second millennium BCE, such as Ašratum-ummi, "Ašratum is my mother." Four administrative documents from the reign of
269:- "voluptuousness." Steve A. Wiggins additionally lists "luxury" as a possible translation. While in past scholarship the latter epithet was used to argue that Ašratum was confused or conflated with
350:. Further evidence for Ašratum's possible association with the underworld include the mention of a "corpse star" (ADDA) in connection with her in a late mystical text and the use of the epithet
595:
tentatively suggest that since the former of these two texts is difficult to reconcile with other attestations of her, a different similarly named deity might be meant in this case instead.
465:. It has been pointed out that these deities were not otherwise associated with Antu, and therefore it is assumed the formation of this group was most likely a late, synthetic development.
429:
Ašratum continued to be worshiped in
Babylon in the first millennium BCE. Her temple from that city, Eḫilikalama (Sumerian: "house of the luxuriance of the land") has been dated to the
565:(Akkadian: "the glorified one"), a goddess only attested in late sources from the first millennium BCE. An esoteric text from the second century BCE explains her name as
544:
of
Gubarra, but neither its name nor location are presently known. A similar theonym, Nin-gubara (Sumerian: "mistress with loose hair"), is explained as an
392:
slab which a certain Itur-ašdum, apparently a devotee of this goddess and an official in charge of the
Silakku canal district,dedicated for the life of
333:, though it is also possible the term can be understood as a reference to an ordinary steppe, rather than a euphemism for the land of the dead. In the
433:. It has been proposed that it can be identified with a building designated as temple D II during excavations. Ašratum was also still worshiped in
496:." Some early translations referred to her as the "bride of An", but this is now considered to be a mistake. The Sumerian term used in this text,
1392:
1353:
1178:
1159:
363:
Another of Ašratum's epithets, "tenderly cared for by a mountain", is likely connected to her status as wife of Amurru, who was called
1326:
1249:
1146:
477:, also known as Martu. However, there are also instances where he was described as married to goddesses usually associated with
1420:
330:
388:, a spelling of this goddess' name apparently exclusive to this city. Another early piece of evidence for her worship is a
113:, but despite likely sharing the same origin these two goddesses occupied different positions in the respective pantheons.
315:
1148:
Goddesses in
Context: On Divine Powers, Roles, Relationships and Gender in Mesopotamian Textual and Visual Sources
485:, possibly due to conflation or confusion between him and this god. No children of Ašratum and Amurru are known.
437:
in the
Hellenistic period, as indicated by a text enumerating deities partaking in a New Year parade alongside
262:
537:
562:
1267:
George, Andrew; Krebernik, Manfred (2022). "Two
Remarkable Vocabularies: Amorite-Akkadian Bilinguals!".
430:
165:
585:
185:
1344:
Westenholz, Joan
Goodnick (1997). "Nanaya: Lady of Mystery". In Finkel, I. L.; Geller, M. J. (eds.).
91:
266:
545:
177:
1398:
1388:
1349:
1332:
1322:
1284:
1255:
1245:
1215:
1184:
1174:
1155:
234:
157:
153:
145:
1276:
1237:
581:
181:
122:
590:
190:
140:
have been proposed for the name, including "holy place" or "sanctuary" (based on the root '
521:
307:
275:
209:
203:
360:. Ekurritum was also the name of a goddess in one case listed as a wife of Ningishzida.
509:
489:
454:
438:
168:
which presumably originated in southern Mesopotamia, an Amorite deity named ʔAṯeratum (
310:. It is therefore insufficient evidence for assuming that its use reflected a case of
1414:
541:
513:
458:
250:
161:
580:
god list and a possible reference to such a connection in a lexical text. However,
474:
99:
65:
1297:
414:), it has been proposed that it was originally a fragment of a figure depicting a
377:
1364:
1219:
1197:
478:
423:
339:
326:
137:
558:, but it is uncertain if she corresponds to the deity identified with Ašratum.
273:, more recent research shows that many deities, both male and female (the word
554:
446:
442:
401:
356:
322:
321:
Ašratum was also one of the goddesses who could be described with the epithet
311:
1402:
1336:
1288:
1259:
1188:
393:
389:
229:). The former epithet might possibly point at erotic connotations. The term
173:
1318:
God lists from Old Babylonian Nippur in the University Museum, Philadelphia
1280:
404:
of this artifact is not known, it has been proposed that it originated in
149:
130:
107:
95:
1012:
1010:
748:
746:
744:
742:
573:
525:
410:
397:
303:
246:
133:
126:
110:
103:
42:
354:, which might have such connotations, to refer to her in the god list
1384:
A reassessment of Asherah: with further considerations of the goddess
577:
549:
482:
405:
347:
343:
334:
299:
295:
294:. It is attested as an epithet not only Ašratum and Ishtar, but also
270:
258:
254:
196:
1316:
408:. As the inscription mentions the dedication of a protective deity (
329:. It has been argued that it might point at an association with the
265:
favors "sensuality" in translations of epithets including it, while
1382:
462:
450:
381:
84:
38:
245:) denoted a quality of both male and female deities, for example
136:, and it is likely they developed from a common source. Multiple
714:
712:
434:
195:
in this context the name designates the goddess also known from
422:
priest of Ašratum is mentioned in a document from the reign of
493:
830:
828:
826:
400:. The accompanying text is written in Sumerian. While the
890:
888:
845:
843:
572:
It has been proposed Ašratum could be associated with the
958:
956:
954:
905:
903:
875:
873:
860:
858:
801:
799:
797:
384:
were signed with seals inscribed with the name Aširatum (
1027:
1025:
729:
727:
687:
685:
683:
681:
679:
654:
652:
650:
637:
635:
985:
983:
314:. Epithets were commonly shared by multiple deities in
610:
608:
520:
in relation to her position as the daughter in law of
239:
77:
1171:
The pantheon of Uruk during the neo-Babylonian period
1103:
1055:
1016:
1001:
817:
752:
1242:
House most high: the temples of ancient Mesopotamia
1145:Asher-Greve, Julia M.; Westenholz, Joan G. (2013).
1091:
61:
56:
48:
34:
26:
21:
569:, "Ašratum the foreigner" or "the other Ašratum."
576:due to their placement next to each other in the
279:is grammatically neutral), could be described as
1196:Cavigneaux, Antoine; Krebernik, Manfred (1998),
98:origin. She was regarded as the wife of the god
1269:Revue d'assyriologie et d'archéologie orientale
718:
703:
473:Ašratum was commonly regarded as the wife of
8:
933:
776:
488:The Itur-ašdum inscription calls her the "
894:
1127:
879:
788:
764:
626:
1346:Sumerian Gods and their Representations
1115:
1043:
974:
962:
945:
921:
909:
864:
834:
805:
733:
691:
670:
658:
641:
604:
1079:
1067:
1031:
989:
849:
614:
561:Ašratum could also be identified with
18:
16:Mesopotamian goddess of Amorite origin
214:) and "mistress with patient mercy" (
7:
14:
1387:. Piscataway, NJ: Gorgias Press.
1104:Asher-Greve & Westenholz 2013
1056:Asher-Greve & Westenholz 2013
1017:Asher-Greve & Westenholz 2013
1002:Asher-Greve & Westenholz 2013
818:Asher-Greve & Westenholz 2013
753:Asher-Greve & Westenholz 2013
1363:Wiggermann, Frans A. M. (1998),
325:, most commonly associated with
1092:Cavigneaux & Krebernik 1998
469:Associations with other deities
1:
1173:. Leiden Boston: Brill STYX.
1169:Beaulieu, Paul-Alain (2003).
1369:Reallexikon der Assyriologie
1302:Reallexikon der Assyriologie
1244:. Winona Lake: Eisenbrauns.
1224:Reallexikon der Assyriologie
1202:Reallexikon der Assyriologie
540:, there is a reference to a
240:
144:, "place," attested in both
1315:Peterson, Jeremiah (2009).
1296:Krebernik, Manfred (2011),
719:George & Krebernik 2022
704:George & Krebernik 2022
1437:
1321:. Münster: Ugarit Verlag.
532:Ašratum. In the so-called
367:, "lord of the mountain".
504:, equivalent of Akkadian
263:Joan Goodnick Westenholz
1381:Wiggins, Steve (2007).
538:Library of Ashurbanipal
121:Ašratum was a deity of
1421:Mesopotamian goddesses
441:, which also features
125:origin. Her name is a
1281:10.3917/assy.116.0113
1275:(1). CAIRN: 113–166.
536:(CTL) known from the
534:Canonical Temple List
431:neo-Babylonian period
316:Mesopotamian religion
166:Old Babylonian period
524:and wife of his son
180:), but according to
92:Mesopotamian goddess
1094:, pp. 373–374.
1046:, pp. 157–158.
948:, pp. 155–156.
837:, pp. 167–168.
791:, pp. 184–185.
673:, pp. 221–222.
267:Paul-Alain Beaulieu
152:, as well as other
1216:Edzard, Dietz-Otto
202:An Old Babylonian
172:) is equated with
1394:978-1-59333-717-9
1355:978-90-56-93005-9
1238:George, Andrew R.
1180:978-90-04-13024-1
1161:978-3-7278-1738-0
1130:, pp. 69–70.
852:, pp. 37–38.
779:, pp. 67–68.
586:Manfred Krebernik
516:was often called
186:Manfred Krebernik
154:Semitic languages
71:
70:
35:Major cult center
1428:
1406:
1377:
1376:
1375:
1359:
1340:
1311:
1310:
1309:
1292:
1263:
1233:
1232:
1231:
1211:
1210:
1209:
1192:
1165:
1153:
1131:
1125:
1119:
1113:
1107:
1101:
1095:
1089:
1083:
1077:
1071:
1065:
1059:
1053:
1047:
1041:
1035:
1029:
1020:
1014:
1005:
999:
993:
987:
978:
972:
966:
960:
949:
943:
937:
931:
925:
919:
913:
907:
898:
892:
883:
877:
868:
862:
853:
847:
838:
832:
821:
815:
809:
803:
792:
786:
780:
774:
768:
762:
756:
750:
737:
731:
722:
716:
707:
701:
695:
689:
674:
668:
662:
656:
645:
639:
630:
624:
618:
612:
594:
582:Andrew R. George
552:in the god list
243:
194:
182:Andrew R. George
102:. Her name is a
79:
19:
1436:
1435:
1431:
1430:
1429:
1427:
1426:
1425:
1411:
1410:
1409:
1395:
1380:
1373:
1371:
1362:
1356:
1343:
1329:
1314:
1307:
1305:
1295:
1266:
1252:
1236:
1229:
1227:
1220:"Martu A. Gott"
1214:
1207:
1205:
1195:
1181:
1168:
1162:
1151:
1144:
1140:
1135:
1134:
1126:
1122:
1114:
1110:
1102:
1098:
1090:
1086:
1078:
1074:
1066:
1062:
1054:
1050:
1042:
1038:
1030:
1023:
1015:
1008:
1000:
996:
988:
981:
973:
969:
961:
952:
944:
940:
934:Wiggermann 1998
932:
928:
920:
916:
908:
901:
893:
886:
878:
871:
863:
856:
848:
841:
833:
824:
816:
812:
804:
795:
787:
783:
777:Westenholz 1997
775:
771:
763:
759:
751:
740:
732:
725:
717:
710:
702:
698:
690:
677:
669:
665:
657:
648:
640:
633:
625:
621:
613:
606:
601:
588:
510:daughter in law
501:
490:daughter in law
471:
373:
292:
288:
284:
227:
223:
219:
188:
119:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1434:
1432:
1424:
1423:
1413:
1412:
1408:
1407:
1393:
1378:
1360:
1354:
1341:
1327:
1312:
1293:
1264:
1250:
1234:
1212:
1193:
1179:
1166:
1160:
1141:
1139:
1136:
1133:
1132:
1120:
1118:, p. 167.
1108:
1106:, p. 131.
1096:
1084:
1082:, p. 164.
1072:
1060:
1058:, p. 259.
1048:
1036:
1034:, p. 435.
1021:
1019:, p. 126.
1006:
1004:, p. 277.
994:
979:
977:, p. 164.
967:
965:, p. 155.
950:
938:
936:, p. 369.
926:
924:, p. 171.
914:
912:, p. 168.
899:
895:Krebernik 2011
884:
869:
867:, p. 166.
854:
839:
822:
810:
808:, p. 158.
793:
781:
769:
767:, p. 185.
757:
755:, p. 106.
738:
736:, p. 156.
723:
721:, p. 118.
708:
706:, p. 114.
696:
694:, p. 157.
675:
663:
661:, p. 153.
646:
644:, p. 163.
631:
619:
603:
602:
600:
597:
508:, meant both "
499:
470:
467:
372:
369:
290:
286:
282:
225:
221:
217:
212:ḫi-li ma-az-bi
118:
115:
69:
68:
63:
59:
58:
54:
53:
50:
46:
45:
36:
32:
31:
28:
24:
23:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1433:
1422:
1419:
1418:
1416:
1404:
1400:
1396:
1390:
1386:
1385:
1379:
1370:
1366:
1365:"Nin-ĝišzida"
1361:
1357:
1351:
1347:
1342:
1338:
1334:
1330:
1328:3-86835-019-5
1324:
1320:
1319:
1313:
1303:
1299:
1294:
1290:
1286:
1282:
1278:
1274:
1270:
1265:
1261:
1257:
1253:
1251:0-931464-80-3
1247:
1243:
1239:
1235:
1225:
1221:
1217:
1213:
1203:
1199:
1194:
1190:
1186:
1182:
1176:
1172:
1167:
1163:
1157:
1150:
1149:
1143:
1142:
1137:
1129:
1128:Peterson 2009
1124:
1121:
1117:
1112:
1109:
1105:
1100:
1097:
1093:
1088:
1085:
1081:
1076:
1073:
1069:
1064:
1061:
1057:
1052:
1049:
1045:
1040:
1037:
1033:
1028:
1026:
1022:
1018:
1013:
1011:
1007:
1003:
998:
995:
992:, p. 99.
991:
986:
984:
980:
976:
971:
968:
964:
959:
957:
955:
951:
947:
942:
939:
935:
930:
927:
923:
918:
915:
911:
906:
904:
900:
897:, p. 72.
896:
891:
889:
885:
882:, p. 69.
881:
880:Peterson 2009
876:
874:
870:
866:
861:
859:
855:
851:
846:
844:
840:
836:
831:
829:
827:
823:
819:
814:
811:
807:
802:
800:
798:
794:
790:
789:Beaulieu 2003
785:
782:
778:
773:
770:
766:
765:Beaulieu 2003
761:
758:
754:
749:
747:
745:
743:
739:
735:
730:
728:
724:
720:
715:
713:
709:
705:
700:
697:
693:
688:
686:
684:
682:
680:
676:
672:
667:
664:
660:
655:
653:
651:
647:
643:
638:
636:
632:
629:, p. 43.
628:
627:Peterson 2009
623:
620:
617:, p. 37.
616:
611:
609:
605:
598:
596:
592:
587:
583:
579:
575:
570:
568:
564:
559:
557:
556:
551:
547:
543:
539:
535:
529:
527:
523:
519:
515:
511:
507:
503:
495:
491:
486:
484:
480:
476:
468:
466:
464:
460:
456:
452:
449:(the wife of
448:
444:
440:
436:
432:
427:
425:
421:
417:
413:
412:
407:
403:
399:
395:
391:
387:
383:
379:
370:
368:
366:
361:
359:
358:
353:
349:
345:
341:
336:
332:
328:
324:
319:
317:
313:
309:
305:
301:
297:
293:
278:
277:
272:
268:
264:
260:
256:
252:
248:
244:
242:
236:
232:
228:
213:
211:
205:
200:
198:
192:
187:
183:
179:
175:
171:
167:
163:
159:
155:
151:
147:
143:
139:
135:
132:
128:
124:
116:
114:
112:
109:
105:
101:
97:
93:
89:
86:
82:
75:
67:
64:
60:
55:
51:
47:
44:
40:
37:
33:
29:
25:
20:
1383:
1372:, retrieved
1368:
1345:
1317:
1306:, retrieved
1301:
1272:
1268:
1241:
1228:, retrieved
1223:
1206:, retrieved
1201:
1198:"Nin-gubara"
1170:
1147:
1138:Bibliography
1123:
1116:Wiggins 2007
1111:
1099:
1087:
1075:
1070:, p. 5.
1063:
1051:
1044:Wiggins 2007
1039:
997:
975:Wiggins 2007
970:
963:Wiggins 2007
946:Wiggins 2007
941:
929:
922:Wiggins 2007
917:
910:Wiggins 2007
865:Wiggins 2007
835:Wiggins 2007
820:, p. 6.
813:
806:Wiggins 2007
784:
772:
760:
734:Wiggins 2007
699:
692:Wiggins 2007
671:Wiggins 2007
666:
659:Wiggins 2007
642:Wiggins 2007
622:
571:
566:
560:
553:
533:
530:
517:
505:
497:
487:
472:
428:
419:
415:
409:
386:A-ši-ra-tum)
385:
374:
364:
362:
355:
351:
320:
280:
274:
238:
230:
215:
208:
201:
169:
162:lexical list
141:
120:
87:
80:
73:
72:
49:Ethnic group
1304:(in German)
1298:"Šarrāḫītu"
1226:(in German)
1204:(in German)
1080:George 1993
1068:George 1993
1032:Edzard 1987
990:George 1993
850:George 1993
615:George 1993
589: [
567:Ašrat aḫītu
479:Ningishzida
424:Samsu-iluna
418:goddess. A
340:Ningishzida
327:Geshtinanna
237:equivalent
189: [
170:a-še-ra-tum
138:etymologies
88:A-ši-ra-tum
27:Other names
1374:2022-04-13
1308:2022-04-13
1230:2022-04-13
1208:2022-04-13
599:References
481:, such as
447:Sadarnunna
443:Amasagnudi
402:provenance
331:underworld
323:Belet-Seri
312:syncretism
1403:171049273
1337:460044951
1289:0373-6032
563:Šarrāḫītu
555:An = Anum
394:Hammurabi
390:limestone
378:Rim-Sîn I
357:An = Anum
352:ekurrītum
233:(and its
178:Bēlet-ilī
174:DIĜIR.MAḪ
164:from the
160:-Amorite
117:Character
81:Aš-ra-tum
57:Genealogy
1415:Category
1260:27813103
1240:(1993).
1218:(1987),
1189:51944564
518:kallatum
506:kallatum
365:bēl šadī
235:Akkadian
158:Akkadian
150:Ugaritic
146:Akkadian
131:Ugaritic
108:Ugaritic
90:) was a
78:𒀭𒀸𒊏𒌈
574:Sebitti
546:epithet
526:Shamash
398:Babylon
371:Worship
304:Ninurta
247:Shamash
134:Athirat
127:cognate
123:Amorite
111:Athirat
104:cognate
96:Amorite
74:Ašratum
52:Amorite
43:Babylon
30:Gubarra
22:Ašratum
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550:Inanna
542:temple
483:Azimua
475:Amurru
406:Sippar
348:Ninazu
344:Nergal
335:Nippur
300:Nergal
296:Marduk
281:nin ša
271:Ishtar
259:Nisaba
255:Nanaya
216:nin ša
204:votive
197:Ugarit
100:Amurru
66:Amurru
62:Spouse
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1399:OCLC
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