Isum

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Išum (Ischum, d i-šum, rarely ì-šum, i-šum-mu) is a Babylonian god. He is the messenger ( nāgir ilī ) and servant ( rābiṣu ) of the gods, a companion ( ālik maḫrīšu , "the one who precedes him") and herald of the Babylonian plague god Era and messenger of Nergal . Išum is also known as the night watchman ( d EN.MI.DU.DU, bēlu mūttallik muši ) and the lord of the streets ( bēl sūqi, sukkal sūqi ) as well as the warrior and dipām , torch. Whether the name bēl sūqi refers to the fact that Išum roams the streets of the cities at night and marks the houses that Erra is supposed to spare because they bear a house blessing with words from the Erra epic, or whether the term describes the streets of the underworld is unclear.

Išum is the son of Ninlil and Šamaš , but his mother abandoned him on the street because of their upcoming wedding. According to an old Babylonian myth, which is only preserved in fragments ( CT 15, 5-6), the goddess Ištar , his half-sister, takes care of him and raises him in the Ekur in Nippur . His wife is Ninmuga . Also subula the son Nergal is related to him, but it is unclear how. The Babylonian myth šar gimir dadmē , king of all residential cities, tells of Eras' attempt to depose Marduk. Išum is one of the main characters, he always tries to have a moderating effect on Era, but without success. Erra instructs Isum to turn the cities into hills and the fields into wastelands (KAR No. 166: 29).

Išum is first documented in personal names from the Akkad and Ur-III periods . Satellite Išum, daughter of Abum-tābum is about in Sippar of a legal document from the time Apil-Sîn occupied by Babylon, a Išum-Nin Subur in early Babylonian period in Bismia . Although Išum was a popular god, no images are known.

Romans considers Išum to be an Akkadian god, but also considers a connection with išātum , išāt fire, to be possible. Bailkey thinks Išum is a fire god and connects him to Nergal , whom she interprets as the sun god of the underworld. Sometimes Išum is equated with Ḫendursanga , the god who, like Šamaš, protects the legal order. Vanderburgh considers him to be a sun god whom Šamaš has subjected.

literature

  • FNH al-Rawi, JA Black, The Second Tablet of "Išum and Erra". Iraq 51, 1989, 111-122.
  • WH Ph. Römer, studies on ancient Babylonian hymn-epic texts (2). A song about the youth of the gods Sîn and Išum (CT 15, 5-6). Journal of the American Oriental Society 86/2, 1966, 138-147.
  • WG Lambert, The Fifth Tablet of the Era Epic. Iraq 24/2, 1962, 119-125.

Web links

  • KAR: Download from Etana

Individual evidence

  1. ^ AL Oppenheim, The Eyes of the Lord. Journal of the American Oriental Society 88/1, 1968, 178
  2. ↑ JJM Roberts, Erra: Scorched Earth, Journal of Cuneiform Studies 24 / 1-2, 1971, 13
  3. ↑ Erica Reiner, Plague Amulets and House Blessings. Journal of Near Eastern Studies 19/2, 1960, 150
  4. ^ Nels M. Bailkey, A Babylonian Philosopher of History. Osiris 9, 1950, 110
  5. ^ WH Ph. Roman studies on ancient Babylonian hymn-epic texts (2). A song about the youth of the gods Sîn and Išum (CT 15, 5-6). Journal of the American Oriental Society 86/2, 1966, 146
  6. ↑ KA al-'Adami, King Apil-Sin confirms the Judgment of Sumulael. Iraq 59, 1997, 75
  7. ↑ DD Luckenbill : Old Babylonian Letters from Bismya. In: The American Journal of Semitic Languages ​​and Literatures. 32/4, 1916, 282 ( JSTOR 528196 ).
  8. ^ RA, Lemma Išum, 213
  9. ^ WH Ph. Roman studies on ancient Babylonian hymn-epic texts (2). A song about the youth of the gods Sîn and Išum (CT 15, 5-6). Journal of the American Oriental Society 86/2, 1966, 146
  10. ^ Nels M. Bailkey, A Babylonian Philosopher of History. Osiris 9, 1950, 110
  11. ↑ Frederick A. Vanderburgh, Babylonian Legends, BM Tablets 87535, 93828 and 87521, CT XV. Journal American Oriental Society 32/1, 1912, 32