Shamash
Shamash is a sun goddess who was venerated in Saba as a tutelary goddess of the royal Egyptian dynasty. She is identified with Ishtar and Isis, and is described as the female counterpart to Almaqah.
↻ synthesized from 31 sources
When
- First attested
- 3000 BCE
- Attested period
- -3000 – 2020
- Historical notes
- Attested in the Old Babylonian period.
Relationships
- syncretized with
- Isis, Utu, Šimige, Šapšu, Mithra, Nahhunte, Shivini, Shimige, Ištar, Ninurta, Mitra
- co occurs with
- Wer, An, Ningirsu, Ninisina, Ningublaga, Ninazu, Išḫara, Nisaba, Ninkarrak, Ilaba, Shullat, Hanish, Umshu, dšu-nir, Ninhursag, Shalash, Itūr-Mēr, Ashur, Belet Ekallim, Addu, Yakrub-El, uridu-genies, lamassatum-genies, Ea, Asalluhi, Zarpanitum, Tishpak, Erra, Pabilsag, Aššur, Annunitum, Shala, Ninshubur, Ninmug, Eyan, Kothar-wa-Khasis, Lahar, Shapshu, Inshushinak, Simut, Ruhurater, Hvare-khshaeta, Aya, Khaldi, Theispas, Tushpuea, Šimige, Teshub, Ullikummi, Tiwaz, Sun god of Heaven, Ishum, Ningal, Mamu, Kittum, Amna, Shapash, Ishtaran, Idlurugu, Enmesharra, Lugalbanda, Ḫepat, Nikkal, Ayu-Ikalti, Šauška, Lipparuma, Belet Nagar, Ashtart, Nupatik, Aštabi, Kumarbi, Pišaišapḫi, Anat, Kušuḫ, Ea-šarri, Sol, Helios, Osiris, Sekhmet, Horus, Hathor, Atum, Iškur, Aredvi Sura Anahita, Ištar, *Dyēus, Inanna, Mor Shlemon, Ananias, Ignatius I, Mor Ozoziel, Abhasvaras, Ātmā, Krodha, Jñātā, Jñāna, Tapas, Dama, Dānta, Mada, Moha, Śānti, Allatum, Belet-Šuḫnir, Bau, Geshtinanna, Haya, Meslamtaea, Alammuš, Ninurima, Alla, Ninpumuna, Bitu, Amar-Sin, Ningirida, Ninazimua, Ištar, Ahura Mazda, Nergal, Ninlil, Niraḫ, Ninmesharra, Anzû, Asag, igitelû, Enlil, Dagan, Zababa, Nabu, Sin, Adad, Papsukkal, Urash, Sebitti, Erimbinatuku, Gilgamesh, Ningishzida, Ninsun, Bull of Heaven, Dumuzid, Huwawa, Agga, Anu, Humbaba, Scorpion man, Urshanabi, Utnapishtim, scorpion man's wife, Siduri, Enkidu's ghost, Dumuzi, Ereshkigal, Anunit, Ra, Bel, Apollo, Inti, Sūrya, Hadad, Chemosh, ʿAštar, ʿAṯtar, ʿAštar-Kamōš, Šaggar, Sun goddess of Arinna, Virgin Mary, Theotokos, Śiva, Ganesha, Vayu, Kama, Tiamat
- enemy of
- Humbaba
- aspect of
- Marduk
- teacher of
- Enmeduranki
- manifests as
- Utu
Mentioned by
- Sherida
- Ninurta
- Mitra
- Ra
- Bel
- Apollo
- Inti
- Sūrya
- Hadad
- Chemosh
- ʿAštar
- ʿAṯtar
- ʿAštar-Kamōš
- Šaggar
- Sun goddess of Arinna
- Virgin Mary
and 13 more
Sources
- peer reviewed
Source passages
“the male counterpart of the sun goddess Shamash / Ishtar / Isis, who was also venerated in Saba, but as a tutelary goddess of the royal Egyptian dynasty”
#3652 · extracted by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.5
“While no known sources describe the battle between Humbaba and Gilgamesh, a fragment from Tell Harmal seemingly does detail his submission, and might indicate that in this version he knew about his incoming defeat due to a dream vision sent by Shamash.”
#8440 · extracted by google/gemini-2.0-flash-001
“Nanna or Inanna in Ur in the Ur III period, Ishtar in Mari during the reign of Zimri-Lim, or Shamash in sources from the reign of Hammurabi.”
#11271 · extracted by google/gemini-2.0-flash-001
“A fictitious letter attributed to Sargon in ancient Mesopotamian scholarship in which he summons his allies for a campaign against the city of Purushanda, located in Anatolia, implores them to respond to the call of Shamash, Ilaba, Zababa and Hanish, who urge them to partake.”
#11738 · extracted by google/gemini-2.0-flash-001
“One of the Ḫana texts mentions a house belonging to Itūr-Mēr, though he shared its nominal ownership with Dagan, Shamash and the local ruler, Išar-Lim.”
#11763 · extracted by google/gemini-2.0-flash-001