Abstract
The messenger staff Huṭāru was a non-anthropomorphic deity in the Neo-Babylonian Eanna temple of Uruk that also had a practical function: it served as a symbol of authority of the goddess Ištar during the collection of taxes and dues. In this article I edit and discuss two hitherto unpublished texts that shed new light on this little known divine object. Furthermore, I suggest its identification with the “Doppellöwenkeule”, a ceremonial mace with animal protomes that is represented alone or carried by Ištar on seals and terracotta plaques from the Old and Neo-Babylonian periods.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 139-150 |
Number of pages | 12 |
Journal | Iraq |
Volume | 80 |
Publication status | Published - 2018 |
Keywords
- Mesopotamia
- Babylonian
- Religion history
- Ancient Near East
- Archaeology
VU Research Profile
- Connected World