Ishtar of Arbela
Ishtar of Arbela or the Lady of Arbela (Akkadian: dbēlat(gašan)-uruarba-il) was a prominent goddess of the Neo-Assyrian Empire. She was the tutelary goddess of the city of Arbela (or Arbail, modern Erbil) as well as a patron goddess of the king. She was clearly distinct from other 'Ishtar' goddesses in religious worship. For example, in the city of Assur, she had a shrine separate from Ishtar of Assur, and Ishtar of Nineveh had a separate cult from either deity in Assur as well as a presence in Arbela. Similarly, they are usually distinguished from each other in hymns, prophetic texts, and treaties. In his Hymn to the Ištars of Nineveh and Arbela, King Ashurbanipal refers to the pair as 'my Ishtars' and uses plural language throughout, as well as ascribing them different functions in supporting the king.[1][2] However, some poetic and prophetic texts appear to not draw sharp lines between their identities and refer to an unspecified "Ishtar".[3][4]
Ishtar of Arbela
Iconography[edit]
In an account of a nocturnal vision of Ishtar of Arbela in the annals of Ashurbanipal, the goddess is described as carrying weapons: "Ištar who dwells in Arbail came in. She had quivers hanging left and right and held a bow in her arm and a sharp sword drawn for doing battle".[5] In the Hymn to Arbail, she is described as being seated on a lion with lions crouching below her and the kings of all lands cowering around her. These descriptions accord with the image depicted on the dedicatory Stele from Til Barsip shown above, where she stands upon a lion and is equipped with a sword and two quivers. There is a star on her headdress, possibly due to a connection with the planet Venus, and a circle with radiating lines is visible behind her to represent her divine radiance.[6]
Worship[edit]
Second Millennium BCE[edit]
The earliest known appearance of the epithet 'Lady of Arbela' comes from a fourteenth century BCE ritual text found at Nuzi.[7] A reference to the Egašankalamma temple has survived from the reign of Shalmaneser I (1273-1244 BCE), 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.[8] 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 as well.[9][10] The king of Arbela defeated by Dadusha of Eshnunna, an event celebrated on the Dadusha Stele, had the theophoric name Būnu-Ištar.[11] 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 (1178-1133 BCE) bears the following inscription:
Temples[edit]
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").[28] The town of Milqia, near Arbela, was home to a temple called the "Palace of the Steppe" and an Akitu-house of Ishtar. The celebrations would begin in Arbela, and then the goddess's cultic image would be transported to Milqia. From here the Akitu procession would travel to Baltil in the city of Assur, where the king would ceremonially enter her presence. The cultic image would also travel to Milqia during military campaigns, and while located here the goddess was also called by the name 'Šatru'. Victory festivals would be celebrated here when the king returned.[29][9]
Associations with other deities[edit]
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". It associates Ishtar of Arbela with two other prominent goddesses, Nanaya and Irnina.[34] Hymns such as Ashurbanipal's Hymn to the Ištars of Nineveh and Arbela connect her with Ishtar of Nineveh. 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.[35]
Some references to familial relationships of Ishtar of Arbela appear in texts. In Prism B of the annals of Ashurbanipal, Ishtar of Arbela intercedes with Aššur, the "father who made [her]", on the king's behalf.[36] The ritual text known as the "Rites of Egašankalamma" describes Ishtaran as Ishtar of Arbela's brother.[37]