Ištar and the motif of the cosmological warrior: Assurbanipal’s adaptation of Enuma elish
Esarhaddon and Assurbanipal are well known to scholars of ancient Near Eastern prophecy, thanks to their affinity for prophecy and the prophetic goddess Ištar in particular, which resulted in the preservation of oracular material in a manner not attested for other Sargonid kings. It has been suggest...
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| Format: | Book Section |
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Eisenbrauns
2013
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| Online Access: | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/31510/ |
| _version_ | 1848794216952496128 |
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| author | Crouch, C.L. |
| author_facet | Crouch, C.L. |
| author_sort | Crouch, C.L. |
| building | Nottingham Research Data Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Esarhaddon and Assurbanipal are well known to scholars of ancient Near Eastern prophecy, thanks to their affinity for prophecy and the prophetic goddess Ištar in particular, which resulted in the preservation of oracular material in a manner not attested for other Sargonid kings. It has been suggested that one of the reasons for this affinity was the reliance of both kings on prophetic legitimation to buttress their contested claims to kingship. This paper explores how Assurbanipal in particular also relies on Ištar to legitimate his military activities, also as a result of the difficult political circumstances in which he was obliged to operate. This legitimation takes the form of allusion to Enuma Elish and the accrual of the characteristics of its warrior hero to the goddess Ištar. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T19:12:40Z |
| format | Book Section |
| id | nottingham-31510 |
| institution | University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T19:12:40Z |
| publishDate | 2013 |
| publisher | Eisenbrauns |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | nottingham-315102020-05-04T20:20:03Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/31510/ Ištar and the motif of the cosmological warrior: Assurbanipal’s adaptation of Enuma elish Crouch, C.L. Esarhaddon and Assurbanipal are well known to scholars of ancient Near Eastern prophecy, thanks to their affinity for prophecy and the prophetic goddess Ištar in particular, which resulted in the preservation of oracular material in a manner not attested for other Sargonid kings. It has been suggested that one of the reasons for this affinity was the reliance of both kings on prophetic legitimation to buttress their contested claims to kingship. This paper explores how Assurbanipal in particular also relies on Ištar to legitimate his military activities, also as a result of the difficult political circumstances in which he was obliged to operate. This legitimation takes the form of allusion to Enuma Elish and the accrual of the characteristics of its warrior hero to the goddess Ištar. Eisenbrauns 2013 Book Section PeerReviewed Crouch, C.L. (2013) Ištar and the motif of the cosmological warrior: Assurbanipal’s adaptation of Enuma elish. In: ‘Thus speaks Ishtar of Arbela’: prophecy in Israel, Assyria and Egypt in the Neo-Assyrian period. Eisenbrauns, Winona Lake, Indiana, USA, pp. 129-141. ISBN 978-1-57506-282-2 Assyriology Ancient Near East Assyrian Empire Ancient Near Eastern History Ashurbanipal Prophecy Creation Ishtar Enuma elish Enuma elis |
| spellingShingle | Assyriology Ancient Near East Assyrian Empire Ancient Near Eastern History Ashurbanipal Prophecy Creation Ishtar Enuma elish Enuma elis Crouch, C.L. Ištar and the motif of the cosmological warrior: Assurbanipal’s adaptation of Enuma elish |
| title | Ištar and the motif of the cosmological warrior: Assurbanipal’s adaptation of Enuma elish |
| title_full | Ištar and the motif of the cosmological warrior: Assurbanipal’s adaptation of Enuma elish |
| title_fullStr | Ištar and the motif of the cosmological warrior: Assurbanipal’s adaptation of Enuma elish |
| title_full_unstemmed | Ištar and the motif of the cosmological warrior: Assurbanipal’s adaptation of Enuma elish |
| title_short | Ištar and the motif of the cosmological warrior: Assurbanipal’s adaptation of Enuma elish |
| title_sort | ištar and the motif of the cosmological warrior: assurbanipal’s adaptation of enuma elish |
| topic | Assyriology Ancient Near East Assyrian Empire Ancient Near Eastern History Ashurbanipal Prophecy Creation Ishtar Enuma elish Enuma elis |
| url | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/31510/ |