Akkadica
Assyriological Center
Georges Dossin
Georges Dossin
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Akkadica Assyriological Center
Georges Dossin |
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Conspectus Librorum - Book Review: SCHWEMER DANIEL, Wettergottgestalten. Die Wettergottgestalten Mesopotamiens und Nordsyriens im Zeitalter der Keilschriftkulturen: Materialien und Studien nach den schriftlichen Quellen, Wiesbaden (Harrassowitz Verlag) 2001, Pp. xiv, 1024., ISBN 3-447-04456-X. List price 90,00 EUR. Orders: service@harrassowitz.de. For a complete catalogue of titles see also: www.harrassowitz.de This extraordinary study which is in fact a revision of Daniel Schwemer's Ph.D. dissertation at the University of Würzburg, may undoubtedly be considered as a very comprehensive work on the subject of ancient Near Eastern stormgods and it will certainly be invaluable to future research. After explaining the parameters of his research, Schwemer notes in his first chapter (Chapter 1: pp.5-10) some typological and methodological problems posed by previous research. In the second chapter (Chapter 2: pp.11-92) he provides us with a survey of the evidence for stormgods in various lists of gods. Schwemer then turns his attention to the earliest evidence of the Semitic stormgod Hadda, e.g. the Hadda-tempel at Ebla and at Halab (Chapter 3: pp.93-128) for which he examines texts in connection with statues in the Hadda-tempel, the transfers of metal and textile, sacrificial animals and cultwagons. Furthermore he treats the appearance of Hadda in literary texts from Ebla. In the last part of this chapter we find some observations on onomastica containing the theophoric element "Hadda" and on the origins of the cult of Hadda in Syria. Schwemer devotes the following chapter (Chapter 4: pp.129-210) to the god Ishkur, especially during and after the Ur III period. Evidence for the spread of the god's cult is presented by references from Karkar, Girsu, Umma, Nippur, Ur and Uruk. Also treated here is the theological integration from Ishkur into the pantheon of the Sumerian literature; Ishkur in the Sumerian mythological texts and lyrics and the integration of the God Adad (Addu, Adda) in the Babylonian pantheon. This chapter is concluded with some interesting notes on the deity called M/wer. The following chapter (Chapter 5: pp. 211-441) is almost completely dedicated to the spread of the cult of the god Adad in Upper Mesopotamia and Babylon, which went hand in hand with the establishment of Amorite dynasties in Babylon in the early second millennium BCE. Furthermore Schwemer analyses the status of Adad in the religions of Assyria (Babylon, Mari and Susa) and pays special attention to the considerable variety of local cults dedicated to Adad in textual records. Chapter 6 (pp. 443-587) focuses on "the "syncretism" of Haddu (Adad, Adda), Teššob and Ba'al (Ba'lu) in Northern Mesopotamia and North-Syria. Here the author discusses the role of Teshub (Teššob, the stormgod of Halab) as head of the Hurrian pantheon; Teshub in times of Mittani and Hittite rule; the god Ba'lu according to Late Bronze Age Syro-Palestinian sources; the worship of Adad/Adda-Ba'lu in Emar under Hittite rule and the role of Adad in the Middle-Assyrian pantheon. In the final chapter (Chapter 7: pp. 588-695) our attention is turned to the role of Adad in more recent periods, i.e. from Neo-Assyrian and Neo-Babylonian times onwards, more in particular the worship of Adad in the Neo-Assyrian Empire; the Adad-cult in Babylonia, Elam and Persia. At the end the author also touches upon the appearance of Adad in epics, mythology, medicine, botany, magic, etc. Schwemer concludes this "masterpiece" with a number of data and indexes, including Sumerian and Akkadian epitheta of Ishkur-Adad; a list of bibliographical abbreviations and sigla; an invaluable bibliography, a general index, cuneiform texts; and some copies of cuneiform texts. Ingrid Swinnen Vrije Universiteit Brussel |