Erra’s Human Form
Abstrak
In Erra and Išum IV 3, the god Išum tells Erra, a deity of war and disease, “you changed your divinity and seemed like a man” (ilūtka tušannīma tamtašal amēliš). Scholars have interpreted the line in two different ways. The first is that Erra came to resemble mortals in his behavior. The second is that he became human-like in his physical form. This article weighs the two positions while drawing on (1) parallel passages in Ludlul bēl nēmeqi and Enūma eliš; (2) a revealing metaphor Išum uses elsewhere in Erra IV to describe Erra’s slaughter of Babylon’s inhabitants; and (3) a re-analysis on the meanings and uses of the word ilūtu (divinity), and argues that Erra is not said by Išum to have behaved like a mortal, but rather to have assumed human form. It then proposes, albeit tentatively and speculatively, that Erra’s human form is implied to be that of a usurper king who rose against the Babylonian king Adad-apla-iddina, with him then being Erra’s human avatar – the god of violence in mortal guise.
Topik & Kata Kunci
Penulis (1)
Tadmor, Eli
Akses Cepat
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Cek di sumber asli →- Tahun Terbit
- 2025
- Sumber Database
- DOAJ
- DOI
- 10.30687/KASKAL/2036-5845/2025/01/004
- Akses
- Open Access ✓