Shamash (Utu, Amra, šamaš) the Sun God is a powerful figure in Sumerian and later Mesopotamian worship. He's one of the first born gods, brother of Inanna (Ishtar) and father of several children including Ishum, the Divine Night Watchman.
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His consort is Aya, goddess of the dawn. She sometimes appears under the name Sherida. Shamash is the son of the Moon God, Sin (Nanna) and his wife Ningal. In Babylonia Ningal is considered a great or mother goddess.
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Shamash is said to see all things happening in the world through his divine eye in the sky. He's also a god of justice and can make judgments among mortals and gods.
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Shamash / Utu drives his sun chariot across the sky every day. It's pulled by four fiery steeds (niskum). Their names are Sumerian:
Uhegalanna (the abundant light of heaven)
Uhushgalanna (the terrifying great light of heaven)
Usurmurgalanna (the dreadful great light of heaven)
Unirgalanna (the noble light of heaven)
If they come too close to the Earth the lands parch and the rivers dry up. If too far away, the land is cold and crops won't grow. Although assumed to be horses they can be other equids too.
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At night, Shamash travels through or occupies the nether sky, a realm below Earth but above the Underworld. Epithets name him 'youth' and 'hero.' Shamash meets with his wife Aya, sometimes in a western mountain, when the Sun descends into the Earth.
In the morning she heralds his appearance in the east, possibly from an eastern mountain. In some regions the worship of the Dawn Goddess is greater than that of the Sun Deity.
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Seeing her first rays, the people know the Sun is sure to follow. Early morning is considered the best time to send prayers to the Sun God or ask his favor.
Equivalents of Shamash include Hurrian Sun God Šimige (Shimige), Shapash (Shapshu) the Sun Goddess of Ugarit mythology, and the Hittite Sun God of Heaven. His astral number is 20. His symbols include the saw, rays of light, a sun disc or winged sun.
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Shamash is on average sixth among the gods in local god lists. At one point an attempt is made by mortal rulers to establish him as head of the pantheon, but the idea doesn't catch on. Nonetheless he's a primary deity and an essential part of life.
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He's guardian of travelers and can be invoked outside his temples, possibly as an astral body. As God of Justice he's regarded as one who sees the truth. Assistants in this position include Moon God Sin (Nanna) his father, and Inanna his sister.
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His major centers of worship are Sippar to the north and Larsa to the south in Babylonia of the ancient world. He can be invoked without a temple, as a personal patron god, or at the temples of other gods such as Sin. Temple-sharing is common among the Mesopotamian Gods.
Utu is often featured in seals of the Sargon conquest period (24th - 22nd century BCE). By the 2nd century BCE he's depicted seated on a throne in front of worshippers.
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His image is engraved on the c. 1755 Code of Hammurabi. The famous black marble stele issues policies for law and punishment as well as standardized medicine.
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