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Pabilsaĝ

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Pabilsaĝ
Warrior god, divine cadastral official
Other namesLugal-Isin, Erimabinutuku
Major cult centerLarak,Isin
Weaponbow
Symbolthe constellationSagittarius
Genealogy
ParentsEnliland Nintur[a]
SpouseNinisina
ChildrenDamu,Gunura,Šumaḫ[1]

Pabilsaĝ(Sumerian:𒀭𒉺𒉈𒊕/pabilsaŋ/; alsoromanizedasPabilsag[3]) was aMesopotamian god.Not much is known about his role in Mesopotamian religion, though it is known that he could be regarded as a bow-armed warrior deity, as a divinecadastralofficer or a judge. He might have also been linked to healing, though this remains disputed. In his astral aspect, first attested in theOld Babylonian period,he was a divine representation of theconstellationSagittarius.

A spousal relationship between Pabilsaĝ and the medicine goddessNinisinais well attested. It is presumed he was implicitly regarded as the father of her children,Damu,Gunura,Šumaḫ. Sometimes he is instead attested alongside other medicine goddesses, such asGulaorNinkarrak,though not necessarily in the role of a spouse. He was also closely associated withNinurta,and possibly through syncretism with him came to be viewed as a son ofEnlil.

Larak,a lost city possibly located nearIsin,was the main cult center of Pabilsaĝ. He was also worshiped inIsin,NippurandLagash.Additional attestations come fromUr,Umma,Sippar,Babylon,AssurandKurba'il[pl].However, he was overall a minor deity, and was not venerated all acrossMesopotamia.

Name

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A number of differentcuneiformwritings of Pabilsaĝ's name are known.[4]Two are already attested in theEarly Dynastic period,dGIŠ.BIL.PAP-saganddBIL.PAP-sag.[5]Itsetymologyremains unclear, and past proposals, such as "arrow shooter" (fromSumeriansìg-gi9-sag), "the elder (is) the leader" (per analogy between /pabil/ andpa-bíl-ga,"paternal uncle" or "paternal grandfather" ) and "presbiter", found no widespread acceptance and generally are regarded as implausible.[6]

Due to Pabilsaĝ's role as the spouse of Ninisina it is presumed that he might have been designated by the similar masculinetheonymLugal-Isin.[7]

According toWilfred G. Lambert,it is possible that in theOld Babylonian periodPabilsaĝ could be also referred to as Erimabinutuku.[8]A god bearing this name is appointed as the deity ofIsinin a passage from the mythEnmešarra's Defeatdealing with the assignment of cities to individual members of theMesopotamian pantheon.[9]This text is known from only one copy, which dates to theSeleucidofParthianperiod,[10]but it cannot be ascertained yet when it was originally composed.[11]Erimabinutuku is otherwise unknown, with the exception of texts which appear to present this theonym as the name of a divine weapon belonging toNinurta,and Lambert states that while it is plausible that it originally was the weapon of Pabilsaĝ instead, it is difficult to explain how its name instead came to designate its owner.[8]

A shortened writing of Pabilsaĝ's name,dPA, is attested in god lists.[12]With a different determinative,mulPA, it could be used to refer to his astral aspect.[6]

Character and iconography

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The constellationSagittarius,identified with Pabilsaĝ inMesopotamian astronomy.

Pabilsaĝ's original character is difficult to ascertain, as it is uncertain which of his attested aspects constitute his original nature, which were acquired due tosyncretismwithNinurta,and which are related to his marriage toNinisina.[13][3]As already attested in the Early Dynastic period, he could be perceived as a warrior god.[14]His weapon was a bow.[6]

Manfred Krebernik[de]argues that much like his wife, Pabilsaĝ was in part a deity associated with medicine.[13]However, Irene Sibbing-Plantholt argues that he did not possess healing qualities himself,[15]with the only possible exception being an unusualOld Babyloniantext, PBS 10/213, whose translation is uncertain and which might equate him withDamurather than ascribe such character directly to him.[16]

It is additionally assumed that Pabilsaĝ was a judge deity, as in association with the Erabriritemplehe was referred to as "lord high judge", and it is possible he was sometimes associated with the prison goddessManungalin his judiciary role.[17]Cadastral functions are attested both for him and his wife Ninisina, referred to as "cadastral director ofAn"on occasion.[18]

Same sources appear to point at an association between Pabilsaĝ and theunderworldas well.[13]In the incantation seriesUdug Hulhe is addressed as its "administrator", and he is accompanied by deities well known for their connection to the world of the dead, such asNingishzida,HušbišagandBidu.[19]It has been proposed that this aspect of his character reflected a connection to either Manungal[13]or Meslamtaea (Nergal).[3]

As first documented in Old Babylonian texts fromKishandNippur,Pabilsaĝ also had an astral aspect.[2]He represented aconstellationcorresponding to modernSagittariusinMesopotamian astronomy.[20]It has been pointed out that constellations representing closely related Gula (She-goat, modern Lyra) and Damu (Pig, variously interpreted as modern Delphinus, Vulpecula or part of Draco), are often listed alongside it.[21]

In art Pabilsaĝ was depicted as azazzaku,a type of official, identified by Manfred Krebernik as acadastralofficer, but it is also possible that based on the similarity of a figure sometimes depicted onkudurru(inscribed boundary stones) with the representation of Sagittarius in theDendera Zodiac,it can be assumed that in later times in his astral aspect he could be represented as acentaur-like archer with a horse's body and a scorpion's tail.[18]

Associations with other deities

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Parentage

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Pabilsaĝ 's parents wereEnlil,the head of the pantheon, and Nintur, in this context to be identified as the wife of the former,Ninlil.[2]AnEarly Dynasticriddle fromLagashcalls him the "hero of Enlil" (ur-sagden-líl-lá).[5]However, this epithet does not necessarily designate him as his son, and the evidence for a parental relation first appears in sources from theOld Babylonian period.[22]

Azi-hé-pàformula from the Old Babylonian period calls Pabilsaĝ a son ofAnuinstead.[19]However, this attestation is isolated and it is not certain if it reflects a fully separate distinct tradition.[22]

Pabilsaĝ and Ninisina

[edit]

A connection between Pabilsaĝ and the circle of Mesopotamian healing deities is well attested.[15]He was regarded as the husband ofNinisina.[23]They are one of the multiple examples of Mesopotamian divine couples consisting of a medicine goddess and a warrior god.[23]As noted by John Z. Wee, he "often seems overshadowed by his spouse" in Mesopotamian texts.[21]Cities in which they were worshiped as a couple includeIsin,LarakandLagash.[24]They are attested together in offering lists, literary compositions and other sources from theUr III periodonward.[2]They came to be regarded as spouses no later than at this time, though it has been noted Pabilsaĝ is already attested in Ninisina's cult center, Isin, in the Early Dynastic andOld Akkadianperiods.[25]As attested in records from the ninth year ofAmar-Sin's reign, a festival connected to Pabilsaĝ and his cult center Larak involved the travel of Ninisina to this city by boat.[18]There is also evidence that Ninisina could be called the "Lady of Erabriri", Erabriri being the ceremonial name of a temple dedicated to Pabilsaĝ.[26]

It is possible that originally in Larak Pabilsaĝ's spouse was instead Gašan-ašte.[27]This goddess, whose name can be translated as "throne lady", occurs only inEmesallaments, and the hypothetical standard Sumerian ( "Emegir" ) form Nin-ašte is not attested.[28]She presumably at some point came to be equated with Ninisina.[13][27]Irene Sibbing-Plantholt proposes that this process reflected an attempt at providing Ninisina with a husband representing a city which traditionally held ideological significance, and that she might have completely absorbed Pabilsaĝ's previous spouse after Larak lost political relevance.[25]

Despite the connection between Pabilsaĝ and Ninisina, no known texts directly address him as the father of her children,DamuandGunura.[25]It is nonetheless presumed that he was implicitly understood as the father of both of them as well as of another minor god similarly associated with Ninisina, Šumaḫ.[2]A document fromPuzrish-DaganfromIbbi-Sin’s reign attests that offerings were provided in Isin for Pabilsaĝ and his family: Ninisina, Gunura, Damu and Šumaḫ.[26]

Pabilsaĝ and other healing goddesses

[edit]

Pabilsaĝ could alternatively be regarded as the husband of other healing goddesses.[29]A small number of sources from Old BabylonianMariconnectNinkarrak,usually paired withIšḫarainstead in local tradition, with him, which might depend on a preexisting connection between Ninisina and this goddess.[30]Two contemporary seals, one fromTell Harmaland one of unknown provenance, pair them together as well.[29]Ninkarrak is also addressed as his wife inBulluṭsa-rabi'shymn to Gula.[31]

While an apparent association between Pabilsaĝ andGulais present in offering lists from Old Babylonian Nippur, according to Irene Sibbing-Plantholt they were not regarded as spouses in this context,[15]though she does accept the possibility that their juxtaposition did reflect the close association between Gula and Ninisina.[32]It is possible that in the local tradition of Nippur Pabilsaĝ s spouse was the sparsely attested deity Enanun, who came to be represented as a healing goddess in sources from the first millennium BCE.[15]However, Gula is identified as his spouse in the god listAn = Anum(tablet V, line 125).[29]They were also associated with each other inAssyriansources fromAssurandKurba'il[pl](for example the so-calledtākulturitual) and inBabylon.[26]

Pabilsaĝ is paired withNintinuggain an Old Babylonian incantation in which multiple divine couples are asked to judge the patient, with the other deities mentioned includingTishpakandUkulla,ZababaandBau,NinurtaandNinnibruandNingishzidaandAzimua.[33]Elsewhere her spouse was Endaga.[34]Manfred Krebernik argues that this god might have been viewed as ahypostasisof Pabilsaĝ.[12]

Pabilsaĝ and Ninurta

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Pabilsaĝ was partially syncretised withNinurta,as attested inlexical listssuch as the Nippur god list and the lateSultantepegod list.[12]This process most likely began in theOld Babylonian period.[2]An early instance of the identification between them is attested in aširnamšubcomposition dedicated to Ninurta originally composed during the reign of theFirst Dynasty of Isin.[35]In some cases, Pabilsaĝ was by extension also identified withNingirsu.[22][b]Thesyncretismbetween these three gods was enabled by their shared warlike character.[36]Joan Goodnick Westenholzpointed out that interchange of traits between certain deities was also likely facilitated by the existence of multiple couples consisting of a warrior god and a healing goddess, citing Pabilsaĝ and Ninisina, Ningirsu and Bau and Ninurta and Ninnibru as examples.[23]Manuel Ceccarelli argues that the syncretism had a political dimension, as by identifying Pabilsaĝ with Ninurta the rulers of Isin could elevate the position of Ninisina and directly connect her to the family of the head of the pantheon,Enlil,by making her his daughter-in-law due to Pabilsaĝ becoming his son like Ninurta.[37]He points out inserting various deities into the family tree for political reasons would have a plausible precedent in the development of the traditions presenting Ningirsu andNannaas Enlil's sons respectively during the reign ofGudeaand theThird Dynasty of Ur.[38]

In the epic of Anzû, Pabilsag is said to be the name of Ninurta applied to him in the Egalmaḫ,[39]according toAndrew R. Georgeto be understood as thetempleof Ninisina in Isin rather than any of the other houses of worship bearing the same ceremonial name.[40]This passage assigns a total of eighteen names to Ninurta in order to syncretize him with other originally separate figures.[41]Pabilsaĝ is also mentioned inBulluṭsa-rabi'shymn to Gula,in which the spouse of this goddess is similarly identified with a number of other gods.[42]

In the later text KAR 142, Pabilsaĝ is listed as a member of a group addressed as the "seven Ninurtas".[35]Its other six members are given as Ninurta himself,Urash,Zababa,Nabu,NergalanddDI.KUD.[12]

Worship

[edit]

Pabilsaĝ already appears inEarly Dynasticgod lists fromFaraandAbu Salabikh.[14]However, he was a minor god, and in contrast with deities such asEnlilorNinurtahe was not worshiped all acrossMesopotamia.[43]It is presumed that he originated in the city ofLarak,[25]whose tutelary deity he was.[44]This settlement only rarely appears in textual sources, and its location remains unknown.[25]It is possible that it was located close toIsin;identification withTell al-Wilayahhas been proposed too but was not conclusively proved.[45]FromUr IIItoMiddle Babyloniantimes Larak appears exclusively inlexical lists,literary texts andtheophoric names,and while a city bearing the same name does appear inNeo-Assyrianhistorical records it is not certain if it can be identified with the earlier cult center of Pabilsaĝ.[18]

In Isin, his other cult center,[43]Pabilsaĝ was worshiped as early as in theOld Akkadian period.[25]His temple in this city was likely known under the ceremonialSumerianname Erabriri,[26][c]"house of the shackle which holds in check".[47]He was also venerated in the temple of his wife Ninisina, Egalmaḫ,[26]"exalted palace".[40]Both of these houses of worship commonly appear side by side in laments.[48]One of the city gates of Isin was also named after him.[26]

It has been argued that the worship of Pabilsaĝ was important in the state ofLagashas well.[24]However, in the Early Dynastic period he is only attested there in an early literary text, a compilation of riddles, and in the theophoric name Ur-Pabilsaĝ.[5]Douglas Frayne notes that based on the former it is possible to speculate that he was the main deity of a hitherto unidentified settlement in Lagashite territory.[49]In the Ur III period he was worshiped in this area in the city of Urub, and in offering lists often appears alongside his wife Ninisina.[18]

A further city in which Pabilsaĝ was worshiped wasNippur.[43]He is already mentioned in sources from the Old Akkadian and Ur III periods, in the latter case appearing alongside Ninisina in offering lists.[26]In similar Old Babylonian texts, he was grouped withDumuziandGula.[15]Gudu4priests in his service are mentioned in texts from this period as well.[26]

Evidence for the worship of Pabilsaĝ inUralso exists.[28]Thesealof anereš-dingirpriestess of Pabilsaĝ, a certain Gan-kuĝ-sig, has been discovered in the Early Dynasticroyal tombs of Ur,and it is possible that she belonged to the city's royal family.[50]Additionally, a fragment of a bowl inscribed with the name of the kingUr-Pabilsaĝhas been found in the same city.[51]Douglas Frayne suggests that he might have been Gan-kuĝ-sig's son, relying on the possible identification of two tombs (PG 779 and PG 777) located close to the findspot of her seal (PG 580) as belonging to, respectively, Ur-Pabilsaĝ and his wife, but admits the proposal is ultimately conjectural.[50]It is not certain if Ur-Pabilsaĝ was a native ruler of Ur in the first place, and his reign cannot be dated conclusively.[52]A different individual bearing the name Ur-Pabilsaĝ is attested from a text from Ur from the Ur III period as well.[28]

An Early Dynastic inscription of E-abzu, a ruler ofUmma,might mention Pabilsaĝ, but the restoration of the theonym is uncertain.[53]Texts from the same city from the reigns ofShulgiandAmar-Sinmention grain offerings made to him there by hisgudu4priests.[28]The theophoric name Ur-Pabilsaĝ is attested in Umma too.[26]

A text fromMariidentified as a draft of an inscription for astelecommemorating a victory ofZimri-Limmentions Pabilsaĝ.[30]A single Old Babylonian seal inscription from Sippar mentions Pabilsaĝ alongside Gula.[54]

InBabylon,a shrine dedicated to Pabilsaĝ existed in the temple ofMandanu.[48]

InAssyriaPabilsaĝ was worshiped inAssurandKurba'il[pl].[26]As an astral figure, he is well attested inNeo-Assyrianomen compendiums.[2]

Mythology

[edit]

In the compositionNinisina and the gods(Nin-Isina Fin theETCSLnaming system), Pabilsaĝ is addressed as the "beloved spouse" of the eponymous goddess, who "spent time joyously with him".[24]

In a fragmentarySumerian flood mythdated to the lateOld Babylonian periodat the earliest[28]and presumed to reflect the tradition also documented inAtrahasisand in theflood mythwhich formed a part of theEpic of Gilgamesh,[55]the assignment ofLarakto Pabilsaĝ is mentioned in an early section of the narrative which describes the assignment of five cities, the other four beingEridu,Sippar,Bad-tibiraandShuruppak,to their corresponding tutelary deities.[56]The god responsible for this is stated to beEnlil.[28]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^In this context to be identified withNinlil[2]
  2. ^Ningirsu and Ninurta were distinct deities before theOld Akkadian period,but became virtually interchangeable later on, as attested for example by the alternation between the two names in different versions ofLugal-eor the epic ofAnzû.[35]
  3. ^Not to be confused with identically named temples ofEnnugiinNippurandMandanuinBabylon.[46]

References

[edit]
  1. ^Wagensonner 2008,p. 279.
  2. ^abcdefgKrebernik 2005,p. 163.
  3. ^abcBrisch 2013.
  4. ^Krebernik 2005,pp. 160–161.
  5. ^abcSelz 1995,p. 272.
  6. ^abcKrebernik 2005,p. 161.
  7. ^Sibbing-Plantholt 2022,p. 62.
  8. ^abLambert 2013,p. 494.
  9. ^Lambert 2013,p. 294.
  10. ^Lambert 2013,p. 281.
  11. ^Lambert 2013,p. 289.
  12. ^abcdKrebernik 2005,p. 162.
  13. ^abcdeKrebernik 2005,p. 167.
  14. ^abCeccarelli 2009,p. 39.
  15. ^abcdeSibbing-Plantholt 2022,p. 52.
  16. ^Sibbing-Plantholt 2022,p. 125.
  17. ^Krebernik 2005,pp. 166–167.
  18. ^abcdeKrebernik 2005,p. 164.
  19. ^abGeller 2015,p. 188.
  20. ^Wee 2016,p. 135.
  21. ^abWee 2016,p. 144.
  22. ^abcCeccarelli 2009,p. 40.
  23. ^abcAsher-Greve & Westenholz 2013,p. 38.
  24. ^abcAsher-Greve & Westenholz 2013,p. 86.
  25. ^abcdefSibbing-Plantholt 2022,p. 124.
  26. ^abcdefghijKrebernik 2005,p. 166.
  27. ^abSibbing-Plantholt 2022,p. 55.
  28. ^abcdefKrebernik 2005,p. 165.
  29. ^abcWestenholz 2010,p. 383.
  30. ^abSibbing-Plantholt 2022,p. 117.
  31. ^Westenholz 2010,p. 382.
  32. ^Sibbing-Plantholt 2022,pp. 54–55.
  33. ^Sibbing-Plantholt 2022,p. 60.
  34. ^Sibbing-Plantholt 2022,p. 151.
  35. ^abcWisnom 2020,p. 43.
  36. ^Ceccarelli 2009,p. 41.
  37. ^Ceccarelli 2009,p. 44.
  38. ^Ceccarelli 2009,p. 46.
  39. ^Foster 2005,p. 576.
  40. ^abGeorge 1993,p. 88.
  41. ^Wisnom 2020,p. 42.
  42. ^Wisnom 2020,p. 45.
  43. ^abcWisnom 2020,p. 50.
  44. ^Krebernik 2005,p. 160.
  45. ^Edzard 1983,p. 494.
  46. ^George 1992,pp. 304–305.
  47. ^George 1993,p. 136.
  48. ^abGeorge 1992,p. 304.
  49. ^Frayne 2009,pp. 381–382.
  50. ^abFrayne 2009,p. 383.
  51. ^Frayne 2009,p. 377.
  52. ^Frayne 2009,pp. 377–378.
  53. ^Frayne 2009,p. 365.
  54. ^Asher-Greve & Westenholz 2013,p. 257.
  55. ^Black 2006,p. 212.
  56. ^Black 2006,p. 213.

Bibliography

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  • Ceccarelli, Manuel (2009)."Einige Bemerkungen zum Synkretismus BaU/Ninisina".In Negri Scafa, Paola; Viaggio, Salvatore (eds.).Dallo Stirone al Tigri, dal Tevere all'Eufrate: studi in onore di Claudio Saporetti(in German). Roma: Aracne.ISBN978-88-548-2411-9.OCLC365061350.
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  • Wagensonner, Klaus (2008)."Nin-Isina(k)s Journey to Nippur. A bilingual divine journey revisited".Wiener Zeitschrift für die Kunde des Morgenlandes.98.Department of Oriental Studies, University of Vienna: 277–294.ISSN0084-0076.JSTOR23861637.Retrieved2022-02-10.
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