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- Mesopotamians described her in her many myths and poems as young and strikingly beautiful, with piercing, penetrating eyes. In various stories ancient writers describe her as the ultimate power dresser, who applies make-up, jewelry and the most expensive clothing to enhance her appearance before making a public appearance.
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Ishtar, in Mesopotamian religion, goddess of war and sexual love. Ishtar’s primary legacy from the Sumerian tradition is the role of fertility figure; she evolved, however, into a more complex character, surrounded in myth by death and disaster, a goddess of contradictory connotations and forces.
- Mesopotamian Religion
Mesopotamian religion, beliefs and practices of the...
- Sin
Sin, in Mesopotamian religion, the god of the moon.Sin was...
- Mesopotamian Religion
- Importance
- Sources
- The Epic of Gilgamesh
- Ishtar's Descent to The Netherworld
- Other Myths
- Representation in Art
- Kingship & Legacy
- Love & Social Connections
Evidence for Ishtar comes from Mesopotamia, an area of the Ancient Near East generally considered to be placed geographically between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Although there is much debate about Mesopotamia's exact territorial extent, it is considered to roughly correspond with modern-day Iraq, Kuwait and parts of Syria, Iran, and Turkey. M...
Inanna/Ishtar is frequently presented anthropomorphically in myths. In Sumerian love poetry, she is depicted as a young woman who lives at home with her mother, Ningal, and her father, Nanna (the Mesopotamian moon god, Sin). Her twin brother is Utu (Semitic Shamash), the solar deity, who is connected to the concept of justice. Ishtar herself is als...
The Epic of Gilgamesh is one of the world's earliest known works of epic literature, surviving in numerous versions. The story tells of the journey of the young hero Gilgamesh, semi-divine king of the city of Uruk. In the Standard Babylonian Version of the Epic of Gilgamesh, Ishtar appears most prominently in Tablet VI. Here, Gilgamesh is described...
Ishtar and her shepherd husband, Tammuz (Sumerian Inanna and Dumuzi), are the divine protagonists of one of the world's oldest known love stories. Despite having an intimate and loving relationship in Sumerian poetry, the romance does not end in lasting happiness for the pair. Once Ishtar and Tammuz have united, they are soon separated by disloyalt...
Beyond the Descent myth and Gilgamesh lies a wealth of further textual evidence for the deity. Inanna/Ishtar appears in royal hymns, several myths, prophetic texts, magic spells, and even proverbs. The earliest poems to Inanna/Ishtar were written by Enheduanna, the world's first known author to be individually identified. Enheduanna (circa 2300 BCE...
In artistic works, the imagery of the goddess is a dominant motif of gravegoods, and she appears alongside kings in royal iconography. Barrett has convincingly argued that the famous Burney Relief, with its depiction of the nude, winged goddess, represents an “underworld form” of Ishtar. Several features of the Relief indicate that the goddess is b...
Ishtar had a special relationship with the human rulers of Mesopotamia. In her association with Mesopotamian kings, Ishtar/Inanna is represented as spouse, lover, sister, and mother—sometimes all within a single composition. Although her role shows flexibility, the textual evidence is thematically linked through an emphasis on the goddess' physical...
Ishtar, the world's first known goddess of love, is connected to many forms of emotional intimacy. While this association certainly includes sexual love, it encompasses a variety of other types of loving bonds. The goddess has caring relationships with her divine family, and her maidservant, Ninshubur. Love connected the goddess to the historical M...
- Louise Pryke
May 12, 2024 · Ishtar, with her multifaceted nature, is depicted in various forms across Mesopotamian art and literature. Her most recognizable symbol is the eight-pointed star, representing the planet Venus and its association with the goddess. This star often appears on cylinder seals, amulets, and other artifacts associated with Ishtar.
Jan 1, 2022 · Goddess Ishtar is repeatedly described in Mesopotamian myths as a deity who has “all the great divine powers” and who deserves her holy throne. She is often portrayed as a fierce goddess who rode into battle on seven giant dogs (or possibly lions), and who even the most supreme Mesopotamian deities feared when she was on the warpath.
1 day ago · Major Temple Complexes Dedicated to Ishtar. Ishtar's cult was widespread throughout Mesopotamia, with major temple complexes dedicated to her in several cities. Some of the most notable include: Eanna in Uruk: This was the primary temple of Ishtar, renowned for its grandeur and lavish decorations. It featured a towering ziggurat known as the ...
Inana/Ištar remains in the upper crust of the Mesopotamian pantheon through the third, second and the first millennia. She is especially significant as a national Assyrian deity, particularly in the first millennium.
Inanna is the ancient Mesopotamian goddess of love, war, and fertility. She is also associated with sensuality, procreation, divine law, and political power. Originally worshipped in Sumer, she was known by the Akkadian Empire, Babylonians, and Assyrians as Ishtar (and occasionally the logogram 𒌋𒁯).
