Utu-Shamash: Sumerian God of the Sun and Justice

Q: Who is Utu-Shamash?

Utu-Shamash is the Sumerian god of the sun and of divine justice.

Q: When was Utu-Shamash worshipped?

Utu-Shamash was worshipped throughout Mesopotamia from before c. 3500 BCE until after c. 100 BCE.

Q: When is Utu-Shamash first referenced in writing?

Utu-Shamash is first referenced in written form circa 3500 BCE; his literary hymns date from 2600 BCE.

Q: What are Utu-Shamash's main attributes?

Utu-Shamash is depicted as kind, caring, and helpful, but, as arbiter of divine justice, he can also be wrathful. As the personification of the sun, he was believed to be able to see anything and go anywhere, and so, in some references, he was a comforter of the souls of the dead in the underworld.

Joshua J. Mark

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Definition

Utu-Shamash (also known as Babbar, Samas, Shamash, and Utu) is the Sumerian god of the sun and divine justice. He is the son of the moon god Nanna and the fertility goddess Ningal in the Sumerian tradition, but he was known as Shamash (Samas) to the Akkadians, who claimed Anu or Enlil as his father.

More about: Utu-Shamash

Timeline

c. 3500 BCE
Utu the moon god first mentioned in Sumerian writing.
c. 2600 BCE
First literary hymns composed to Utu using the name Shamash.
1792 BCE - 1750 BCE
Reign of Hammurabi of Babylon who credits Shamash with his famous law code.
c. 912 BCE - 612 BCE
Utu/Shamash worshiped throughout Neo-Assyrian Empire, represented as solar disc with wings.
c. 100 BCE
Utu/Shamash mentioned less frequently as cuneiform writing is replaced by the alphabet.