Weapons of the Storm God in Ancient Near Eastern and Biblical Traditions

Authors

• Joanna Töyräänvuori

Abstract

References to divine weapons are found in several mythological texts from the ancient Near East. The most significant of such weapons are the weapons of the storm god, featured famously in the textual traditions of the Chaoskampf mythos and examples of which are found in the Babylonian Enuma Elish and the Ugaritic Baal-Cycle. The weapons of the storm god are also a staple of ancient Near Eastern iconography. In addition, actual “divine weapons” have been discovered in archaeological excavations. Divine weapons were housed in temples and used for specific functions, such as witnessing oaths and rendering judgements. The city of Aleppo was the most prominent cult centre for the storm god in the ancient Near East, and the weapons of the storm god of Aleppo were regarded as the most important divine weapons. The existence of these weapons is seen not only in reliefs in the Aleppo temple, but also in letters sent to King Zimri-Lim of Mari in the Old Babylonian period. It may also be possible to find references to the weapons in the texts of the Old Testament.