Saĝkud
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| Saĝkud | |
|---|---|
Divine tax collector | |
| Major cult center | Der, Bubê |
| Genealogy | |
| Spouse | Ninpamulesi |
Saĝkud was a Mesopotamian god who might have been regarded as a divine tax collector or as a warrior deity. He belonged to the court of Anu, though an association between him and Ninurta is also attested. He is first attested in the Early Dynastic period, and appears in a variety of theophoric names from sites such as Lagash and later on Sippar. In the first millennium BCE he was worshiped in Der and Bubê. In the past it was assumed that skwt ("Sakkuth") mentioned in the Book of Amos might be the same deity, but this conclusion is no longer universally accepted.
The correct reading of the theonym written in cuneiform as dSaĝ-kud has been established based on syllabic spellings such as sag-gu-ud and sa-ak-ku-ud in sources postdating the earliest Early Dynastic attestations.[1][2] Romanizations such as Sakkud[3] and Sakkut can also be found in contemporary scholarly literature.[4] It is possible that the name can be explained as "he who collects first" or "he who collects best".[1] Other translations include "tax collector"[5] or terms such as "shark" (in the metaphorical sense), "cutthroat",[4] "head chopper".[2][6] Gebhard J. Selz considers him one of the deities who should be understood as divine representations of specific professions, in this case specifically that of a tax collector.[5] Ryan D. Winters suggest he functioned as a warrior god.[6]
A seal from the Old Babylonian period describes Saĝkud as "foremost in heaven and earth, wrapped in divine splendour" (pa4 gal an-ki-a ní me-lám gú è-a).[7] He might have been understood as an astral deity.[8] However, the old theory that he was associated with the planet Saturn is no longer accepted today, as it relied on a faulty reading of an enumeration of deities in Šurpu.[9] Identification as a divine representation of Sirius has been suggested based on association between him and Ninurta, but it remains speculative.[6] A text describing him as the resident of a swamp is also known.[4] According to Manfred Krebernik most of the other figures mentioned in it are likely asakku demons.[7]
A text presumably pertaining to rites of the āšipu states that two types of stones used in magical rituals, pappardilû and engiša, were associated with Saĝkud.[10]
Associations with other deities
Manfred Krebernik suggests that the goddess Gula, who appears after Saĝkud in the Early Dynastic god list from Abu Salabikh, might have been viewed as his wife.[2] She is to be distinguished from the homophonous medicine goddess Gula, and usually it is assumed that her spouse was the god Abu.[11] According to the god list An = Anum, the goddess Ninpamulesi was regarded as Saĝkud's wife.[7] Her name can be explained as "the lady who sparkles red in the Pleiades".[12] An alternate proposal is that the element pa-mul might refer to tree branches.[6]
It is presumed that Saĝkud belonged to the court of Anu.[13] An = Anum refers to him as zabar-dab-an-na-ke, "zabbardabbû official of Anu" or "zabbardabbû official of heaven".[1] Krebernik argues this title can be explained as "chamberlain" or "cupbearer".[14] However, Ryan D. Winters points out that based on its literal meaning, "keeper of bronze", possibly implicitly "keeper of bronze weapons", this position might have had a military character, which would match Saĝkud's proposed role as a warrior god.[6]
An association between Saĝkud and Ninurta is also attested.[13] However, only a single text directly equates them with each other.[7] The Weidner god list places him between two related deities, Ningirsu and Pisangunug.[13] Two late copies of this text equate him with the god Etallak, in this context explained as a divine jailer.[7]
According to Gebhard J. Selz, the deity dLugal-kud-da known from Early Dynastic Zame Hymns might be related to Saĝkud.[1]