Athtar
Sabaean · deity · mythic · Recorded classification
Pan-South-Arabian Venus-god of rain and irrigation, third of the astral triad; avenger 'Eastern One' (Shariqan) who once headed the pantheon.
Domains
- the stars
- fresh water
- war and vengeance
Powers
- Bring natural irrigation through thunderstorm rain
- Avenge worshippers against enemies as the Eastern One
Epithets
- the Venus-star The masculine morning-star god; the most widespread deity of ancient South Arabia, giver of waterAncient South Arabian (Sabaean/Minaean/Qatabanian) inscriptions (primary)
- Shariqan the Eastern One (the avenger)Robin, 'Le pantheon des Arabes du Sud' (secondary)
Relations
- equated with: AthtartSouth Arabian Athtar and Ugaritic Athtart are cognates of common Semitic *ʿAṯtar- with flipped gender: the southern Venus-deity is male, a rain-and-irrigation avenger, not a goddess of love and war.DDD (2nd ed. 1999), s.v. 'Astarte'; J. Ryckmans, 'The Old South Arabian Religion', in Yemen: 3000 Years of Art and Civilisation (1988) (secondary)
Sources
- existence: Sabaean and Qatabanian inscriptions; god-lists (Athtar, Almaqah, Shams) (primary); Britannica, Arabian religion (secondary)