Shams, also called or ''Shamsum'' or ''Dhat-Ba' dhanum'', is a
sun goddess of
Arabian mythology
Religion in pre-Islamic Arabia included indigenous Arabian polytheism, ancient Semitic religions, Christianity, Judaism, Mandaeism, and Iranian religions such as Zoroastrianism, and Manichaeism, and rarely Buddhism.
Arabian polytheism, the ...
. She was the patron goddess of the
Himyarite Kingdom
The Himyarite Kingdom ( ar, مملكة حِمْيَر, Mamlakat Ḥimyar, he, ממלכת חִמְיָר), or Himyar ( ar, حِمْيَر, ''Ḥimyar'', / 𐩹𐩧𐩺𐩵𐩬) (fl. 110 BCE–520s CE), historically referred to as the Homerit ...
. Her name meant 'shining', 'Sun', or 'brilliant'. She was the South Arabian equivalent of the North Arabian sun goddess
Nuha.
Prior to Islam, religion on the Arabian Peninsula focused on local gods, with every tribe and kingdom having their particular protective deities. However, there were also gods common for all Arabs, and the
trinity
The Christian doctrine of the Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the central dogma concerning the nature of God in most Christian churches, which defines one God existing in three coequal, coeternal, consubstantial divine persons: God th ...
of gods representing the Sun, the Moon and the planet
Venus
Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is sometimes called Earth's "sister" or "twin" planet as it is almost as large and has a similar composition. As an interior planet to Earth, Venus (like Mercury) appears in Earth's sky never f ...
seem to have been worshipped throughout Arabia, though their names, gender and worship differed between regions. Thus, Nuha was the name of the sun goddess in Northern Arabia, while the name of the sun goddess in Southern Arabia was Shams.
As Nuha, Shams was also worshipped in a trinity alongside the male gods of the Moon and Venus. In
Saba'
The Sabaeans or Sabeans (Sabaean:, ; ar, ٱلسَّبَئِيُّوْن, ''as-Sabaʾiyyūn''; he, סְבָאִים, Səḇāʾīm) were an ancient group of South Arabians. They spoke the Sabaean language, one of the Old South Arabian languag ...
, the sun goddess Shams was worshipped with the god of the planet Venus,
Athtar, and
Almaqah
Almaqah or Almuqh ( xsa, 𐩱𐩡𐩣𐩤𐩠; ar, المقه; gez, አልመቀህ) was the Moon god of the ancient Yemeni kingdom of Saba'. He was also worshipped in the kingdom of Dʿmt, which later became the kingdom of Aksum in Ethiopia ...
, the god of the Moon. In
Hadhramaut
Hadhramaut ( ar, حَضْرَمَوْتُ \ حَضْرَمُوتُ, Ḥaḍramawt / Ḥaḍramūt; Hadramautic: 𐩢𐩳𐩧𐩣𐩩, ''Ḥḍrmt'') is a region in South Arabia, comprising eastern Yemen, parts of western Oman and southern Saud ...
, Shams was worshipped with Athtar and the moon god
Syn. Shams was described as the spouse of Athtar. She was given votive offerings in the shape of horses.
In Mesopotamia, Athtar was identified with the goddess
Ishtar
Inanna, also sux, 𒀭𒊩𒌆𒀭𒈾, nin-an-na, label=none is an ancient Mesopotamian goddess of love, war, and fertility. She is also associated with beauty, sex, divine justice, and political power. She was originally worshiped in Su ...
, and Shams with the sun god
Shamash
Utu (dUD " Sun"), also known under the Akkadian name Shamash, ''šmš'', syc, ܫܡܫܐ ''šemša'', he, שֶׁמֶשׁ ''šemeš'', ar, شمس ''šams'', Ashurian Aramaic: 𐣴𐣬𐣴 ''š'meš(ā)'' was the ancient Mesopotamian sun god ...
.
According to Peter Stein, the "Hymn of Qaniya" is dedicated to this goddess.
[Stein, Peter. "Literacy In Pre-Islamic Arabia: An Analysis Of The Epigraphic Evidence". In: ''The Qurʾan in Context''. Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill, 2009. p. 268. doi: https://doi-org.wikipedialibrary.idm.oclc.org/10.1163/ej.9789004176881.i-864.58]
Gallery
File:South Arabian - Stele with a Female Bust - Walters 2173.jpg, Sculpture of a Sabaean Sabean or Sabaean may refer to:
*Sabaeans, ancient people in South Arabia
**Sabaean language, Old South Arabian language
*Sabians, name of a religious group mentioned in the Quran, historically adopted by:
**Mandaeans, Gnostic sect from the marshl ...
priestess raising her hand to intercede with the sun goddess on behalf of a donor. Probably first century.
See also
*
List of solar deities
A solar deity is a deity who represents the Sun, or an aspect of it, usually by its perceived power and strength. Solar deities and Sun worship can be found throughout most of recorded history in various forms. The following is a list of solar de ...
*
Utu, also known as Shamash
References
Bibliography
''Encyclopedia of World Religions'' Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc., 2006
* Yoel Natan,
Moon-o-theism, Volume I of II'
* ''Tenri Journal of Religion'', Tenri University Press, 1975
Arabian goddesses
Solar goddesses
Himyarite Kingdom
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