Shams (deity)

Shams, also called or Shamsum or Dhat-Ba' dhanum, is a sun goddess of Arabian mythology. She was the patron goddess of the Himyarite Kingdom.[1] Her name meant 'shining', 'Sun', or 'brilliant'. She was the South Arabian equivalent of the North Arabian sun goddess Nuha.

Part of the myth series on
Religions of the
ancient Near East
Pre-Islamic Arabian deities
Arabian deities of other Semitic origins

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 of gods representing the Sun, the Moon and the planet Venus 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 sun goddess Shams was worshipped[2][3] with the god of the planet Venus, Athtar, and Almaqah, the god of the Moon. In Hadhramaut, Shams was worshipped with Athtar and the moon god Syn. Shams was described as the spouse of Athtar who is also known as 'Attar. 'Attar is a God of War and also a giver of water that is essential to life. The antelope is sacred to him and a symbol of his is the spear-point.[4] She was given votive offerings in the shape of horses.

In Mesopotamia, Athtar was identified with the goddess Ishtar, and Shams with the sun god Shamash.[5]

According to Peter Stein, the "Hymn of Qaniya" is dedicated to this goddess.[6]

  • Sculpture of a Sabaean priestess raising her hand to intercede with the sun goddess on behalf of a donor. Probably first century.
    Sculpture of a Sabaean priestess raising her hand to intercede with the sun goddess on behalf of a donor. Probably first century.

See also

References
  1. Encyclopedia of World Religions, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc., 2006
  2. Knapp, Bettina L. (1976). "The Kaliph Hakim and History as a Cyclical Happening". Nineteenth-Century French Studies. 5 (1/2): 79–93. JSTOR 44627449.
  3. Beeston, A. F. L. (1991). "Review of L'Arabie préislamique et son environment historique et culturel: Actes du Colloque de Strasbourg 24-27 juin, 1987". Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society. 1 (2): 266–273. doi:10.1017/S135618630000064X. JSTOR 25182330.
  4. {Lurker, Manfred (2015). A Dictionary of Gods and Goddesses, Devils and Demons. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-136-10628-6.
  5. "Chapter III. An Excavation of the Cave". A Place Between Two Places. 2017. pp. 107–192. doi:10.31826/9781463237097-005. ISBN 978-1-4632-3709-7.
  6. Stein, Peter (2009). "Literacy in Pre-Islamic Arabia: An Analysis of the Epigraphic Evidence". The Qurʾān in Context. pp. 255–280. doi:10.1163/ej.9789004176881.i-864.58. ISBN 978-90-474-3032-2.

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
  • Hoyland, Robert G. (2001). Arabia and the Arabs: From the Bronze Age to the Coming of Islam. Psychology Press. ISBN 978-0-415-19535-5.
  • Lurker, Manfred (2015). A Dictionary of Gods and Goddesses, Devils and Demons. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-136-10628-6.
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