DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.807#0224
198
THE PALACE OF MINOS, ETC.
Mother
Goddess,
Ishtar,
the inter-
ceder.
The A mo-
rite God.
Chrono-
logical
conclu-
sions.
is of special importance, since its place in Babylonian art is now fairly
ascertained. The female figure dressed in the kouWk^s, consisting of zones
of striped folds, is Ishtar, as the equivalent of the Sumerian Mother Goddess
Innini, and who first appears in this praying attitude in the Dynasty of Ur
(c. 2474-2357).1 She mediates for humanity with all the Gods,2 and is
found on seals interceding to various deities on behalf of their owners. But
the male divinity, here saluted by the Goddess, is of later introduction on
the seals. This God with the short garment reaching to the knees, who
holds a mace to his side, is entirely foreign to Sumer and Akkad, and, though
sporadically of somewhat earlier intrusion, first becomes frequent on seals in
the time of Hammurabi.3 He has been
identified with the Western Adad of the
Palestinian region, closely connected with
the Hebrew Jahveh. As Amurru, the
Amorite God, he naturally came to the
fore under the Amorite First Dynasty of
Babylonia, the beginnings of which have
been now astronomically fixed at 2225 B.C.4
The date of Hammurabi's accession has
on this basis been fixed at 2123 B.C.
The cylinder itself must be regarded
as an early example of its class, and its fresh
condition tends to show that it had not been Fig. 14(3. Babylonian Cylinder of
long in circulation. This evidence which Haematite: Platanos.
points to a date round about 2000 B.C. throws new chronological light on the
First Middle Minoan Period. The cylinder was associated with pottery of
the mature M. M. I a class 5 and thus approximately corresponds in date with
the foundation of the Knossian Palace. This result gains additional
1 Thureau-Dangin, La Chronologie de la
Dynasiie de Larsa {.Rev. d'Assyriologie, xv. i
(1918) ). Professor Sayce, to whom I owe much
information on this subject, prefers c. 2500 b.c.
for the beginning of this Dynasty.
5 See on this Dr. S. Langdon, Tammuz and
Ishtar (Oxford, 1914), pp. no, in, &c.
3 Hayes Ward, Seal Cylinders of Western
Asia, p. 176, observes that 'it is rare for this
figure to appear before the time of Hammurabi,
frequent as it is after that period. I do not
remember to have seen it on any case tablets
of the time of the kings of Ur and of Gudea.'
A good example of this God (otherwise
Ramman Martu), adored by Shala, is given,
op. a'L, p. 77, Fig. 207 ; cf., too, p. 178 seqq.,
Figs. 480, 481.
4 Kugler, Sternkunde und Sterndienst in
Babel (Miinster, 1912), IT. Theil, 1. Heft.
5 The pottery was examined for me in the
Candia Museum by Dr. Mackenzie. It repre-
sents the same mature M. M. I a phase as the
vases from the ossuary cells of Gournes
(J. Hatzidakis, 'Ap^- AeAr., 1918, p. 45 seqq.,
and PL 3).
THE PALACE OF MINOS, ETC.
Mother
Goddess,
Ishtar,
the inter-
ceder.
The A mo-
rite God.
Chrono-
logical
conclu-
sions.
is of special importance, since its place in Babylonian art is now fairly
ascertained. The female figure dressed in the kouWk^s, consisting of zones
of striped folds, is Ishtar, as the equivalent of the Sumerian Mother Goddess
Innini, and who first appears in this praying attitude in the Dynasty of Ur
(c. 2474-2357).1 She mediates for humanity with all the Gods,2 and is
found on seals interceding to various deities on behalf of their owners. But
the male divinity, here saluted by the Goddess, is of later introduction on
the seals. This God with the short garment reaching to the knees, who
holds a mace to his side, is entirely foreign to Sumer and Akkad, and, though
sporadically of somewhat earlier intrusion, first becomes frequent on seals in
the time of Hammurabi.3 He has been
identified with the Western Adad of the
Palestinian region, closely connected with
the Hebrew Jahveh. As Amurru, the
Amorite God, he naturally came to the
fore under the Amorite First Dynasty of
Babylonia, the beginnings of which have
been now astronomically fixed at 2225 B.C.4
The date of Hammurabi's accession has
on this basis been fixed at 2123 B.C.
The cylinder itself must be regarded
as an early example of its class, and its fresh
condition tends to show that it had not been Fig. 14(3. Babylonian Cylinder of
long in circulation. This evidence which Haematite: Platanos.
points to a date round about 2000 B.C. throws new chronological light on the
First Middle Minoan Period. The cylinder was associated with pottery of
the mature M. M. I a class 5 and thus approximately corresponds in date with
the foundation of the Knossian Palace. This result gains additional
1 Thureau-Dangin, La Chronologie de la
Dynasiie de Larsa {.Rev. d'Assyriologie, xv. i
(1918) ). Professor Sayce, to whom I owe much
information on this subject, prefers c. 2500 b.c.
for the beginning of this Dynasty.
5 See on this Dr. S. Langdon, Tammuz and
Ishtar (Oxford, 1914), pp. no, in, &c.
3 Hayes Ward, Seal Cylinders of Western
Asia, p. 176, observes that 'it is rare for this
figure to appear before the time of Hammurabi,
frequent as it is after that period. I do not
remember to have seen it on any case tablets
of the time of the kings of Ur and of Gudea.'
A good example of this God (otherwise
Ramman Martu), adored by Shala, is given,
op. a'L, p. 77, Fig. 207 ; cf., too, p. 178 seqq.,
Figs. 480, 481.
4 Kugler, Sternkunde und Sterndienst in
Babel (Miinster, 1912), IT. Theil, 1. Heft.
5 The pottery was examined for me in the
Candia Museum by Dr. Mackenzie. It repre-
sents the same mature M. M. I a phase as the
vases from the ossuary cells of Gournes
(J. Hatzidakis, 'Ap^- AeAr., 1918, p. 45 seqq.,
and PL 3).