Anshar: Information from Answers.com

For other uses, see Ashur (disambiguation).

Fertile Crescent myth series

Mesopotamian
Levantine
Arabian
Mesopotamia
7 gods who decree
The great gods
Demigods & heroes
Spirits & monsters
Tales from Babylon
Primordial Beings
Apsû & Tiamat Lahmu & Lahamu Anshar & Kishar Mummu

In Akkadian mythology, Anshar (also spelled Anshur), which means "sky pivot" or "sky axle", is a sky god. He is the husband of his sister Kishar. They might both represent heaven (an) and earth (ki). Both are the second generation of gods; their parents being the serpents Lahmu and Lahamu and grandparents Tiamat and Apsu. In their turn they are the parents of Anu another sky god.^[1] During the reign of Sargon II, Assyrians started to identify Anshar with their Assur in order to let him star in their version of Enuma Elish. In this mythology Anshar's spouse was Ninlil.^[2]

If this name /Anšar/ be derived from */Anśar/, then is may be relatable to hieroglyphic Egyptian /NṬR/ 'god', since hieroglyphic Egyptian /Ṭ/ may be etymological */Ś/.

References

^ J.Black & A.Green, Gods, demons and symbols of ancient Mesopotamia, 2004, p. 34
^ G. Frame, Babylonia 689-627, p. 57

Anshar standing on a bull. Excavated from one of the ancient capitals of Assyria, Assur.

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	Tiamat (West Asian mythology)
	Kishar
	Lahamu