Hadad

Symbol: lightning bolts; lion-headed dragon; bull

Culture: Mesopotamian

Father: Anu, or Enlil

Mother: Uraš

Overview

Hadad was an ancient Mesopotamian deity associated with thunder, storms, and rain. While the deity was worshiped throughout Mesopotamia, the name Hadad was primarily used in the northwest near modern-day Syria. In central Mesopotamia, he was known as Adad; in the southern region of Sumer, he was known as Ishkur. Hadad was viewed as both a beneficial creator god and destructive force of nature. This dual nature was evident in how he was worshiped in different parts of Mesopotamia. In the agricultural north, Hadad was seen as the provider of life-giving rains; in the flood-prone regions of the south, he was the unpredictable bringer of storms.

In Mythology

Mesopotamia refers to the region around the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in what is today Iraq and Syria. Ancient Mesopotamia was not a unified nation but was instead a collection of independent city-states, each with its own language and culture. As a result, Mesopotamian religion did not adhere to a common mythology but varied from region to region. While people worshiped many of the same gods, these gods may have been known by different names and held different positions of importance depending on the region.

Experts believe Hadad was originally a deity worshiped by the Amorites, a people from western Mesopotamia. As the Amorites came into contact with the people of southern Mesopotamia, Hadad and other Amorite deities were eventually absorbed into that region’s religious pantheon. In most myths, Hadad was the son of the sky god Anu or An; his mother was said to be the earth goddess Uraš. In some Sumerian myths, Hadad was the son of Enlil, god of the air. The Sumerians believed Hadad was married to the goddess Medimša. In most myths, he was the husband of Shala, goddess of grain.

Hadad was most often pictured holding a lightning bolt and standing on or near a lion-headed dragon or bull. The lion-headed dragon was associated with Hadad in early Mesopotamian art, while it was replaced by the bull in later depictions. Mesopotamian astronomers associated the constellation Mul Uga Mushen—a celestial raven—with Hadad, as it rose in the sky just before the rainy season was to begin. During the time of the Greeks, the star pattern became known as Corvus, the crow. Corvus is still recognized as one of eighty-eight modern constellations.

The dual aspects of Hadad’s nature can be found in myths from all the regions where he was worshiped, but the focus was on his benevolence in the north and anger in the south. In a myth known as Enki and the World Order, Hadad is called the “bringer of plenty.” In another myth, he summons a strong storm that miraculously causes wheat to grow on a barren mountainside. In a religious text from southern Mesopotamia, Hadad was said to destroy “the rebellious land like the wind,” leaving it as barren as a thorn bush. On some occasions, Hadad used his violent storms to dispense justice or defeat enemy forces.

In the language of northwestern Mesopotamia, deities were often referred to by the honorific title ba’al, meaning “lord,” or “master.” Because of this, scholars believe that the pagan god Baal in the biblical Old Testament may have been a reference to Hadad. In one story, the Jewish prophet Elijah challenges four-hundred-fifty priests of Baal to demonstrate the power of their god. The priests ask Baal to light a sacrificial pyre, but the wood does not ignite. Elijah calls upon the Jewish god, Yahweh, to do the same. The wood miraculously bursts into flames, demonstrating that Yahweh was more powerful than Baal.

Origins & Cults

Hadad was considered a main deity in the cities of Ebla and Mari in modern-day Syria. In the region’s language, Hadad was derived from a root word meaning “to thunder.” As Ishkur, Hadad was first worshiped in the southern Mesopotamian city-states of Lagash, Adab, and Karkara. Eventually, worship of the deity spread across Mesopotamia and the various incarnations became combined into one storm god under different names.

Hadad was one of the primary deities during the time of the Babylonian Empire in the early second millennium BCE. He was worshiped as the supreme god in the city of Karkara, which housed a temple to him known as the “House of Great Storms.” Another temple to Hadad in the city of Babylon was called the “House of Abundance.” Temples were also built in his honor in the cities of Nippur, Sippar, Ur, and Uruk.

In the city of Ashur, from which rose the Assyrian Empire, Hadad and Anu were honored with a double temple known as the “House Which Hears Prayers.” Hadad and the sun god, Shamash, were often associated with divination and prophecy. The gods were called upon to oversee the practice of haruspicy, an ancient form of divination in which the entrails of sacrificial animals were “read” to search for omens from the gods.

In the first millennium BCE, the Assyrians still considered Hadad to be an important god, calling upon him to provide the rains and protect the crops from storms. Assyrian rulers sometimes evoked the god in their royal titles, referring to themselves as the “beloved of Hadad.” Hadad also remained very popular in northwestern Mesopotamia and ancient Syria. Among the Babylonians, Hadad fell from prominence but was still worshiped in many cities. Printer’s marks from the fourth century BCE call upon Hadad and his wife to protect ancient written texts, warning “whoever takes [the tablet] away, may Hadad and Shala take him away.”

Over time, Hadad became associated with storm gods from other cultures. Among those were the god Teshub of the Hittites, a people who lived in the region of modern-day Turkey and Syria. Teshub was held in such high regard by the Hittites, their capital of Hattusa was known as the “City of the Storm God.” The characteristics of Hadad were also absorbed into the myths of the Greeks and Romans, where he was equated with the Greek, Zeus, and the Roman, Jupiter.

Bibliography

Gilad, Elon. “When the Jews Believed in Other Gods.” Haaretz, 26 July 2018, www.haaretz.com/archaeology/.premium.MAGAZINE-when-the-jews-believed-in-other-gods-1.6315810. Accessed 28 Apr. 2019.

“The Code of Hammurabi.” The Avalon Project, 2008, avalon.law.yale.edu/ancient/hamframe.asp. Accessed 28 Apr. 2019.

Green, Alberto R.W. The Storm-God in the Ancient Near East. Eisenbrauns, 2003.

Mark, Joshua J. “Amorite.” Ancient History Encyclopedia, 28 Apr. 2011, www.ancient.eu/amorite/. Accessed 28 Apr. 2019.

Mark, Joshua J. “The Mesopotamian Pantheon.” Ancient History Encyclopedia, 25 Feb. 2011, www.ancient.eu/article/221/the-mesopotamian-pantheon/. Accessed 28 Apr. 2019.

Quock, Bing. “The Crow in the Stars.” California Academy of Sciences, 24 July 2015, www.calacademy.org/explore-science/the-crow-in-the-stars. Accessed 28 Apr. 2019.

Schwemer, Daniel. “The Storm-Gods of the Ancient Near East: Summary, Synthesis, Recent Studies.” Koninklijke Brill Nv, 2008, core.ac.uk/download/pdf/2789766.pdf. Accessed 28 Apr. 2019.

Stevens, Kathryn. “Iškur/Adad (god).” Ancient Mesopotamian Gods and Goddesses, 2016, oracc.museum.upenn.edu/amgg/listofdeities/ikur/. Accessed 28 Apr. 2019.