Šubtu

Authors: Gennady Kurtik, Susanne M Hoffmann, Wayne Horowitz, Euin Choung Kim

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The Akkadian word shubtu, with its wide range of meanings related to domiciles and locations large and small, from seats to thrones to temples to extended territories, is applied to deities on a few occasions in astronomical contexts. In the Astrolabes to MUL IKU 'the Field' as the 'seat of Anu,' and in MUL APIN to 'The Crab,' also the 'seat of Anu' with MUL IKU here being the seat of Ea. The exact significance of the term in these contexts is uncertain but it is notable that 'The Crab' whose seat belongs to Anu is in the Path of Enlil, north of the Path of Anu. Likewise, 'The Field' whose seat belongs to the Path of Ea is further north in the Path of Anu. Thus, the picture one can gather from these two entries is that the seats of the gods are placed above the position of their stars. Given that both Ea and Anu are both royal figures in the Mesopotamian pantheon - Anu (the King of Heavaen), and Ea (the King of the Apsu), the image of the asterisms serving as a throne seems most likely. As such, it is interesting to note that both 'The Field' and 'The Crab' include square elements suggestive of seats.

Concordance, Etymology, History

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see glossary of Hoffmann and Krebernik (2023):

if exists ...

Kurtik with Hilder, Hoffmann, Horowitz, Kim

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Historical Dictionaries

Kurtik (2022)	Gössmann (1950)
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References

• Kurtik's references