Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
14th International Istanbul Scientific Research Congress on Humanities and Social Sciences, İstanbul, Türkiye, 26 - 27 Ağustos 2023, ss.339
Namtar appears as a minor deity or a demon in ancient Mesopotamian literary and mythological
texts. Namtar, whose name means “destiny”, is also associated with death. In the III. millennium
cuneiform sources, his name is found in personal names, and he appears as a minor status god in many
mythological texts and god lists in the Old Babylonian Period. Also, he is depicted as a demon associated
with some deadly diseases and death in the Old Babylonian Period and later. Namtar, the vizier of the
goddess Ereškigal and husband of Hušbisag, is described in the texts as the god of the nether world
and the “destiny-determiner” and gifts are also presented to him as the god of the netherworld. Namtar
attacks the goddess Ištar with 60 diseases in “Ištar’s Descent to the Netherworld”, thus rendering her
powerless. In the Epic of Atra-hasīs, Enlil assigns Namtar to bring plagues and epidemics to reduce the
human population. From the III. Millennium to the I. Millennium Namtar has been an important figure
in Ancient Mesopotamian written sources.