Humban

Humban (Elamite: 𒀭𒃲𒈨𒌍, romanized: Umban, also Khumban or Huban) was the Elamite god associated with rulers and especially the concept of kittin or kiten. Inscriptions refer to him as rišar napappir (greatest of gods; also a title of Inshushinak) or rišar napirra (greatest god).[1] He was also known as Huban elume, possibly "Humban the exalted."[2]

He was a popular deity, and several Elamite kings, mostly from the Neo-Elamite Period, were named in honour of him.[3]

Cult

Humban is attested for the first time in the treaty of Naram-Sin, where he occupies the second place among Elamite gods (after Pinikir). It's been proposed that as the other signatory of the treaty was likely a king of Awan, Humban was a god venerated in that area of Elam in particular, but due to limited evidence this theory remains unproven.[4] A document from Susa from the Old Akkadian period mentions a festival dedicated to him, and he appears in some personal names in the Sukkalmah period.[5] However, only two Elamite kings from these periods were named after him: Huba-Simti, a contemporary of Old Akkadian rulers of Mesopotamia, and Humban-Numena (reigned c. 1350-1340 BCE).[6]

The kings Untash-Napirisha (son of Humban-Numena) and Silhak-Inshushinak funded the construction or repairs of temples dedicated to Humban.[7]

A few locations in Elam were named after Humban, including Til Humba ("hill of Humban)[8] and the town Zila-Humban.[9]

Growth in the Neo-Elamite period

Humban's popularity increased considerably during the Neo-Elamite period.[10] He started to appear more often as an element of theophoric names, and no less than 13 neo-Elamite kings were named after him.[11]

In Acheamenid state religion

He remained prominent under Achaemenid rule. In the so-called "Persepolis fortification archive" no other god is mentioned as often as Humban (26 individual mentions).[12] Out of 19 priests of Humban known from these tablets only 3 have Elamite names (a percentage not considerably higher than the percentage of Elamite names in the entire corpus, around 10%), with the remaining ones bearing Iranian ones, and some ceremonies involved offering both to Humban and to Ahura Mazda; it is therefore possible to conclude that due to his popularity he was incorporated into Persian religion.[13]

Humban was likely associated with river sacrifices in this period.[14]

Mary Boyce considered it possible that Humban's role in Elamite royal ideology was a model for exaltation of Ahura Mazda.[15]

Kittin

The cult of Humban was closely associated with the Elamite concept of kittin or kiten - a term referring to divine protection, but also to the right to rule granted to kings by gods, and divinely mandated legal measures. Many gods were capable of bestowing it (for example Tepti and Tirutir) but it was Humban's kittin that the neo-Elamite rulers saw as most significant, and inscriptions show that it was regarded as reserved only for the king.[16]

This idea found its way to early Persian royal ideology and in Elamite translation of the so-called daiva inscription Xerxes I refers to kiten bestowed upon him.[17]

Ahura Mazda's role as a divine "kingmaker" was likely influenced by Humban and his kittin.[18]

Past theories

Some early researchers of Elamite religion, such as Walther Hinz, believed that the god Napirisha wasn't a distinct deity but merely a cultic "taboo name" of Humban.[19] Authorities in the field, such as François Vallat, consider Humban and Napirisha to be separate deities today.[20]

Association with other deities

It's been proposed that early on in Elamite history Humban was viewed as the consort of Pinikir.[21]

In the inscriptions of the Neo-Elamite ruler Hanni of Ayapir he appears alongside Tepti, Napir and Simut.[22] In the Persepolis fortification archive tablets he received offerings alongside a variety of other gods of different origin, including Adad[23] and Ahura Mazda.[24]

Heidemarie Koch proposed that the obscure god Jabru was Humban's father, relying on Mesopotamian texts comparing Anu to Jabru and Humban to Enlil.[25] Due to an absence of Elamite references to Jabru (currently known only from Mesopotamian sources which regarded him as an Elamite god) this theory remains unproven.[26]

Mesopotamian reception

Humban's Mesopotamian equivalent was Enlil.[27] However, in at least one source Jabru was listed as the equivalent of Enlil instead.[28]

The equation between Humban and Enlil appears for the first time in late Neo-Assyrian sources[29] and there is no evidence Humban was a god of the winds or one responsible for determining the fates of mankind and other gods like Enlil.[30] The equation between them was most likely rooted in role in royal ideology.

Possible influence on Humbaba

It's been suggested that in Mesopotamian mythology, Humban was perceived as Huwawa/Humbaba, the guardian of the Cedar Forest in the Epic of Gilgamesh.[31] However, this is viewed as mere speculation by some experts, and Claus Wilcke considers the etymology of Humbaba to be a mystery.[32]

See also
Deities of the ancient Near East
Ancient Egyptian
Arabian
Eblaite and Syrian
Elamite
Hurrian
Levantine (Canaanite and Ugaritic)
Mesopotamian
Religions of the ancient Near East

References
  1. W. M. F. Henkelman, The Other Gods who are: Studies in Elamite-Iranian Acculturation Based on the Persepolis Fortification Texts, 2008, p. 357
  2. W. M. F. Henkelman, The Other Gods who are: Studies in Elamite-Iranian Acculturation Based on the Persepolis Fortification Texts, 2008, p. 358
  3. W. M. F. Henkelman, The Other Gods who are: Studies in Elamite-Iranian Acculturation Based on the Persepolis Fortification Texts, 2008, p. 359
  4. W. M. F. Henkelman, The Other Gods who are: Studies in Elamite-Iranian Acculturation Based on the Persepolis Fortification Texts, 2008, p. 355-356
  5. W. M. F. Henkelman, The Other Gods who are: Studies in Elamite-Iranian Acculturation Based on the Persepolis Fortification Texts, 2008, p. 356
  6. W. M. F. Henkelman, The Other Gods who are: Studies in Elamite-Iranian Acculturation Based on the Persepolis Fortification Texts, 2008, p. 359
  7. W. M. F. Henkelman, The Other Gods who are: Studies in Elamite-Iranian Acculturation Based on the Persepolis Fortification Texts, 2008, p. 356; 358
  8. W. M. F. Henkelman, The Other Gods who are: Studies in Elamite-Iranian Acculturation Based on the Persepolis Fortification Texts, 2008, p. 360
  9. W. M. F. Henkelman, The Other Gods who are: Studies in Elamite-Iranian Acculturation Based on the Persepolis Fortification Texts, 2008, p. 376
  10. W. M. F. Henkelman, The Other Gods who are: Studies in Elamite-Iranian Acculturation Based on the Persepolis Fortification Texts, 2008, p. 353
  11. W. M. F. Henkelman, The Other Gods who are: Studies in Elamite-Iranian Acculturation Based on the Persepolis Fortification Texts, 2008, p. 358-359
  12. W. M. F. Henkelman, The Other Gods who are: Studies in Elamite-Iranian Acculturation Based on the Persepolis Fortification Texts, 2008, p. 353
  13. W. M. F. Henkelman, The Other Gods who are: Studies in Elamite-Iranian Acculturation Based on the Persepolis Fortification Texts, 2008, p. 372
  14. W. M. F. Henkelman, The Other Gods who are: Studies in Elamite-Iranian Acculturation Based on the Persepolis Fortification Texts, 2008, p. 383
  15. W. M. F. Henkelman, The Other Gods who are: Studies in Elamite-Iranian Acculturation Based on the Persepolis Fortification Texts, 2008, p. 364
  16. W. M. F. Henkelman, The Other Gods who are: Studies in Elamite-Iranian Acculturation Based on the Persepolis Fortification Texts, 2008, p. 364-366
  17. W. M. F. Henkelman, The Other Gods who are: Studies in Elamite-Iranian Acculturation Based on the Persepolis Fortification Texts, 2008, p. 367
  18. W. M. F. Henkelman, The Other Gods who are: Studies in Elamite-Iranian Acculturation Based on the Persepolis Fortification Texts, 2008, p. 384
  19. W. M. F. Henkelman, The Other Gods who are: Studies in Elamite-Iranian Acculturation Based on the Persepolis Fortification Texts, 2008, p. 354
  20. W. M. F. Henkelman, The Other Gods who are: Studies in Elamite-Iranian Acculturation Based on the Persepolis Fortification Texts, 2008, p. 355
  21. D. T. Potts, Echoes of Mesopotamian divinity on a cylinder seal from south-eastern Iran, Revue d'Assyriologie 75, 1981, p. 141
  22. W. M. F. Henkelman, The Other Gods who are: Studies in Elamite-Iranian Acculturation Based on the Persepolis Fortification Texts, 2008, p. 365
  23. W. M. F. Henkelman, The Other Gods who are: Studies in Elamite-Iranian Acculturation Based on the Persepolis Fortification Texts, 2008, p. 330; Henkelman considers the Mesopotamian Adad to be an Elamite god in this context, pointing at his presence in Chogha Zanbil, rather than ex. a god of a community of Babylonian refugees or colonists
  24. W. M. F. Henkelman, The Other Gods who are: Studies in Elamite-Iranian Acculturation Based on the Persepolis Fortification Texts, 2008, p. 372
  25. H. Koch, Theology and Worship in Elam and Achaemenid Iran, Civilizations of the ancient Near East 3, 1995, p. 1961
  26. W. G. Lambert, Jabnu [in:] Reallexikon der Assyriologie und vorderasiatischen Archäologie, vol. 5, 1980, p. 229
  27. H. Koch, Theology and Worship in Elam and Achaemenid Iran, Civilizations of the ancient Near East 3, 1995, p. 1961
  28. W. G. Lambert, Jabnu [in:] Reallexikon der Assyriologie und vorderasiatischen Archäologie, vol. 5, 1980, p. 229: "Jabnu is equated with Enlil in BA 5 (1906) 655 8 (from which An = Anum 1162 may be restored)"
  29. W. M. F. Henkelman, The Other Gods who are: Studies in Elamite-Iranian Acculturation Based on the Persepolis Fortification Texts, 2008, p. 361
  30. W. M. F. Henkelman, The Other Gods who are: Studies in Elamite-Iranian Acculturation Based on the Persepolis Fortification Texts, 2008, p. 366
  31. K. van der Toorn, Humbaba [in:] K. van der Toorn, B. Becking, P. W. van der Horst, Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible, 1999, p. 431-432
  32. F. van Koppen, K. van der Toorn, Humban [in:] K. van der Toorn, B. Becking, P. W. van der Horst, Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible, 1999, p. 432-434
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