Open Collections

Socaciu, Dan

Database of Religious History (DRH)

Urartu developed from a series of small chiefdoms spread out on the Armenian Plateau, and had its capital established by Sarduri I on the Eastern shores of Lake Van during the mid 9th century BCE. From what today is the modern city of Van, the royal dynasty created by Sarduri ruled until the first half of the 6th century BCE. At one point the main antagonist of the Neo-Assyrian Empire, Urartian territories stretched from Lake Sevan to the southern shore of Lake Urmia, and as far West as the sources of the Euphrates. Urartu’s core topography sets it apart from most states of the ancient Near East. Lake Van lies 1,680 m above sea level, and the mountains rise abruptly from the southern and western sides of the lake. This particular part of the Armenian Plateau is an area of intersecting mountain chains, characterised by the presence of depressions separated by highland areas. The result of this particular topography is a series of irregular pockets of land. The expansion of the Urartian state is characterised by the need to secure arable land and resources. Mostly known for their metalwork and their fortifications, Urartians had a well established religion with Haldi at the head of the pantheon. Although most Urartian temples and inscriptions are dedicated to him, there are dozens of other gods mentioned in the texts. Teisheba and Siuini, both wider spread in the Ancient Near East, are the most important deities after Haldi. Unfortunately, as with most archaeological datasets, our understanding of Urartu is limited. The belief system centred on Haldi is closely connected to the royal family and the elite, and we do not know to what degree it permeated the rest of the society.

Other

eng

Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library

10.14288/1.0416078

Non UBC

Unreviewed

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/