Nuha (deity)
Part of the myth series on |
Religions of the ancient Near East |
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Pre-Islamic Arabian deities |
Arabian deities of other Semitic origins |
Nuha is a
Meaning
Nuha, from the triconsonantal Semitic root N-H-Y, may mean "the ultimate".[1] An early Akkadian inscription from the annals of the kings of Assyria mention Nuha with the epithet "the elevated sun".[1] While this reference can be read literally to mean that Nuha was associated with the sun, it can also be read metaphorically as a reference to special kind of wisdom.[1]
Worship
Dierk Lange writes that Nuha formed part of a
A trinity of gods representing the sun, moon and Venus is also found among the peoples of the South Arabian kingdoms of
Inscriptions
Inscriptions in a North Arabian dialect in the region of Najd referring to Nuha describe emotions as a gift from her and the other gods. For example, one reads, "by Nuha is the flying into a rage", while another reads, "by Nuha is the jealousy of a lover".[3] Other inscriptions indicate that all things good and bad were thought to come from the gods, such as in the inscription".[3]
References
Bibliography
- Hoyland, Robert G. (2001), Arabia and the Arabs: from the Bronze Age to the coming of Islam (Illustrated, reprint ed.), Routledge, ISBN 9780415195355
- Lange, Dierk (2004), Ancient kingdoms of West Africa: African-centred and Canaanite-Israelite perspectives : a collection of published and unpublished studies in English and French, J.H.Röll Verlag, ISBN 9783897541153
- Retsö, Jan (2003), The Arabs in antiquity: their history from the Assyrians to the Umayyads (Illustrated ed.), Routledge, ISBN 9780700716791