Mesopotamian god of storms and rain

Ishkur

Ishkur (Iskur in Sumerian) or Adad in Akkadian is the Mesopotamian god of storms and rain, protector of shepherds. His figure links rural life with the climate of the region.

The myth

According to the stories, Ishkur was the brother of the sun god Utu. At creation, Enki placed under his charge the winds and the 'silver dike in the heart of the sky.'

Texts describe him in different forms: sometimes as a bull or a lion, whose roars sounded like thunder. In one text he appears as a son of An and a twin brother of Enki.

Worship and religion

His main cult centre was Karkara, where he was worshipped in the temple E.nam.khe. Worship is recorded from about 3500 BC to 1750 BC. In 1772 BC, Hammurabi had a throne built to honour Adad.