Šulpae

Šulpae was a Mesopotamian god. Much about his role in Mesopotamian religion remains uncertain, though it is agreed he was an astral deity associated with the planet Jupiter and that he could be linked to specific diseases, especially bennu. He was regarded as the husband of Ninhursag. Among the deities considered to be their children were Ashgi, Panigingarra and Lisin. The oldest texts which mention him come from the Early Dynastic period, when he was worshiped in Kesh. He is also attested in documents from other cities, for example Nippur, Adab and Girsu. Multiple temples dedicated to him are mentioned in known sources, but their respective locations are unknown.

The earliest attested form of Šulpae's name in cuneiform is ^dŠul-pa-è, already found in Early Dynastic texts from Fara and Adab, though it gradually changed to ^dŠul-pa-è-a, which appears in some, though not all, of the Old Babylonian copies of the Kesh Temple Hymn, and most likely became the default in the first millennium BCE, though less common variants are also attested, for example ^dŠu-ul-pé. Contrary to assumptions in earlier scholarship, the theonyms ^dŠul-pa-è-dar-a and ^dŠul-pa-è-ùtul-a are no longer recognized as variants of his name, and are instead presumed to refer to separate deities.

In addition to the common romanization "Šulpae", other spellings can also be found in Assyriological publications, for example Šulpa'e (in the Reallexikon der Assyriologie und Vorderasiatischen Archäologie), Šul-pa-eda and Šul-pa-e.

It is agreed that Šulpae's name can be translated from Sumerian as "the youth shining forth" or "the young one shining forth". However, Jeremy Black and Anthony Green argue that despite the meaning of his name, he was not considered to be a youthful god.

The theonym Lugaludda (^dLugal-ud-da), "lord of the demons," first attested in an Ur III offering list from Puzrish-Dagan, appears as Šulpae's alternate name in the god list An = Anum and in its Old Babylonian forerunner.

Šulpae's character is poorly known. The earliest sources do not contain theological information about his position in the pantheon and individual roles. The main sources of information for researchers is a hymn dedicated to him, which was composed in the Old Babylonian period. In addition to detailing his primary functions as an astral deity and a bringer of disease, it describes him fulfilling otherwise unknown roles, including those of a divine warrior and a deity of orchards and wild animals.

As an astral deity, Šulpae was associated with Jupiter, and especially with its heliacal rising. In Mesopotamian astronomy, his name was the most common designation for this planet, though it was also associated with Marduk. A single fragmentary list from the Old Babylonian period already places Šulpae next to the deity ^dUD.AL.TAR, also considered to be a divine representation of Jupiter, which might be tied to his own astral character. A commentary written by Nabû-mušēṣi states that "the Star of Marduk at its appearance is Šulpae; when it rises one double-hour, it is Sagmegar; when it stands in the middle of the sky, it is Nēberu." Another reference to this role is known from the Epic of Erra, in which the eponymous god during his rampage wants to "dim the brilliance of Šulpae and wrench the stars from heaven."

In the role of an agent of disease, Šulpae was commonly linked to bennu, possibly an unidentified "degenerative disease of the brain or spinal cord." It is possible that the reference to him being a "roving namtar demon" pertains to this function. Marten Stol argues that it is possible that the birth of a person afflicted by a disease associated with him was considered to be the result of the mother being impregnated through the influence of the planet he represented.