art 233
the storm-god of aleppo figures as the leading aramaean deity in the
official aramaic inscriptions from the 9th and 8th centuries B.c., in which
he combines elements of fertility, military power, and justice.125
apart from the storm-god, the only significant divine figure on stelae
in the syro-aramaean region is the moon-god. But in contrast to the
anthropomorphic depictions of the storm-god, those of the moon-god
are predominantly aniconic. the stele from til Barsib with its assyrian-
izing elements is the only example of an image of an anthropomorphic
moon-god on the roof of a temple (pl. XIv).126 the structure is flanked by
towering standards with a crescent moon on top and two attached tas-
sels. these crescent moon standards are a distinctive symbol of the moon-
god and serve as a central visual motif on numerous stelae from harran
and areas farther to the west.127 In this context, they clearly represent
the “moon-god of harran,” whose cult was adopted by the aramaeans in
the 1st millennium B.c.128 since this cult also flourished under the assyr-
ians, it is no surprise that the anthropomorphic moon-god and his symbol
appear together on the above-mentioned stele from til Barsib, testifying
to both an assyrian and aramaean religious ideology. the assyriansʼ
advanced contract culture encouraged the worship of the moon-god of
harran, since he was seen as the guarantor of the contracts that the assyr-
ians entered into with the aramaean states. It has even been suggested
that the two tassels on the moon crescent standard represent two parties
involved in concluding a contract.129
In many cases, the moon- and storm-gods were also closely associated in
Luwian and aramaean inscriptions. their close relationship is reflected
in two visual concepts that apparently resulted from the interplay between
the divinities. the first concept pertains to the symbol above the image of the
storm-god on the stelae from til Barsib, which upon closer inspection is
recognizable as a combination of a crescent moon and a winged lunar
the aramaean state of Bit agusi; cf. sader 1987: 148 and Lipiński 2000a: 203. the ques-
tion of aramaean influence therefore has no relevance to the sculptural works that were
unearthed in the temple of the storm-god on the citadel and that date earlier than the
9th century.
125 schwemer 2001: 612–625; see also the commentary on the statue from tell Fekheriye
in section 2.2 of this overview.
126 Green – hausleiter 2001: 157 fig. 10 (= pl. XIv).
127 Kohlmeyer 1992 and Keel 1994: 138–144 figs. 1–8. Other works of monumental art,
including the orthostats from Zincirli, show the crescent standard above Bar-rakkab sitting
on his throne (Orthmann 1971: Zincirli F/1). It is also a motif in glyptic art (see section 4.1).
128 theuer 2000: 373–376, 387–390.
129 staubli 2003: 65 and Galter 2004b: 177f.