130 herbert niehr
the various relief panels of Kapara’s palace (pl. Viia–c) allow further
insight into the city’s pantheon. of the original 194 panels 120 survive
today.12 one panel depicts a deity wearing a horned headdress and carry-
ing a curved club and a mace (no. 89). this is the weather-god. a solar deity
also plays a significant role, as the deity is equipped with an offering table
(no. 2) and appears together with a monarch on another panel (no. 171).
additionally, composite creatures also appear, such as sphinxes and in one
case a scorpion-man, distinguished by their horned headdresses as deities.
a key text for understanding the religion of the Khabur river region
is an aramaic-assyrian bilingual text written on a votive statue from the
neighboring sikani (tell Fekheriye).13 it was found in 1979 and dates to
between 850 and 800 B.c. the statue is two meters in height, includ-
ing its base, and is made of grey basalt. even though the style is clearly
adapted to resemble assyrian votive statues, the statue is firmly based in
the artistic tradition of Kapara’s time.14 it was found in the southern part
of the upper city of tell Fekheriye, where a sanctuary of the weather-god
is presumed to be located. the aramaic text on the votive statue reads in
translation as follows:15
(1) the statue of haddayisʿi, which he has set up before hadad of sikani,
(2) regulator of the waters of heaven and earth, who rains down abundance,
who gives pasture and (3) watering-places to all lands, who gives rest and
vessels of food (4) to all the gods, his brothers, regulator of all rivers, who
enriches (5) all lands, the merciful god to whom it is good to pray, who
dwells (6) sikani. to the great god, his16 lord, haddayisʿi, King of guzana,^
son (7) of sasnuri, King of guzana, set up and gave (the statue) to him, so
that his soul may live, and his days be long, and (8) to increase his years,
and so that his house may flourish, and his descendants may flourish, and
(9) his people may flourish, and to remove illness from him, and for mak-
ing his prayer heard, and for (10) accepting the words of his mouth. now
(11) whoever afterward, when it is in disrepair, re-erects it, may he put my
name on it, but whoever erases my name from it (12) and puts his name,
may hadad, the hero, be his adversary. the statue of haddayisʿi, (13) King of12 cf. orthmann 2002: 57–89, 103–127 and cholidis – Martin 2010: 69–195. i follow the
numbering of the small panels in cholidis – Martin 2010: 156–174.
13 on sikani (tell Fekheriye), cf. the information in Bonatz – Bartl – gilibert – Jauss
2008 and niehr 2010a: 223f.
14 on the statue, cf. abou-assaf 1981; orthmann 2002: 93f; Kühne 2009: 48f with figs.
2–3. For further classification, see Magen 1986: 40–45.
15 the essential edition of this text is abou-assaf – Bordreuil – Millard 1982; the english
translation largely follows Millard 2000a. cf. also lipiński 1994: 48–72.
16 Because of the assyrian Vorlage the aramaic text must be read as mrʾ (h).