136 herbert niehr
able to rise through the ranks and hold high positions within the assy-
rian administration, as did aḥiqar, in the later aḥiqar novel at the court
of King sennacherib (704–681 B.c.), and ashurbanipal (680–669 B.c.).45
With regard to the religious indications in the proverbs of the ara-
maean aḥiqar,46 it has been repeatedly claimed that hadad, as the chief
god of the aramaean panthea of syria and Upper Mesopotamia, is not
mentioned in the surviving proverbs. however, this is a superficial judg-
ment, as the “lord of the holy ones” in aḥ 6: 79 is the head of a divine
circle of beings. if one looks at the inscriptions from syria, hadad leads
the panthea of the aramaean kingdoms. in contrast to the “gods”, the
“holy ones” constitute the privy council of hadad.
another deity occurring frequently is the god el. in this context it must
be emphasized that in aramaic ʾl represents the divine name “el”, because
the common noun for “god” is ʾlh. el is also attested in the aramaean pan-
theon of samʾal.47 the proverb collection says about the god el that he is
with the individual (aḥ 6: 91), that he raises the petitioner as a righteous
one (aḥ 8: 109), and that he silences the slanderers (aḥ 10: 156).
the third deity appearing in the proverbs is Šamaš. he appears herein
as the god of justice, as he usually does in the ancient near east. those
who suffer injustice should submit their cases to Šamaš, who will obtain
redress for the innocent (aḥ 7: 107–108). Šamaš shall not appear to him
who does not praise his father and mother, as he is a bad person (aḥ 9:
138). the aspect of Šamaš as god of justice is also encountered in the rela-
tionship between master and servants (aḥ 13: 197). similarly, the beauty
of the king is compared to Šamaš (aḥ 6: 92). the proverbs tell that Šamaš
loves the wine drinker who offers him libations, the wise as well as the
discreet (aḥ 12: 187–188).
Varying statements are given about the gods (ʾlhn) in general. “they
will put good things on the palate of the one they love” (aḥ 11: 163). “if
evil comes from the mouths of people then the gods shall give rise to evil
against the people” (aḥ 11: 172). “Whoever shoots his arrow toward a just
man must expect that the gods rush to the just man’s aid and turn the
arrow against the shooter” (aḥ 9: 126). “the shot against a righteous man
is a sin against the gods” (aḥ 9: 128). “the evil that men do does not origi-
nate from the gods” (aḥ 9: 132–135).
45 cf. niehr 2007: 13f; id. 2010a: 238, and generally against a south syrian localization
of the proverbs, also Weigl 2001: 28f and id. 2010: 37–39.
46 cf. on the following niehr 2007: 18–20.
47 see section 3.1.