Ishtar by Louise M. Pryke represents a shift in the well-established Gods and Heroes of the Ancient World book series with the inclusion of Near Eastern topics, the first of which is the subject of this book. The aim of each volume is to “present an authoritative, accessible and fresh account of its subject” that includes both a discussion of the key themes associated with the subject of the volume – origins, myth, cult and representations – as well as a discussion of later reception and influences in modern culture (p. ix). From an accessibility point of view, the hardback edition is hardly affordable. The eBook is slightly better at £39.99. One hopes Ishtar will prove popular enough to merit a paperback edition in the future.
The book provides an updated thematic tour de force of the literary character of the goddess Inanna/Ishtar that serves as a starting point for students and non-specialists thanks to its extensive bibliography. Its thematic approach is not without issues, but given the interest in these topics, this book offers an authoritative discussion often missing in the older literature (e.g. Wolkstein and Kramer's Inanna), or indeed in more popular accounts. Despite a few shortcomings, the inclusion of Ishtar in this book series constitutes a step towards opening up ancient Near Eastern mythology to a wider academic audience and redressing longstanding assumptions.
The themes explored include “Love and intimacy” (pp. 31–59), “Sexuality and order” (pp. 60–83), “Ishtar and the pantheon” (pp. 84–110), “Kingship, battle and family” (pp. 111–32), “Ishtar and the heroes of Mesopotamian epic” (pp. 133–59), and “Vengeance and death” (pp. 160–82). Each chapter is broken down into subheadings that generally bring together snippets from several compositions to build the semantic repertoire of the theme under discussion. Sometimes specific works are discussed in detail, including lesser-known ones such as Inanna and Shukaletuda (pp. 71–80). Previously understudied aspects are highlighted, especially social cohesion and Ishtar's relationship with kingship. The majority of texts quoted are taken from the ETCSL website, thus largely Old Babylonian Sumerian literature. Despite acknowledging the chronologically and geographically complex nature of Inanna and Ishtar, the distinction between the two deities is not enforced throughout (pp. 6–7). Finally, some subheadings are not self-evident and may go unnoticed by readers who choose not to follow the book sequentially. The exhaustive index at the back will be of great assistance in such cases. Bibliographic entries are helpfully indexed.
The volume is summarized in an introduction (pp. 1–28) discussing methodological challenges surrounding the complexity of the figure of Inanna/Ishtar, and a final section exploring the “afterlife” of the goddess in academia as well as in popular culture (pp. 183–204). The latter is followed by further reading, a bibliography, and a thematic index. A very schematic map of ancient Mesopotamia (p. xv) and a timeline (inexplicably wedged between bibliography and index) are also provided.
The main shortcoming of Ishtar is that, for a book intent on “embracing the goddess’ complexity, rather than to diffuse it” (p. 5) and opening up cross-disciplinary discussions, it does not offer more in-depth source analysis beyond the literary. Pryke explains her overwhelming reliance on literary sources as a way of offering “fruitful generalisations” (p. 8) that will open up the field to comparative studies and reduce confusion given the inherent limitations of other sources. Yet perhaps this solution misses the opportunity to engage more fully with the vast range of textual and material evidence from Mesopotamia. Limitations of literary sources to understand contemporary religious thought and behaviour are well known, especially regarding the historical and social context of Sumerian literature production and audience. Pryke argues the challenges posed by employing a thematic approach are “reduced by maintaining a continued focus on the contexts of the evidence” (p. 6). However, it is difficult to imagine non-experts fully taking in the nuances of these contexts when compositions centuries apart are discussed together as evidence of unified traits of Ishtar. This is particularly worrisome in the case of the relationship between the goddess and the king (p. 112). Fortunately, references to further literature are conscientiously provided, and readers are encouraged to explore these issues further.
The paucity of evidence on the goddess's cult and visual representations is surprising, despite being two main themes of the book series. On the one hand, even if not its main focus, a chapter discussing temples and shrines dedicated to the goddess, their geographic and chronological distribution, administration and cultic personnel would have helped redress the historiographical biases highlighted by the author (pp. 20–24). A section on the cultic roles of queens and high-status women would have helped redress the overwhelmingly male interaction with the goddess in the literary corpus. Pryke observes the potential for informing modern discourses on gender (p. 28) yet defines Ishtar as an “early female archetype” (p. 3). Arguments against the use of mythology to understand gendered roles in human society are well known and need not be reproduced here. Readers should be aware of these assumptions. On the other hand, illustrations are scarce and some of them are not representations of the goddess, such as the “Lady of Uruk” (p. 51), or the “Queen of the Night” (p. 180). This is not always made clear. Other important pieces are not illustrated, such as the stone mould depicting Naram-Sin and Ishtar (p. 121), or “The investiture panel” from Mari when discussing kingship.
Finally, the “Reception and influence” chapter would have benefitted from discussing occultism's influence on many pop culture references. The rediscovery of Enochian Magick and Aleister Crowley's Babalon-linked biblical sources with then recently translated Akkadian literature at the turn of the century. Nods to Sumerian and Babylonian mythology in popular culture usually blend scholarly (if often outdated) and occultist sources. The band Morbid Angel – a clear influence on Soulfly, whom Pryke mentions – should be credited as originators of the “Sumerian Black Metal” sub-genre. Although they do not have a song titled “Ishtar”, their lyrics share many common themes such as destruction, vengeance and, of course, sexuality.
In conclusion, Ishtar is a timely contribution that will help students and non-specialists gain well-informed insights into the complexity surrounding the literary character of Inanna/Ishtar. Pryke's main achievement is her clear criticism of dominant narratives fixated on the goddess's sexuality and her development of “social networking” as a theme central to understanding the complexity of the goddess. These perspectives are sorely needed beyond Assyriological scholarly circles, where access to specialized literature is restricted and outdated views focussed on sexuality persist.
