Unnamed calla of Tašmētu in Ezida

Ezida

The cella of Nabû's consort, the goddess Tašmētu, is mentioned in a fragmentary inscription of Nabonidus (r. 555–539 BC), Babylon's last native king.

Names and Spellings

The Sumerian ceremonial name of Tašmētu's cella in Ezida is not known. In an inscription of Nabonidus, that part of Borsippa's principal temple is simply referred to as the "cella of the goddess Tašmētu" (Akkadian papāhi tašmētum).

Written Forms: pa-pa-hi dtaš-me-tum.

Known Builders

Building History

The wooden gates of Tašmētu's cella in Ezida are mention on an extremely fragmentarily-preserved stele of the Neo-Babylonian ruler Nabonidus in connection with that king having statues of wild bulls (Akkadian rīmu) stationed in (principal) gateways of Ezida. Given the poor state of preservation of the text mentioning this part of Nabû's temple, it is uncertain if wild bulls were also stationed in the gateways of Tašmētu's cella.

Archaeological Remains

The cella of Tašmētu has not yet been positively identified in the archaeological record. It is unclear, given the lack of firm archaeological evidence, if that chamber was one of the six rooms associated with Emahtila (Room A₁ or A₂) or if it was the cella located to the southwest of Court C (Emahtila (C₂), a room that also had a brick throne platform built inside it.

Banner image: photograph of the remains of Ezida and Eurmeiminanki taken ca. 2002 (left); woodcut from "Pleasant Hours: A Monthly Journal of Home Reading and Sunday Teaching; Volume III" published by the Church of England's National Society's Depository, London, in 1863 (center); areal photograph of the ruins of Ezida and Eurmeiminanki taken in 1928 (right). Images from Getty Images.

Jamie Novotny

Jamie Novotny, 'Unnamed calla of Tašmētu in Ezida', Babylonian Temples and Monumental Architecture online (BTMAo), The BTMAo Project, a sub-project of MOCCI, [http://oracc.org/btmao/Borsippa/TemplesandZiggurat/Ezida/RoomsandGates/CellaofTashmetu/]

 
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