Resheph facts for kids

Egyptian stele depicting Resheph

Resheph was an ancient god from the Middle East, first worshiped around 2450 BCE in a city called Ebla. He was often associated with things like war and protection, and sometimes with illnesses, and was known for his strength and power. He was worshiped in many different cultures, including the Egyptians, Hurrians, and Phoenicians, and was often depicted as a warrior with a bow and arrow.

Who Was Resheph?

Resheph was a significant deity in the ancient Near East, a region that includes modern-day countries like Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and parts of Turkey and Egypt. He was known by many names and spellings, such as Reshef, Rašap, and Irshappa, depending on the culture and language.

Origin: Resheph's earliest known worship began in the ancient city of Ebla, located in what is now Syria, around 2450 BCE. This makes him one of the oldest gods we know about!
Main Roles: He was primarily associated with war and protection. People believed he could bring victory in battle and keep them safe. Interestingly, he was also sometimes linked to illnesses, which was a common belief for powerful gods in ancient times.
Appearance: In art, Resheph was often shown as a strong warrior. He typically carried a bow, a shield, and arrows, ready for action.
Widespread Worship: His influence spread far and wide. He was worshiped in many different cultures and regions, including Ugarit (another Syrian city), by the Hurrians (an ancient people of the Near East), and even in ancient Egypt and by the Phoenicians.

Where Did Resheph Come From?

The story of Resheph truly begins in Ebla, an ancient city that thrived in the third millennium BCE.

Ebla was a powerful city-state in ancient Syria, and its archives, discovered by archaeologists, have given us a treasure trove of information about its culture and beliefs. The oldest known records mentioning Resheph date back to between 2450 and 2200 BCE. This period, lasting about 30 to 40 years, shows he was a major figure right from the start. Even though we don't have many myths about him from Ebla, we know Resheph was one of the most frequently mentioned and important gods in their pantheon (the collection of gods a culture worships).

His connection to war is clear from the offerings he received. Records show he was given many weapons, including 15 daggers, 11 axes, 4 lances, and at least 2 clubs. He also received four bull horns during an annual ceremony, further emphasizing his strength.

Who Worshiped Him?

Everyone from common citizens to the royal family worshiped Resheph. Even kings from other lands would make offerings to him when visiting Ebla. We even know the names of two of his priests, Re’i-Malik and Ennai!

Resheph had special places of worship, or cult centers, near Ebla, like Adanni and Tunip. He also had many different versions or forms of himself, often linked to specific places or roles. For example, there was "Resheph of Adanni," "Resheph of Tunip," and "Resheph of gunum" (which might have been a royal animal enclosure). This large number of forms shows just how popular he was!

In Eblaite tradition, Resheph was considered the husband of the goddess Adamma. They often received offerings together.

The people of Ebla also saw Resheph as being very similar to the Mesopotamian god Nergal, mainly because both were powerful war deities.

What's in a Name? The Mystery of Resheph's Identity

The name "Resheph" itself holds clues to his character and history.

Scholars believe his name might come from ancient words meaning "flame," "fever," or "to destroy/terrifying." These meanings fit well with his powerful, sometimes intense, and warlike nature. Because he was worshiped by so many different cultures speaking different languages, his name was written in many ways:

Eblaite: Ra-sa-ap (𒀭𒊏𒊓𒀊)
Ugaritic: ršp (𐎗𐎌𐎔)
Hurrian: Arshappa or Irshappa
Egyptian: ršp or ršpw

Sometimes, instead of writing out his name, scribes would use symbols (called logograms) that originally belonged to other gods, like Nergal, to represent Resheph. This shows how closely these gods were linked in people's minds.

Some scholars believe that another deity, Rushpan, worshiped in the Middle Euphrates area, might have been another form of Resheph.

Resheph's Journey Through Time

As time moved into the second millennium BCE (around 2000 to 1000 BCE), Resheph's worship continued to flourish and spread across the ancient world.

Resheph in Ugarit

The city of Ugarit, located on the coast of modern-day Syria, was a major hub for Resheph's worship.

Texts from Ugarit provide a wealth of information about Resheph, showing he was one of the most popular deities there during the late Bronze Age.

In Ugarit, he was strongly linked to war and protection, but also to illnesses and even the underworld. Resheph received sacrifices, often rams and ewes, in various rituals. He was sometimes mentioned alongside the sun goddess Shapash and other important deities.

Many people in Ugarit were named after Resheph. In fact, he was the third most common god to be included in personal names, after El and Baal!

An interesting text describes Resheph as the "doorkeeper" of the sun goddess Shapash, suggesting he might have guarded the gates of the underworld for her nightly journey. He was also possibly identified with the planet Mars.

Other Syrian Sources

Resheph was also widely worshiped in other Syrian cities during this period.

In Emar, another important Syrian city, Resheph was the third most frequently invoked deity in personal names, after Dagan and Adad. This shows his continued importance.

Some scholars believe that in Emar, Resheph might have been known as "lord of the market." This would be a unique role for him, linking him to trade, which was more common in Hurrian traditions.

Hurrian Reception

The Hurrians, an ancient people who lived in parts of modern-day Turkey, Syria, and Iraq, adopted Resheph into their own pantheon. They called him Irshappa (or Arshappa) and gave him a new, interesting role: he became the tutelary god of the marketplace and commerce. This was a significant shift from his primary war association.

Through the Hurrians, Resheph (as Irshappa) also made his way into the pantheon of the powerful Hittite Empire, where he was still linked to commerce.

Egyptian Reception

Resheph's journey even took him to the land of the pharaohs, ancient Egypt!

He was likely introduced to Egypt by the Hyksos, a group of foreign rulers, possibly as early as the 13th Dynasty (around 1782-1650 BCE).

Resheph gained significant prominence during the Ramesside period (1292-1077 BCE). Pharaohs like Amenhotep II (1425-1399 BCE) mentioned him in inscriptions, often associating him with their own bravery and military prowess. Amenhotep II even described himself crossing a river "in a manner comparable to Resheph."

In Egypt, Resheph had two main sides:

Warlike God: In royal inscriptions, he was primarily seen as a fierce warrior god, especially linked to horseback and chariot warfare.
Protective Healer: In private dedications, however, he was invoked as a benevolent protector, a healer, and a giver of health. People believed he could protect them from illnesses and evil spirits. He was even thought to protect specific body parts from poison!

Evidence of his worship has been found in places like Deir el-Medina, a village for workers. Many people there, even Egyptians, had small shrines to Resheph in their homes, showing his role in domestic protection. He was also worshiped in major cities like Memphis and even in Nubia (south of Egypt).

Resheph in Later Times

As the ancient world continued to evolve into the first millennium BCE (around 1000 BCE to 1 CE), references to Resheph became less frequent, but he was still present in various cultures.

Phoenician Sources

The Phoenicians, famous seafarers and traders, also knew Resheph, though he wasn't as central to their religion as some other gods.

References to Resheph in Phoenician cities themselves are rare. The island of Cyprus was a major exception. It had the richest collection of texts mentioning Resheph from this period, suggesting a strong continuity of his worship from the Bronze Age. His main cult center on the island was Idalion. On Cyprus, he was sometimes called "Resheph Mikal" and also given the epithet "șprm," possibly meaning "of the goats" or "of the stags," linking him to animals, similar to his gazelle association in Egypt.

Aramaic Sources

The Arameans, another Semitic people, also worshiped Resheph in regions like Cilicia and Syria.

Aramaic texts often emphasized Resheph's protective character, rather than his association with illness.

He was mentioned alongside other important gods like Hadad, El, and Kubaba. He was also associated with the Arabian god Ruda, possibly influencing his portrayal as a "well-disposed" deity.

The Hebrew Bible

Resheph is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, though not as frequently as other deities.

Over time, his name "resheph" began to be used as a common noun, meaning "flame" or "firebolt," rather than referring to a personified god.

Greco-Roman Reception

In the later Greco-Roman period, Resheph's worship largely faded, but he left a lasting mark in one significant way.

On Cyprus, the Greeks identified Resheph with their own god Apollo. This was because both gods were archers, were sometimes associated with diseases, and had protective functions. For example, the Idalion bilingual inscription refers to "Resheph Mikal" in Phoenician and "Apollo Amyklos" in Greek.

In Egypt, his active worship mostly ceased during this period, with only a few scattered references remaining.

What Did Resheph Look Like?

Resheph's appearance in ancient art tells us a lot about how people perceived him.

He was typically depicted as a strong, menacing warrior, often with one arm raised above his head, brandishing a weapon.
His main attributes included a bow, a shield, and arrows, highlighting his military prowess.
Despite his warrior image, art usually showed his protective aspect rather than him attacking enemies. His weapons were meant to ward off evil and danger.
He often wore a kilt with tassels, which some scholars believe was a way to show he was a foreign deity in Egyptian art.
He could be shown with a fake beard (like the Egyptian god Osiris) or with a thick, natural beard and long hair, typical of how foreigners were depicted. One inscription even described him as having a "beautiful face."

Animal Associations

For reasons that are not entirely clear, the gazelle was strongly associated with Resheph in Egypt. Sometimes, a gazelle head would even replace the cobra (uraeus) on his crown.

Horses were also linked to Resheph, reflecting his military skill, especially in chariot warfare. Some Egyptian depictions even show him as a charioteer or horseman.

In a few rare instances, Resheph was depicted with a lute on his back, adding an unexpected musical dimension to this powerful warrior god!

Resheph's Family

Like many ancient gods, Resheph was often connected to other deities, forming alliances, families, or being seen as equivalents.

Spouse: In Ebla, his spouse was the goddess Adamma.
Equivalents: He was often seen as the equivalent of the Mesopotamian god Nergal (a god of war and the underworld) and, later, the Greek god Apollo.
Triads in Egypt: In Egypt, Resheph was frequently worshiped as part of a "triad" (a group of three gods) alongside Min and Qadesh. In this context, he was usually invoked as a protective deity for individuals.
Egyptian Allies: Due to his warlike nature, he was sometimes associated with other Egyptian warrior gods like Montu and Set. One relief even mentions "Montu-Resheph."
Hurrian Circle: In the Hurrian pantheon, he belonged to the circle of deities associated with Teshub, the storm god.
Ugaritic Connections: In Ugarit, he appeared in lists of deities alongside Baal's "auxiliary gods" and near the sun goddess Shapash.

Interesting facts about Resheph

Resheph was one of the oldest known gods, with worship dating back almost 4,500 years to the city of Ebla!
He had many different versions of himself, often linked to specific towns or places, showing how widespread and adaptable his worship was.
Resheph was a powerful god of war, but also a protector and healer, especially in ancient Egypt, where people prayed to him for health and safety.
He was linked to gazelles and horses, and sometimes even had a surprising musical side, being depicted with a lute!
His name eventually became a regular word for "flame" or "firebolt" in the Hebrew Bible, showing how beliefs can change over thousands of years.
He was so important in Ebla that one of the city gates was named after him!
In Ugarit, he might have been identified with the planet Mars, linking him to the cosmos.

Images for kids

Egyptian limestone stele depicting Qetesh standing on a lion and wearing the headdress of Hathor, flanked by Min (left) and Resheph (right)