Editing Marduk (section)

=== Asalluhi ===
The earliest evidence of [[Asalluhi|Asalluhi's]] syncretism with Marduk is Sin-iddinam's prayer to Ninisina,{{sfn|Johandi|2019|p=154}} where Asalluhi was called the "king of Babylon.{{sfn|Johandi|2019|p=141}}" An Old Babylonian text substitutes "son of [[Eridu]]" for "lord of Tintir" as a title for Asalluhi{{sfn|Lambert|2013|p=253}} (Tintir being another attested name for Babylon.{{sfn|Beaulieu|2019|p=30}}) In Hammurabi's prayer to Asalluhi, he is clearly viewed as synonymous with Marduk.{{sfn|Johandi|2019|p=144}} However, in a prayer for Samsu-iluna, Marduk and Asalluhi were mentioned as separate gods, suggesting that the syncretism Marduk = Asalluhi was not yet fully established as canonical in the Old Babylonian period.{{sfn|Oshima|2011|p=195}} Johandi also suggests that keeping Marduk and Asalluhi separate was a deliberate act on the part of Samsu-iluna to reclaim authority over the southern cities,{{sfn|Johandi|2019|p=147}} which were centers of rebellion during the early years of his reign.

Sommerfield suggested that the syncretism of may have been due to both having a similar role as a god of incantations,{{sfn|Sommerfield|1982|p=17}} or because Asalluhi was more well known in Southern Babylonia compared to Marduk, who was still a local god.{{sfn|Sommerfield|1982|p=16}} Lambert also believes the syncretism to be a means to elevate Marduk to a more respectable position.{{sfn|Lambert|2013|p=252}} Johandi proposes that Marduk and Asalluhi were identified for some other reason other than magic, and Marduk only became a god associated with magic after being syncretized with Asalluhi.{{sfn|Johandi|2018|p=561}}