Editing Sin (mythology) (section)

===As the head of the pantheon===
A number of sources attest the existence of a tradition in which Sin was regarded as the sole head of the [[Mesopotamian pantheon]] or a deity equal in rank to the traditional [[King of the gods|kings of the gods]], [[Anu]] and [[Enlil]].{{sfn|Peterson|2019|p=59}} According to [[Wilfred G. Lambert]], most of the evidence for this view postdates the reign of [[Meli-Shipak II]], and indicates it might have been particularly popular in [[Harran]].{{sfn|Lambert|2013|p=262}} An [[Old Babylonian Empire|Old Babylonian]] literary composition written in Sumerian describes Sin as the head of the divine assembly (Ubšu’[[ukkin]]),with Anu, Enlil, [[Inanna]], Utu, [[Enki]] and [[Ninhursag]] serving as his advisers.{{sfn|Peterson|2011|pp=279-280}}  Two of his titles known from the god list ''[[An = Anum]]'', <sup>d</sup>''Ukkin'' ("the assembly") and Ukkin-uru ("mighty assembly"), might reflect this portrayal.{{sfn|Peterson|2011|p=280}} Some Old Babylonian [[theophoric name]]s might also be connected to the view that Sin was the head of the pantheon, namely Sîn-bēl-ili ("Sin is the lord of the gods"), Sîn-šar-ili ("Sin is the king of the gods") or Sîn-il-ili ("Sin is god of the gods").{{sfn|Lambert|2013|pp=261-262}} Lambert notes that while similar names invoking other gods, for example [[Shamash]] and [[Adad]], are also known, Sîn-bēl-ili is ultimately the most common.{{sfn|Lambert|2013|p=262}}

Examples of texts elevating Sin's rank are known from [[Ur]] from the period of the [[Neo-Assyrian Empire|Neo-Assyrian]] governor [[Sîn-balāssu-iqbi]]'s reign.{{sfn|Hätinen|2021|p=348}} The moon god was in this case seemingly reinterpreted as a "local Enlil”, acting as the king of the gods in Ur.{{sfn|Hätinen|2021|pp=348-349}} It has been argued that the view that Sin was the supreme god was later particularly enthusiastically supported by the last [[Neo-Babylonian Empire|Neo-Babylonian]] ruler, [[Nabonidus]].{{sfn|Lambert|2013|p=262}} In one of his inscriptions from Harran Sin is described as the "lord of the gods" who possessed "Enlilship", "Anuship" and "Eaship".{{sfn|Lambert|2013|p=190}} However, Melanie Groß stresses that Nabonidus' devotion should for the most part not be treated as an unusual phenomenon, save for the fact that Harran was not the center of his empire.{{sfn|Groß|2014|pp=150-151}} She notes that the elevation of city deities significant for specific rulers to the top of the pantheon of the respective states is well documented for example in the case of [[Marduk]] and [[Ashur (god)|Ashur]].{{sfn|Groß|2014|p=151}} Aino Hätinen points out that in Harran similar formulas were used to refer to Sin by [[Ashurbanipal]], and are thus not unique to Nabonidus and do not necessarily indicate elevation of this god during his reign.{{sfn|Hätinen|2021|p=442}} She suggests both Nabonidus and Ashurbanipal relied on so-called "Theology of the Moon", a concept well attested in explanatory texts from the first millennium BCE according to which Sin possessed divine powers (Sumerian ''ĝarza'', Akkadian ''parṣū'') equal to these of Anu, Enlil and [[Ea (god)|Ea]] during the first half of the lunar month.{{sfn|Hätinen|2021|pp=441-442}}