Editing Shamash (section)

===Family===
The sun god was traditionally viewed as a son of the moon god in Mesopotamian religion, both in Sumerian and Akkadian texts.{{sfn|Krebernik|2011|p=599}} They are already attested as father and son in the [[Early Dynastic Period (Mesopotamia)|Early Dynastic]] god list from [[Shuruppak|Fara]].{{sfn|Krebernik|2011|p=606}} The relation between them could be illustrated by matching epithets, for example in the god list ''[[An = Anum]]'' Utu is the "small boat of heaven" (Mabanda-anna), while his father [[Nanna (Sumerian deity)|Nanna]] - the "great boat of heaven" (Magula-anna).{{sfn|Krebernik|2011|p=599}} [[Ningal]] was regarded as Utu's mother,{{sfn|Beckman|2012|p=132}}{{sfn|Asher-Greve|Westenholz|2013|p=49}} and [[Inanna]] as his sister.{{sfn|Krebernik|2008|p=355}} ''[[Hymn to the Queen of Nippur]]'' refers to them as twins.{{sfn|Asher-Greve|Westenholz|2013|p=98}} Due to her identification with Ishtar (Inanna) the [[Hurrian religion|Hurrian]] and [[Elam]]ite goddess [[Pinikir]] is referred to as a twin sister of Shamash and daughter of Sin (Nanna) and Ningal in a text written in [[Akkadian language|Akkadian]] but found in a corpus of [[Hurrian language|Hurro]]-[[Hittite language|Hittite]] rituals.{{sfn|Beckman|1999|p=27}} In a single ''[[Maqlû]]'' incantation, the rainbow goddess [[Manzat (goddess)|Manzat]] is referred to as Shamash's sister and as a daughter of Sin and Ningal.{{sfn|Abusch|2015|p=11}}

The sun god's wife was invariably the goddess of dawn and light, usually known under the name [[Aya (goddess)|Aya]], though the forms Ninkar, Sudaĝ, Sherida and Sudgan are also well attested.{{sfn|Krebernik|2011|p=602}} Typically they were worshiped together, though sometimes Shamash shared his temples with other gods instead.{{sfn|Krebernik|2011|p=605}} Utu/Shamash and Aya are the single most common divine couple in cylinder seal inscriptions from [[Sippar]], with only the number of dedications to [[Ishkur]] and [[Shala]] being comparably high.{{sfn|Asher-Greve|Westenholz|2013|p=257}} Aya was believed to intercede with her husband on behalf of worshipers,{{sfn|Asher-Greve|Westenholz|2013|p=119}} which is a function also well attested for other divine spouses, such as [[Ninmug]] and Shala.{{sfn|Asher-Greve|Westenholz|2013|p=273}} It has also been pointed out that in the case of Inanna, her sukkal [[Ninshubur]] fulfilled a similar role.{{sfn|Asher-Greve|Westenholz|2013|p=273}} In legal texts from Sippar, the sun god and his wife commonly appear as divine witnesses.{{sfn|Asher-Greve|Westenholz|2013|p=260}} The only other divine couple attested in this role in this city are [[Mamu (deity)|Mamu]] and [[Bunene]].{{sfn|Asher-Greve|Westenholz|2013|p=260}} Buduhudug, a mythical mountain where the sun was believed to set, was regarded as "the entrance of Shamash to Aya" (''nēreb <sup>d</sup>Šamaš <ana> <sup>d</sup>Aya''), the place where they were able to reunite each day after he finished his journey through the sky.{{sfn|George|2003|p=863}}{{sfn|Woods|2009|p=187}}

The deities counted among Utu's children include the dream goddess Mamu{{sfn|Asher-Greve|Westenholz|2013|p=262}} (as well as two other, male, dream deities, [[Sisig (mythology)|Sisig]] and [[Zaqar]]),{{sfn|Krebernik|2011|p=602}} [[Šumugan]], a god associated with animals,{{sfn|Lambert|2013|p=517}} Niggina ([[Kittum]]), the deified concept of [[truth]], according to Jacob Klein regarded as his principal daughter,{{sfn|Klein|1998|pp=311-312}} and [[Ishum]].{{sfn|Asher-Greve|Westenholz|2013|p=77}}

In myths both about himself{{sfn|Katz|2017|p=201}} and about [[Lugalbanda]], the legendary king [[Enmerkar]] was referred to as a son of Utu.{{sfn|Gadotti|2014|p=250}} However, in the ''[[Sumerian King List]]'' Utu is instead his grandfather, and his father is a human ruler, [[Meshkiangasher|Meškiağašer]].{{sfn|Katz|2017|p=201}} Unlike other legendary kings of Uruk, namely Lugalbanda and [[Gilgamesh]], Enmerkar was not deified, despite the existence of a tradition attributing divine ancestry to him.{{sfn|Katz|2017|p=207}} In various sources, Utu seems to serve as a special protector to several of Uruk's other kings.{{sfn|Black|Green|1992|page=184}}

<sup>d</sup>AMAR.UD, an early writing of [[Marduk]]'s name, can be translated as "bull calf of Utu," as long as it is assumed that the sign UD should be understood as a writing of Utu's name without the [[dingir|divine determinative]] (a [[cuneiform]] sign preceding names of deities), which is also attested in some [[theophoric names]] from the Early Dynastic period.{{sfn|Lambert|2013|p=163}} However, no evidence exists that Marduk was ever viewed as a member of the family of any sun deity in Sippar, [[Larsa]] or any other location in Mesopotamia, which lead [[Wilfred G. Lambert]] to suggest this etymology is not plausible on theological grounds.{{sfn|Lambert|2013|p=163}}