The God Zaqīqā at Hatra

Abstract

The pantheon of the Parthian North Mesopotamian city of Hatra is characterized, as is well known, by the presence of deities of diverse origins: Aramaic, Arab, Iranian, and Greek, not to mention the significant influence of more ancient Mesopotamian traditions. Their coexistence created a unique religious and cultural environment, which facilitated assimilation and interaction between deities—phenomena that still require
further investigation. Among the so-called lower-rank deities recorded at Hatra, Zaqīqā (zqyqʾ), the god of dreams and the afterlife, stands out as particularly intriguing. A reexamination of the attributes of this deity not only allows for a deeper understanding of the general structure of the Hatrene pantheon and its connections to older Mesopotamian models but also provides an opportunity to reassess its relationships and interactions with other deities, particularly the third member of the Triad, Barmārēn, and the god of the underworld Nērgōl.