SANGA-priests. Cf. also Popko 2001a; -328.

The priestly College in Arirnia was eomposed of three high SANGA-priests and two high SANGA-

Priestesses, a SANGA-priestess of the local Storm-god, two GUDUig-priests associated with the

Temple of the Sun-goddess, and — at least in the Empire period - seven Iow-.ran.kmg priests, cf.

Popko 2001a.

Taggar-Cohen 2006a: 142ff.

66

HiTTlTE ANATOUA

TUE / Lu - lv ■ J& SANGA ARKUTIi d ä n pedan or appezzies SANGA). “ * SANGA-

Priestesses are encountered much more sei dom, ’ mainly in the cult of female de-

Ities; significantly, fchey played an important role in ceremonies dedicated to the

Deities of Arinna, the cult eenter of the Sim-goddess: Mezzulla, Zintuhi, Mount Hulla,

And the local Storm-god. Sometimes the cult of a god was ceiebrated in his temple

Jointly by the SANGA-priest and the SANGA-priestess.

The GUDUi 2 -priest was associated with cults beloxiging to the local tradition in

the northern and central pari of the land.°" > ‘ Some scholars identify this priest with

The kumrurn, who occurs already.in texts from the Assyrian Colony period. He

Participated in state cult practices at the side of the king or prince and appeared as

A sacrificer, and also as a reciter, summoning the gods in Hattian, for instance, during

The cult ceremonies ceiebrated by the prince visiting the cities in the north in the

Neighborhood of Zalpa and Nerik (CTH 733). The GUDUi 2 -priest, too, aecoxnplished

A magical cleansing of the royal participants in the ceremonies.

- LIM

In the group of priestesses, the Mother of the Deity (AMA.DINGIR * / Hittite

siwanzanna) played an important role. '“’ 3 Her function was also connected with the

Local cult tradition. The AMA.DINGIR-priestesses are known to have ceiebrated some

Cults independently, for instance, that of Halki, but more often than not, they

appear beside SANGA-priests and/or GUDU^-priests.

A prominent Position was held by the ERES.DINGIR-priestess (‘Lady of the

God’), 364 who acted in many ceiebrations, especially during the KI.LAM festival, to-

Gether with the king, royal couple or crown prince. Her presence in Anatolian cults

Of the pre-Hittite period is eonfirmed by mentions of a DINGIR.ERES/ UGBABTUM-

priestess in the Old Assyrian texts from Kanes. 3 ‘” > In texts from Ebla dated

To the third millennium RC, this category of priestesses is referred to by the terra

DAM.DINGIR ‘Consort of the God.’ 30 '’ In the Old Babylonian period and later, the

Popko 2001a: 329f.; 2004b; Taggar-Cohen 2006a: 1451

Taggar-Cohen 2006a: 312ff.

Taggar-Cohen 2006a: 229.fl

352 Hoffner 1996; 2007: 130, But see KUB 59.60: 8’ L ^SANGA kumran (acc,), Otten 1992: 37fl; cf.

Also Klingei’ 2003-2005: 641. For the kumrum in the Old Assyrian texts from Kanes, see now

Kryszat 2006a: 1041

Taggar-Cohen 2006a: 335fl

Amantea 1985-1986; Taggar-Cohen 2006a: 384fl; 2006b.

Kt 94/k 804 141; kt 2001/k 325 a/b 11/6,16.44. See Albayrak 2004: 8fl; Kryszat 2006a: 105.

356 Ärchi 1998; Steinkeller 1999: 122ff.

Period

67

The Old Hittite

ERES, DINGIR/ ENTU(M) 1 i£TT£7-priestesses occur in Syria and Mesopotamia in the

cult of the Storm-god Adad. 3 °' It is not to be excluded that she was a priestess of

., 358

The Storm-god in Anatolia, too, even though she played a significant role in the

Cult of different deities. In Old Hittite times, there appears to have been only one

Lady of the God residing in the Capital. In the state cult she was of equal impor-

Tance as the king, presiding over the ceremonies in his absence and also being en-

Titled to use the royal huluganni- carriage. In the light of what we know about the

ERES.DINGIR / ENTUMI UGBABTUM-priest®sses in Syria and Mesopotamia, the

idea that the Hittite Lady of the God was a princess of royal blood°”‘ is appealing

But hardly borne out by any of the surviving texts. The Lady of the God also had an

Important role to play in the festival of the goddess Teteshapi, 360 proceeding from

Hattusa to Tawiniya on this occasion. 361 There is nothing in the texts, however, to

Suggest that she was “the deity’s representative on earth.” 362

Other priests and priestesses restricted their activities to particular Centers and