Paper short abstract:

Different religious traditions took part on the genesis of monotheistic thought in ancient Mediterranean world. The exaltation of Ištar is a perfect case-study to (re)take the discussion on the many aspects and contributions that the encounter between ancient civilizations brought to this matter.

Paper long abstract:

The Judeo-Christian worldview is considered one of the most emblematic of the multiple roots for Western Civilization. It was born on the oriental Mediterranean coast, a place where different people from all over the Ancient Middle East met and exchanged on many levels. On what concerns religious thought, we can claim that these groups share a somewhat similar metaphysical horizon: the cosmos was created and commanded by the numen, which was, therefore, present in every single life form, object, act, word.

The numen was understood in different forms and by different names depending on the context, but a common trait can be identified: the polytheistic framework. However, during the 1st millennium BC something changed: the belief in a single deity arose, leading to a cultural revolution in religious behavior and thought. But was this a complete and radical novelty? Certainly not. We can trace a trend in the West Semitic and Mesopotamian communities, as well as in Egypt, throughout the 2nd millennium BC, characterized by the exaltation of the chief god (Marduk, Aššur, Amon). These different but similar religious experiences left their print on the minds of those who "created" monotheism.

With this paper we will present another stream: the cult of Ištar, a goddess who sustained a ruling position on Mesopotamian pantheon, throughout time and space. More than revisiting Max Müller pathway on henotheistic role for the formation of Judeo-Christian monotheism, we aim to contribute to the scientific discussion concerning the religious interchange and dialogue in the Mediterranean.