TYPE: Sun god
ORIGIN: Mesopotamian (Akkadian-Babylonian)
INFORMATION: The patron deity of Sippar and Larsa. His consort is the mother goddess A-a. Samas derives from the god Utu in the Sumerian pantheon. He is associated with justice. His symbol is the sun disc and a star surrounded with radiating sunbeams. He may carry a single-headed scimitar embellished with a panther head. His sanctuary is known as the E-babbar. Also associates with human-headed bulls. His attendant deities include Mesaru, justics and Kettu, righteousness. He came to much greater prominence in the pantheon at Babylon from about the eighteenth century BCE.