The Role of the Entu Priestess in the Rise of Patriarch, Prophet and King

A striking feature of the Hebrew scriptures is the recurring figure of a foreign woman who brings forth the chosen child. She corresponds to the Mesopotamian entu—the high priestess of the moon god and daughter of the šarru kiššati (King of All). The entu mediated the divine kingship. Her literary provenance can be traced through the birth story of Moses, which retells the Birth Legend of Sargon. A comparison of the scribal acts of naming reveals an intricate interplay between Hebrew words and cuneiform ideographic concepts in the composite text. The scribe’s command of this Akkadian source reveals sophisticated cuneiform skills, connecting the composition to the Babylonian exile and the 6th century Harranian ascendancy of the lunar deity Sîn. By repeatedly spiriting the entu away from the moon god cult, the scribes ritually transferred the divine kingship from Babylon (in various allegorical guises) to the shepherd clan. However, the presence of an indigenous high priestess in ancient Jerusalem can be pieced together from the available information. Through her, David gained the throne. The biblical account blends history with Mesopotamian scribal magic to secure the kingship of all (šarrut kiššatim) for the Davidic shepherd clan and the tribe of Judah.