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| {{Short description|Biblical term for southern Mesopotamia}} | |||
| '''"Shinar"''' (Hebrew שנער, Septuagint ''Senaar'') is a broad designation applied to ], occurring eight times in the ]. In the ] 10:10, the beginning of Nimrod's kingdom is said to have been "], and ], and ], and ], in the land of Shinar." The following chapter, 11:2, states that Shinar was a plain settled after the flood, where mankind, still speaking one language, built the ]. In ''Genesis'' 14:1,9 Shinar is the land ruled by king ], previously, but no longer commonly identified with ], who reigned in Babylon. "Shinar" is further mentioned in '']'' 7:21; '']'' 11:11; and '']'' 5:11, as a general synonym for Babylonia. | |||
| {{redirect|Sennaar||Sennar (disambiguation)}} | |||
| ] | |||
| '''Shin’ar''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|ʃ|aɪ|n|ɑːr}} {{respell|SHY|nar}}; {{langx|he|שִׁנְעָר|Šīnʿār}}; {{langx|grc|label=]|Σενναάρ|Sennaár}}) is the name for the southern region of ] used by the ]. | |||
| ==Etymology== | |||
| If Shinar included both ] ("Babel") and Erech, then "Shinar" broadly denoted both northern and southern Babylonia. Any cognate relation with "]" or "Shumer", an Akkadian name used for a non-Semitic people who called themselves ''Kiengir'', is not simple to explain and has been the subject of varied speculation. It is certain that the Egyptian term for Babylonia / Mesopotamia was ''Sangar'', a name appearing often in the ]. | |||
| Hebrew {{lang|he|שנער}} ''Šinʿār'' is equivalent to the Egyptian ''Sngr'' and Hittite ''Šanḫar(a)'', all referring to southern Mesopotamia. Some Assyriologists considered ''Šinʿār'' a western variant or cognate of ''Šumer'' (]), with their original being the Sumerians' own name for their country, ''ki-en-gi(-r)'', but this is "beset with philological difficulties".<ref name="Nimrod">{{cite journal|author=K. van der Toorn, P.W. van der Horst|date=January 1990|title=Nimrod before and after the Bible|journal=The Harvard Theological Review|volume=83|issue=1|pages=1–29, esp. 2–4|doi=10.1017/S0017816000005502|s2cid=161371511 }}</ref> Another hypothesis derives the name from a ] tribe known as the ''Šamharu'', whose name would have been later used for ] in general.<ref>{{cite journal |title=The Origin of the Name Shinar |journal=Zeitschrift für Assyriologie und Vorderasiatische Archäologie |last=Zadok |first=Ran |issue=2 |volume=74 |pages=240–244 |doi=10.1515/zava.1984.74.2.240 |year=1984 |issn=1613-1150}}</ref><ref>G. Wilhelm, Šanhara, Reallexikon der Assyriologie 12, 2009, 11-12.</ref> | |||
| Sayce (1895) identified ''Shinar'' as cognate with the following names: ''Sangara''/''Sangar'' mentioned in the context of the Asiatic conquests of ] (15th century BC); ''Sanhar''/''Sankhar'' of the ] (14th century BC); the Greeks' '']''; and modern '']'', in ], near the ]. Accordingly, he proposed that Shinar was in Upper Mesopotamia, but acknowledged that the Bible gives important evidence that it was in the south.<ref name=JewishEnc/><ref name=Sayce>Sayce, Archibald Henry (1895). '''', pp. 67-68.</ref> | |||
| According to ], it is likely, arising from association with "]", that ''Shinar'' signifies the land of the Mesopotamian moon god '']'', whose earliest temple was at Ur. Sin had a network of temples spanning across the fertile crescent, including a prominent temple in Babylon and one of its famous Gates, also a major temple in Harran, and probably another in ], that most ancient city, whose name means "Place of the Moon God." | |||
| Albright (1924) suggested identification with the ].<ref>W. F. Albright, Shinar-Šanḡar and Its Monarch Amraphel. American Journal of Semitic Languages and Literatures 40/2, 1924, 125-133.</ref> | |||
| ==Hebrew Bible== | |||
| Some scholars{{fact}} have proposed that Shinar must have been confined to the northern part of Mesopotamia, based on ] 9:3 which allots "Shinar" (or in the Ethiopic text, "''Sadna Sena`or''") to Asshur. However, 10:20 states that the Tower was built with ] from the sea of Shinar. Some scholars such as ] have proposed evidence that the Tower was actually located in ], once located on the Persian Gulf, where there are ruins of a massive, ancient ziggurat worked from bitumen. | |||
| The name ''Šinʿār'' occurs eight times in the ] in which it refers to ].<ref name=JewishEnc>{{Cite Jewish Encyclopedia|url=http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/13582-shinar|title=SHINAR|author=Emil G. Hirsch, George A. Barton}}</ref> That location of Shinar is evident from its description as encompassing both Babel/Babylon (in northern Babylonia) and Erech/Uruk (in southern Babylonia).<ref name=JewishEnc/> In the ] 10:10, the beginning of ]'s kingdom is said to have been "Babel , and ] <nowiki>]<nowiki>]</nowiki>, and ], and ], in the land of Shinar." Verse 11:2 states that Shinar enclosed the plain that became the site of the ] after the ]. | |||
| In Genesis 14:1,9, King ] rules Shinar. It is further mentioned in ] 7:21; ] 11:11; ] 1:2; and ], as a general synonym for Babylonia. | |||
| == |
==Jubilees== | ||
| The ] 9:3 allots Shinar (or, in the Ethiopic text, ''Sadna Sena`or'') to ], son of ].<ref>{{cite book |title=Studies in the Book of Jubilees |last=Albani |first=Matthias |publisher=Mohr Siebeck |year=1997 |isbn=978-3-16-146793-6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Lr5nal2Bq9YC&pg=PA315 |last2=Frey |first2=Jörg |last3=Lange |first3=Armin |page=315}}</ref> Jubilees 10:20 states that the ] was built with ] from the sea of Shinar.<ref>{{cite book |title=Jubilees: The Hermeneia Translation |last=VanderKam |first=James C. |publisher=Fortress Press |year=2020 |isbn=978-1-5064-6704-7 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aGjhDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA44 |page=44}}</ref> | |||
| * | |||
| * | |||
| ==In popular culture== | |||
| ⚫ | ] | ||
| The region's name in its Greek form is used in the title of '']'', a video game that draws motifs from the ] narrative.<ref>Schreier, Jason. . ''Bloomberg'', October 13, 2023.</ref> | |||
| ⚫ | ] | ||
| ==References== | |||
| ] | |||
| {{reflist}} | |||
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Latest revision as of 06:37, 10 January 2025
Biblical term for southern Mesopotamia "Sennaar" redirects here. For other uses, see Sennar (disambiguation).
Shin’ar (/ˈʃaɪnɑːr/ SHY-nar; Hebrew: שִׁנְעָר, romanized: Šīnʿār; Septuagint: Σενναάρ, romanized: Sennaár) is the name for the southern region of Mesopotamia used by the Hebrew Bible.
Etymology
Hebrew שנער Šinʿār is equivalent to the Egyptian Sngr and Hittite Šanḫar(a), all referring to southern Mesopotamia. Some Assyriologists considered Šinʿār a western variant or cognate of Šumer (Sumer), with their original being the Sumerians' own name for their country, ki-en-gi(-r), but this is "beset with philological difficulties". Another hypothesis derives the name from a Kassite tribe known as the Šamharu, whose name would have been later used for Babylonia in general.
Sayce (1895) identified Shinar as cognate with the following names: Sangara/Sangar mentioned in the context of the Asiatic conquests of Thutmose III (15th century BC); Sanhar/Sankhar of the Amarna letters (14th century BC); the Greeks' Singara; and modern Sinjar, in Upper Mesopotamia, near the Khabur River. Accordingly, he proposed that Shinar was in Upper Mesopotamia, but acknowledged that the Bible gives important evidence that it was in the south. Albright (1924) suggested identification with the Kingdom of Khana.
Hebrew Bible
The name Šinʿār occurs eight times in the Hebrew Bible in which it refers to Babylonia. That location of Shinar is evident from its description as encompassing both Babel/Babylon (in northern Babylonia) and Erech/Uruk (in southern Babylonia). In the Book of Genesis 10:10, the beginning of Nimrod's kingdom is said to have been "Babel , and Erech , and Akkad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar." Verse 11:2 states that Shinar enclosed the plain that became the site of the Tower of Babel after the Great Flood.
In Genesis 14:1,9, King Amraphel rules Shinar. It is further mentioned in Joshua 7:21; Isaiah 11:11; Daniel 1:2; and Zechariah 5:11, as a general synonym for Babylonia.
Jubilees
The Book of Jubilees 9:3 allots Shinar (or, in the Ethiopic text, Sadna Sena`or) to Ashur, son of Shem. Jubilees 10:20 states that the Tower of Babel was built with bitumen from the sea of Shinar.
In popular culture
The region's name in its Greek form is used in the title of Chants of Sennaar, a video game that draws motifs from the Tower of Babel narrative.
References
- K. van der Toorn, P.W. van der Horst (January 1990). "Nimrod before and after the Bible". The Harvard Theological Review. 83 (1): 1–29, esp. 2–4. doi:10.1017/S0017816000005502. S2CID 161371511.
- Zadok, Ran (1984). "The Origin of the Name Shinar". Zeitschrift für Assyriologie und Vorderasiatische Archäologie. 74 (2): 240–244. doi:10.1515/zava.1984.74.2.240. ISSN 1613-1150.
- G. Wilhelm, Šanhara, Reallexikon der Assyriologie 12, 2009, 11-12.
- ^
Emil G. Hirsch, George A. Barton (1901–1906). "SHINAR". In Singer, Isidore; et al. (eds.). The Jewish Encyclopedia. New York: Funk & Wagnalls.
- Sayce, Archibald Henry (1895). Patriarchal Palestine, pp. 67-68.
- W. F. Albright, Shinar-Šanḡar and Its Monarch Amraphel. American Journal of Semitic Languages and Literatures 40/2, 1924, 125-133.
- Albani, Matthias; Frey, Jörg; Lange, Armin (1997). Studies in the Book of Jubilees. Mohr Siebeck. p. 315. ISBN 978-3-16-146793-6.
- VanderKam, James C. (2020). Jubilees: The Hermeneia Translation. Fortress Press. p. 44. ISBN 978-1-5064-6704-7.
- Schreier, Jason. Two Hobbyists Made One of This Year’s Best Video Games. Bloomberg, October 13, 2023.