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Akkadian ilu

A reference page linking a name, group, or concept to the materials that discuss it.

The Akkadian word for “god”; its occurrence does not automatically identify the deity El.

Cylinder seal and its modern impression, owned by Ilum-bani, ca. 2028–2004 BCE; The Met, 1988.380.2. An example of a personal name with a divine element, not a verified depiction of El
Cylinder seal and its modern impression, owned by Ilum-bani, ca. 2028–2004 BCE; The Met, 1988.380.2. An example of a personal name with a divine element, not a verified depiction of ElThe Metropolitan Museum of Art · Gift of Martin and Sarah Cherkasky, 1988 · CC0 1.0 · CC0License · Object record

Text

Ilu is an AkkadianAkkadianAn ancient East Semitic language written in cuneiform in Mesopotamia.Glossary · Click to read the explanation common nounCommon nounA word naming a class of things, such as “god”, rather than one particular individual.Glossary · Click to read the explanation meaning “god”. Forms such as ilum and ilim reflect grammatical variation and belong to this lexical entry rather than separate divine identities. These written attestations matter for the history of related Semitic vocabulary, but they do not establish that every occurrence refers to El as a particular deity. [1]

References and notes

  1. The Assyrian Dictionary, volume I/J, University of Chicago (1960) Entry ilu, from p. 91. Forms require grammatical context; the dictionary does not alone identify El and ilu in every text. Return to the text ↑

Research history

Substantive changes are retained here. Minor copy edits remain in the internal operational log.

  1. Edition 2 · 10 October 2026 · editor:aladmin

    Substantive record update

    Read this revision in its original language (Arabic)

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IL Archive, «Akkadian ilu», Edition 2, https://ilarchive.com/en/entities/akkadian-ilu