and their court, encompassing deities such as Uṣur-amāssu, surpassed in prominence by Anu and Antu. While Anu was not completely absent from Uruk at any point in time between the third and first millennium BCE, his position was that of a "figurehead" and "otiose deity" according to Paul-Alain Beaulieu. He proposes that Anu's rise was the result of Babylon losing its influence after Persian conquest, which resulted in the development of a new local theology relying on the god list An = Anum (which starts the divine hierarchy with Anu) to enhance local pride. A side effect of the process was the rise of deities connected with Anu, such as Papsukkal and Amasagnudi. In theological texts, Papsukkal and Amasagnudi are jointly listed on the ninth place in lists arranging the gods of Seleucid Uruk according to perceived theological importance. However, Amasagnudi does not occur in any theophoric names from Uruk. Julia Krul proposes that it should be understood as an indication that her presence in the religion of Seleucid Uruk was largely limited to theological speculation of high-ranking members of the clergy. During the new year festival held in Uruk in the Seleucid period, Amasagnudi was among the deities listed as participants of the parade lead by Antu (rather than Ishtar), alongside the likes of Shala, Aya, Gula, Sadarnunna (the wife of Nuska) and Ašratum. References Bibliography Mesopotamian goddesses Messenger goddesses