Il carro del dio del sole nei testi cuneiformi dell'Età del Bronzo

The chariot of the Sun-god in the ancient Near Eastern texts has received little and occasional attention, and no specific studies have been devoted to it. Aim of this paper is to collect and discuss the Bronze Age cuneiform sources from Mesopotamia and Anatolia where the motif is attested. The texts show the antiquity of some features (for instance the horses of the team and the topos of their feeding and harnessing). They also clarify the motif's close connection with important religious practices to be held early in the morning, when the Sun-god emerges from his dangerous nocturnal journey in the underworld.