The attested writings of the name are Aštabi (in Alalakh and Hattusa), Aštabil/Ašdabil (in Ebla and Mari), aštb and possibly `ṭtpl and `ṭtpr (alphabetic spellings from Ugarit).

[3] Initially Hurrian origin had been ascribed to Aštabi by researchers[4] based on the similarity of his name to those of Kumarbi and Nabarbi, but this is no longer regarded as plausible due to the existence of earlier forms ending with -bil rather than -bi.

The available information does not point at the warlike character known from later sources, as unlike Adad he did not receive weapons as offerings,[7] though Alfonso Archi does not consider it fully implausible that theoretically he could have been a war god in the third millennium BCE already.

[8] The worship of Aštabi is well attested in documents from Ebla, and it was widespread in the area under the control of the city, with the names of at least three cult centers of this god appearing in records: Ba-šeki, Du-ubki (later Tuba), and Ìr-kuki.

[8] In Hurrian sources he sometimes formed a triad with Ugur (who in this context appears under the epithet "Šaumatar") and Nupatik, according to Volkert Haas based on their shared association with warfare.

[15] The character of Nupatik is generally regarded as uncertain,[16] though Haas is not the only author to ascribe the role of a warrior god to him, and especially the fact he received items related to archery as offerings is considered to be possible evidence supporting this theory.

Alongside his 70 unnamed allies he confronts the monster, but fails and as a result falls into the sea, while his adversary continues to grow until he reaches the city of the storm god, Kummiya.