Epithets of Inanna

[3] The primary purpose of such titles was "outlining the essential qualities, activities, functions, genealogy, and hierarchical position of a given deity.

[12] A third common type of similar epithets, starting with Šarrat ("queen"), is first attested in the Old Babylonian period in the northern part of Babylonia.

[13] However, titles designating manifestations of various deities associated with specific places are already attested in the Early Dynastic period.

[22] The former aspect of her character most likely goes back to her prehistory, as she was already understood as a personification of Venus as both morning and evening star based on her titles present in texts from the Uruk period.

[25] Westenholz noted while this phenomenon, which she refers to as "fission of deities", is attested for various members of the Mesopotamian pantheon, it is the most common for epithets of Inanna.

[12] Due to the number of her titles, as well as their frequent association with specific places, it has been speculated that there might have been more than one deity named Inanna.

[26] Tonia Sharlach argues that the names Inanna and Ishtar were effectively umbrella terms, and many of the local forms had distinct characters.

[166] Gernot Wilhelm renders the logogram phonetically as Ishtar,[165] but according to Marie-Claude Trémouille, the deity meant might be Šauška,[166] who was considered to be her counterpart both in Mesopotamian and Hurrian sources.