Shams (deity)

Shams, also called or Shamsum or Dhat-Ba' dhanum, is a sun goddess of Arabian mythology.

Prior to Islam, religion on the Arabian Peninsula focused on local gods, with every tribe and kingdom having their particular protective deities.

However, there were also gods common for all Arabs, and the trinity of gods representing the Sun, the Moon and the planet Venus seem to have been worshipped throughout Arabia, though their names, gender and worship differed between regions.

As Nuha, Shams was also worshipped in a trinity alongside the male gods of the Moon and Venus.

In Mesopotamia, Athtar was identified with the goddess Ishtar, and Shams with the sun god Shamash.