I. Name

The meaning of the name Melqart is generally acknowledged to be ‘King of the City’. Since Melqart appears as the city god of 1st millennium bce Tyre, the ‘City’, qrt, in question is mostly identified as a designation of Tyre. However, in view of the chtonic character of Melqart (the deity is equated with Nergal, cf. RAAM 194–195), the ‘City’ could also be interpreted as a euphemism of the underworld, called “the great city”, iri.gal, Akk. Irkallu, in the Mesopotamian tradition.

Melqart is usually …