Shamash, (Akkadian), Sumerian Utu, in Mesopotamian religion, the god of the sun,

who, with the moon god, Sin (Sumerian: Nanna), and Ishtar (Sumerian: Inanna),
the goddess of Venus, was part of an astral triad of divinities. Shamash was the
son of Sin.

Shamash, as the solar deity, exercised the power of light over darkness and
evil. In this capacity he became known as the god of justice and equity and was
the judge of both gods and men. (According to legend, the Babylonian king
Hammurabi received his code of laws from Shamash.) At night, Shamash became
judge of the underworld.
Shamash was not only the god of justice but also governor of the whole universe;
in this aspect he was pictured seated on a throne, holding in his hand the
symbols of justice and righteousness, a staff and a ring. Also associated with
Shamash is the notched dagger. The god is often pictured with a disk that
symbolized the Sun.

As the god of the sun, Shamash was the heroic conqueror of night and death who
swept across the heavens on horseback or, in some representations, in a boat or
chariot. He bestowed light and life. Because he was of a heroic and wholly
ethical character, he only rarely figured in mythology, where the gods behaved
all too often like mortals. The chief centres of his cult were at Larsa in Sumer
and at Sipp