For millennia, the world has struggled with the politicization of gender identity, but historical evidence suggests that non-binary people once held positions of power in ancient civilizations. In Mesopotamia—modern Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and Iran—gender-diverse individuals were not just tolerated, but valued for their ambiguity.
The Assinnu: Divine Servants of Ištar
Around 4,500 years ago, the assinnu served as cultic attendants of Ištar, the Mesopotamian goddess of love, war, and fertility. This deity was seen as the ultimate power to legitimize kings and maintain human reproduction. The assinnu’s gender fluidity was not a hindrance but a divine gift; hymns describe Ištar’s ability to change men into women and women into men.
Early scholars mistakenly interpreted the assinnu as religious sex workers, but textual evidence does not support this. The term assinnu itself relates to “woman-like,” “man-woman,” and even “hero,” indicating a revered role. Their gender ambiguity was seen as granting magical and healing powers, with incantations claiming they could extract illness. The assinnu were integral to the survival of Mesopotamian society because they maintained the wellbeing of the gods and humanity.
The Ša Rēši: Royal Courtiers Beyond Gender
Alongside the assinnu, the ša rēši (roughly translated as “one of the head”) occupied high-ranking positions as royal courtiers. Unlike court eunuchs in other cultures, the ša rēši had a unique identity. They were consistently depicted beardless, challenging the Mesopotamian norm where beards symbolized manhood.
Despite defying gender expectations, the ša rēši commanded authority, wearing the same attire as other elite men. Their duties included supervising the king’s private quarters—a space otherwise inaccessible to males—and even leading armies, being granted property and governorship after victories. The ša rēši’s gender fluidity allowed them to transcend boundaries between ruler and subject.
A Deliberate System of Power
The ancient Mesopotamians did not accidentally grant power to gender-diverse people; they recognized it as a source of strength. The evidence shows that these roles were not based on exclusion or exploitation, but on the perception that those who lived unbound by the gender binary could walk between the divine and mortal realms.
In today’s world, as transgender and gender-diverse people fight for acceptance, it’s vital to remember that respect for non-binary identities is not new. The Mesopotamians understood this millennia ago: sometimes, power comes from being different.
