The King as Shepherd of the People

A favorite image of the good king was the shepherd. Just as a herdsman leads his flock to pasture and water, guards it from predators, and tends the weak, so the king was to lead, protect, and provide for his people on the gods' behalf. The metaphor runs through royal hymns and law-prologues: the king 'shepherds' the land, makes it secure and prosperous, and ensures that the strong do not oppress the weak. It is one of the oldest and most enduring political ideals of the ancient Near East — power understood as care and responsibility, not mere domination.