The City & Its Patron God
Every great city belonged to a god — its temple the god's house, its fall the god's departure.
Mesopotamian civilization was a civilization of cities, and each great city 'belonged' to a god: Nippur to Enlil, Eridu to Enki, Ur to the moon-god Nanna, Uruk to An and Inana, Babylon to Marduk, Assur to the god Aššur. The city was literally the god's estate, the temple the god's house, and the citizens the god's people. A city flourished while its god was pleased and present, and fell when the god, angered, abandoned it. Civic identity, religion, and politics were one: to be of a city was to serve its god.
Key passages(15)
City worthy of the divine powers, according to its name: shrine Urim, raging storm of Sumer, battleground -- and well established! Origin of human seed, consolidating the foundations of the Land, abun
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... payed its interest-bearing loan, but took its barley rental. The king of Lagaš.... Because of..., the leader of Umma acted belligerently against it and defied Lagaš. Aya-kurgal, king of Lagaš, chi
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Enlil, the king of all lands, the father of all gods, fixed the border between Ninĝirsu and Šara by his firm command. By the order of Ištaran, Me-silim, king of Kiš measured it off and erected a stela
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The roaring storm covered it like a cloak, was spread over it like a sheet. It covered Eridug like a cloak, was spread over it like a sheet. In the city, the furious storm resounded ……. In Eridug, the
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To overturn the appointed times, to obliterate the divine plans, the storms gather to strike like a flood. An, Enlil, Enki and Ninḫursaĝa Ninmaḫ have decided its fate -- to overturn the divine powers
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He has abandoned his cow-pen and has let the breezes haunt his sheepfold. The wild bull has abandoned his cow-pen and has let the breezes haunt his sheepfold. The lord of all the lands has abandoned i
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A hymn to Nibru and Išme-Dagan (Išme-Dagan W)
City whose terrifying splendour extends over heaven and earth, whose towers are exceptionally grand, shrine Nibru! Your power reaches to the edges of the uttermost extent of heaven and earth. Of all t
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A hymn to Numušda for Sîn-iqīšam (Sîn-iqīšam A)
Exalted lord, for whom a favourable destiny was determined while he was still in the good womb! Numušda, exalted lord, for whom a favourable destiny was determined while he was still in the good womb!
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A praise poem of Enlil-bāni (Enlil-bāni A)
Enlil-bāni, wondrous king among the princes! Created by An, elevated by Enlil, like Utu the light of all lands, born to princedom, girded with all the divine powers, watched over by Enlil and listened
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For the goddess Ištar of Uruk, sovereign of heaven and netherworld, most powerful of the gods, exalted one, who executes the command she gives in the east and in the west, the fierce goddess of battle
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For Ninĝirsu. E-ana-tum, ruler of Lagaš, whose name was proclaimed by Enlil, given strength by Ninĝirsu, chosen by Nanše in the heart, nourished on rich milk by Ninhursaĝa, called by a propitious name
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By his firm command, Enlil, the king of all lands, the father of all gods....... (Uš) removed the stela and repositioned it towards the plain of Lagaš. By (Enlil’s) just command, Ninĝirsu, Enlil’s war
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Enlil-bani, the shepherd, who makes everything abundant for Nibru, the farmer of Urim’s plentiful barley, who purifies all divine powers of Eridug, the favourite en - priest of Unug, king of Isin, kin
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Deities Aššur, Anu, Enlil, Ea, Sîn, Šamaš, Adad, Marduk, Nabû, [ Nerg ] al, Ištar, (and) the Sebetti, the great gods, who install the lord (and) name the ruler to lead the black-headed (people) all ov
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The …… which had developed -- its wiping clean (?) was to be accomplished (?). The …… of heaven and earth put their divine powers …… to sleep (?). …… mortal man multiplied to become as numerous as th
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