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Post by inimgina on Aug 15, 2016 13:39:14 GMT -5
"The seven mounds of Eridu, today know as Abu Shahrain, are located in Iraq at the South-western limits of the South Mesopotamian plain, about 24km Southwest of Ur. The site is famous for its long series of excavated temples spanning at least fifteen hundred years from 5,500 BC or earlier. In Sumerian literature Eridu was renowned as one of the most ancient 'cities of Mesopotamia and a source of 'kingship. Excavations at Eridu were conducted by several early explorers in Mesopotamia before the beginning of scientific investigations by Fuad Safar, Mohammed Ali Mustafa and Lloyd in the 1940s."
Dictionary of the Ancient Near East
By Piotr Bienkowski and Alan Ralph Millard (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2000)
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Post by inimgina on Aug 15, 2016 13:39:43 GMT -5
Gwendolyn Leick on Eridu:
"Throughout the ages Mesopotamian tradition identified Eridu as the most ancient of cities, as a holy place, the very site of creation. Mesopotamian notions of the city have very little to do with size, population density or political status. Except for two legendary Kings mentioned in the Sumerian King-list, there were no Kings in Eridu. It was not a centre of political power during any of the historical periods. Nor was it very important economically or strategically. Eridu's importance was mainly symbolic. It stood for Mesopotamia's link with the beginning of the world, proof of the astounding longevity of its civilization. It was also very holy. At Eridu the features of the landscape - especially the large body of sweet water, a soft of lagoon at the edge of a desert - were seen as manifestations of divinity. Once the special nature of the place became marked out and built over, over, and over again, in a continuous effort for a thousand years, it had accumulated enough creditability to retain the status of a very important place despite its small size and despite long periods of actual physical decay and neglect. Eridu became part of the cultural landscape, sometimes more of a concept, sometimes magnificently reconstructed."
Gwendolyn Leick
Mesopotamia the Invention of a City (Penguin, 2002)
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Post by inimgina on Aug 15, 2016 13:40:32 GMT -5
The Sumerian King List begins with: "After the kingship descended from heaven, the kingship was in Eridu."
Two rulers from Eridu, Alulim and Alalngar, are both listed before the kingship is carried off elsewhere. In the mythology of Eridu the city was brought to greatness by the hero Adapa the Abgallu (water + big + man) who served Alulim. He brought civilisation from the island of Dilmun (modern Bahrain) to the people of Eridu.
Eridu is known for its temples. Buildings were made of mudbricks and the foundation of new buildings would be built upon the mound of the old structures. Overtime, this creates mound called a "tell" in Arabic, a "Catal" in Turkish and a "Tepe" in Persian. Although most of the temples at Eridu are dedicated to Enki, Eridu also had a cults dedicated to Enbililu the god of Canals and son of Enki with Ninki. There was also a cult of Isimud/Usmu who was a minister to Enki. Located on the outskirts of Eridu was the Kuara District where the local cult was dedicated to Enki's son Asarluhi God of magic.
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Post by inimgina on Aug 15, 2016 13:40:52 GMT -5
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Post by inimgina on Aug 15, 2016 13:41:17 GMT -5
The first 15 lines of the Temples Hymns of Enheduanna reference the temples of Eridu: 1-7. O E-unir (House which is a ziqqurat), grown together with heaven and earth, foundation of heaven and earth, great banqueting hall of Eridug! Abzu, shrine erected for its prince, E-du-kug (House which is the holy mound) where pure food is eaten, watered by the prince's pure canal, mountain, pure place cleansed with the potash plant, Abzu, your tigi drums belong to the divine powers. 8-15. Your great ...... wall is in good repair. Light does not enter your meeting-place where the god dwells, the great ......, the beautiful place. Your tightly constructed house is sacred and has no equal. Your prince, the great prince, has fixed firmly a holy crown for you in your precinct -- OEridug with a crown placed on your head, bringing forth thriving thornbushes, pure thornbushes for the susbu priests (?), O shrine Abzu, your place, your great place! etcsl.orinst.ox.ac.uk/cgi-bin/etcsl.cgi?text=t.4.80.1&charenc=j# |
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Post by inimgina on Aug 15, 2016 13:42:02 GMT -5
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Post by inimgina on Aug 15, 2016 13:42:21 GMT -5
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Post by inimgina on Aug 15, 2016 13:43:26 GMT -5
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Post by inimgina on Aug 15, 2016 13:43:53 GMT -5
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Post by inimgina on Aug 15, 2016 13:45:03 GMT -5
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Post by sheshki on Aug 15, 2016 14:21:09 GMT -5
  | | eridugki | | (NUN.KI) |
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