Egi-zi
One poorly known cultic figure is that of the female egi/égi-zi(-an-na) (‘faithful/true
princess (of the heavens)’).^27 Divine égi-zi-an-naprovide gender models: the mother-
goddess Ninh
̆
ursagˆa and the goddess of exorcism, Ningirima. As for the deities whom
the egi-ziserved, those that are known are both male and female, the majority
belonging to the panthea around the city of Umma. In Umma, she holds the next-to-
highest rank of the ecclesiastical hierarchy (see above), in service to the god Sˇara just
below the lú-mah
̆
of Sˇara (Steinkeller 2005 : 304 ) and probably the highest in the
hierarchy of Nin-ura, the spouse of Sara. Frequently, she is said to be the egi-zi-mah
‘exalted egi-zi’. Her responsibilities included being the recipient of offerings presented ̆
to Sˇara (whether as beneficiary or as redistributor is uncertain) and collector of tithes.
Death, burial and commemorationWhen these high-ranking clerics died, they were buried with pomp and circumstance
befitting their rank in life and received perpetual funerary offerings and services.
Ancient sources provide much information on the burials of the deceased en-priestesses
of the moon-god Nanna and the eresˇ-digˆir-priestesses of Lagasˇ. Even the burial place
of the lú-mah
̆
- priest of BaU was one of veneration. The burial complexes were
composed of both a grave ki-mah
̆
and a mortuary chapel ki-a-nag(literally ‘water-
drinking place’) (Jagersma 2007 : 294 – 298 ).
When she died, a magnificent sepulchre was erected for the eresˇ-digˆirGemé-Lama
(Sallaberger 1995 : 16 , 20 ; Jagersma 2007 : 291 – 300 ). Her chariot bore her coffin through
the streets of Girsu to her final resting-place. Accompanied by wailing at her residence
and then at the mortuary chapel, she was laid to rest. Grave goods of sumptuous gold
jewellery and vessels were interred with Enagaziana, the en-priestess of Nanna of Karzida.
A cemetery of the en-priestesses was incorporated into the plan of the ˆiparg of Enanatuma
and it was surrounded by a wall and enlarged by Enanedu who named it únu sˇesˇ ba-an-
tùm‘Hall-that-brings-bitterness’ (Frayne RIME 4 300– 301 , 4. 2. 14. 20 : 34 – 48 ).
Obsequies at their mortuary chapels were performed regularly; there were outlays
for daily offerings in addition to the monthly expenditures at the New Moon and Full
Moon festivals, and during certain holiday celebrations. To perform the obsequies at
the mortuary chapel a large staff was needed among whom were gudu 4 -priests (for the
ensof Nansˇe). In Old Babylonian Ur, we have the description of the offerings of butter,
cheese and dates that were allotted to the ki-a-nagˆof the en-priestesses but not their
staff. We know that the offerings were placed at the mortuary chapel, probably before
the statues of dead en-priestesses. These statues were very elaborate. Kudur-mabuk,
king of Larsa and father of Enanedu, ordered the artisans to overlay the copper statue
of the en-priestess of Nanna with gold (UET 575 , see Charpin 1986 : 43 ).
Performative actors in cult ritual
In the second rank of the temple hierarchy is the most prolific group of sacerdotal
offices – that of the cultic officiants, specialists in charge of purification of sacral places
and objects, as well as the performance of the care and feeding of the deities, their
offerings and sacrifices. The Mesopotamian ritual specialists most commonly in charge–– Joan Goodnick Westenholz ––