134 ); it became in time the traditional mark of his office in the third millennium.
Regarding adornment, there is an enigmatic reference to the kohl mascara used by the
isˇib-priests of Eridu (Inana and Sˇukaletuda 51 , ETCSL 1. 3. 3 ).
The nu-èsˇwas the key cultic functionary not only in the various temples in the city
of Nippur but also in the city of Adab; for example, in the temple of Damgalnuna
(e.g. Visicato and Westenholz 2010 : 120 s.v. nu-èsˇ; Biga 2005 ). He may have assumed
the duties of the gudu 4 -priest in these cities.^28 There seems to be no divine or royal
claimant to this position of service to other deities.
Less frequently occurring purification priests are the group: ˇitas , ˇita-èss ˇ, ˇita-ab-bas.
Their responsibilities included the clothing of the gods. In Girsu, they may have had
their own residence (é-sˇita). Gods and kings served as ˇitas -priest: ‘to Isˇme-Dagan, his
joyous, reverent sacral sˇita-priest, who daily serves, to sanctify its food, to purify its
water!’ (Lament over Nibru 276 – 277 , ETCSL 2. 2. 4 ). Viewed as a divine purifier, the
god Nusku, was said to be both a ˇitas -priest and a susbu-priest: susbu sˇita abzu kisal-e
sagˆ nam-du 8 – ù ‘susbu-priest, sˇita-priest of the abzu, you sprinkle the temple courtyard
with the best!’ (Hymn to NuskuA 23 , ETCSL 4. 29. 1 ). For the susbu-priest, divine
models were not only male but also female: ‘You are most apt for the holy susbu-rites
and lustration (ˇu-luhs
̆
) rites’ (Nin-imma A Segment B line 9 , ETCSL 4. 21. 1 ; Focke 1998 :
198 , line 10 ). According to the Nanse Hymn (A), the susbu-priest also administered
food allotments. The sánga(Sallaberger and Huber Vulliet 2003 – 2005 : 631 § 5. 4 ),
limited to Nippur, was known among cultic personnel of both Enlil and Inana (Zettler
1992 : 193 ). Kusu was the divine purification priest of Enlil or of the gods (Michalowski
1993 : 158 ).
Linen garments are assumed to be the standard cultic attire of certain priests. In
literary texts, they are termed ˇà-gada-lás ‘linen-clad’ (lit. ‘torso hung with linen’). The
linen-wearers of Sumer performed the isˇib-craft for Enki in the Abzu (Enki and the
World Orderlines 141 – 149 , ETCSL 1. 1. 3 ). These linen-clad priests perform certain ritual
acts in the sacred marriage of Inana and Dumuzi (Inana Hymn G 52 – 55 , see ETCSL
4. 07. 7 ; Sefati 1998 : 42 and n. 31 ). They prepare the altar and set water and bread before
Dumuzi. Gudea, ruler of the state of Lagasˇ, appoints a series of cultic officiants
described by their attire and headdress: ‘to their offices in the courtyard of Eninnu the
skin-clad ones, the linen-clad ones and those whose head is covered’ (Cyl. B vi 19 – 20 ,
see Edzard RIME 3 / 192 , ETCSL 2. 1. 7 line 952 – 953 ). The ‘skin-clad’ (kusˇ-lá, lit. ‘hung
with skin’) and the linen-clad priests both appear together in the hymn to the goddess
of dream interpretation, Nansˇe, of the city of Nigˆin in the state of Lagasˇ. The hymn
to the goddess Nansˇe further hints that these priests had to leave their clothes behind
to confront her in ritual nakedness. Possibly, reflecting the images of the flounced wool
dress or skirt seen on Sumerian figures are the references in the literary composition,
the Debate between Grain and Sheep(lines 107 – 111 , ETCSL 5. 3. 2 ). Sheep claims that:
‘In the gown, my cloth of white wool, the king rejoices on his throne. My body glistens
on the flesh of the great gods. After the gudu 4 -priests, the pasˇesˇ-priests and the
a-tu 5 –priests have dressed themselves in me for my holy lustration.’
Liturgical cantors and musiciansThe third group of temple personnel are the liturgical priests, the nar‘musician-singer’
who combined both functions, namely that of playing a musical instrument and of
–– Joan Goodnick Westenholz ––