- 4 : 33 – 38 ). The agrun(É.NUN) ‘bedchamber’ of Ningal was found in the
archaeological excavations of the Ningal Temple: C 28 , the room with a bed dais, was
situated next to C 27 , the cella. The importance of the bedchamber of this particular
temple gave its name to the temple complex as a whole. The administrative, literary
and archaeological evidence thus demonstrate clearly that the celebration of a ‘sacred
marriage’ rite between Ningal and Nanna was solemnised in the Ningal Temple.
- 4 : 33 – 38 ). The agrun(É.NUN) ‘bedchamber’ of Ningal was found in the
Lagar
The enwas often affiliated with an associate, a lagar, of whom we have limited
information. This cleric ministered to the en; acted as a vizier and was of the same
sex/gender of the ecclesiastic he/she served (see Westenholz forthcoming). The lagar
accompanied the ento inspect the building of the temple in the city of Girsu in the
state of Lagasˇ. In the service of the high god of Sumer, Enlil of Nippur, she/he
performed certain liturgical actions, specified as ˇu-silim-mas , literally the ‘hand of well-
being/greeting’ defined by an Akkadian gloss sˇa kara ̄bi‘of blessing’ which covers a
range of meanings including formulas of praise, adoration, homage and greeting to a
god, invocation of blessing upon others in the presence of the gods, and dedication of
offerings to the gods (Westenholz 1992 : 299 f.).
IsˇibThe isˇib-priest, a prominent male cultic functionary, served female and male deities.
The importance of this position is shown by the assumption of the title by kings of
Sumer. The royal title isˇib(-an-na) ‘isˇib(of the heavens)’ was held first by Lugalzagesi,
king of Umma and sovereign of all of Sumer around 2350 BC. (Steinkeller 2003 : 622 ),
and by the later kings of the early second millennium BC: Sˇu-Sîn, Lipit-Isˇtar, and Ur-
Ninurta of Isin, Rı ̄m-Sîn of Larsa. A similar title isˇib-an-ki-a‘isˇibof heaven and earth’
was taken by the Neo-Sumerian kings at the end of the third millennium BC.
Literary texts reveal isˇibto be also a divine title and relate the origin of nam-isˇib‘the
isˇib-craft’ to various deities, in particular Enki, the isˇibof the gods, the god of wisdom
who dwells in the watery depths, the Abzu. Enki is served by Ningˆisˇzida who is his ˇib-is
mah
̆
‘exalted isˇib’ and holds the sacred esˇda-libation-goblet and is called ‘my linen-clad
one’. A divine model of the lower-ranking isˇib-priest is Iggala (‘Big Door’) the isˇib-gal
‘great isˇib’ of the Eanna in Uruk (Richter 2004 : 307 – 308 ).
The human isˇib-priest also held different positions in the ecclesiastical hierarchy
depending on the cult of the god or goddess that he served. Whilst he occupied a
subsidiary position in certain cults as in the cult of the god Dumuzi in the city of Uruk
where there are a number of isˇib-priests, in others he held the highest-ranking office,
in particular the isˇibof the god Ningˆirsu in the city of Girsu in the state of Lagasˇ.
The state of Lagasˇ was composed of various cities, each of which had its own
pantheon of deities and attendant clergy. The goddess Nansˇe dwelled in the city of
Nigˆin (NINA) and was served by an en-priest but in the capital city of Girsu, the isˇib-
priest of Ningˆirsu was the highest clerical officer in the cult of Ningˆirsu, the chief god
of the city. He was the living image of his patron Ningˆirsu isˇib-an-na‘isˇibof the
heavens’ and of the same sex as his patron. One of the most significant sacred rites in
any Mesopotamian temple was the incarnation of the god in his image. The tran-
–– Joan Goodnick Westenholz ––