Nippur
Enlil's holy city, whose blessing every Sumerian king sought and whose scribal quarter preserved most of Sumerian literature.
- Location
- Northeast of al-Diwaniyah, central Iraq
- Modern name
- Nuffar
- Type
- Religious center; never a political capital
- Temple
- Ekur, temple of Enlil, rebuilt by Ur-Nammu (2112–2095 BCE)
- Excavated by
- University of Pennsylvania (1889–1900); later Chicago and Penn
- Finds
- Thousands of Sumerian literary tablets
What is Nippur known for?
Nippur in central Iraq was the religious heart of Sumer. It was never a political capital, but it was the home of Enlil, the god who carried out the decisions of the divine assembly. Kings of many cities sought recognition from Enlil's temple, the Ekur, to legitimize their rule.
American expeditions excavated the site from 1889 to 1900 and again from 1948. The scribal quarter produced thousands of tablets, which are the main source for Sumerian literature, including the Sumerian flood story of Ziusudra and many myths about Enlil. Ur-Nammu rebuilt the Ekur with a ziggurat in the 21st century BCE.
In myth, Nippur is where Enlil rules and where the gods' decisions about humans are carried out, including the plague, drought and flood of the Atrahasis story. The Curse of Agade blames the fall of Akkad on its king's desecration of the Ekur.
Enlil's seat, from which the gods' decisions, including the Flood, are carried out in Mesopotamian myth.
Mentioned on these pages
- Rabbit holeEnlil
- Rabbit holeNinurta
- Rabbit holeZiusudra (Xisuthrus)
- PlaceAkkad (Agade)
Sources
- Encyclopaedia Britannica, 'Nippur'Reference
- ETCSL, 'The cursing of Agade' (t.2.1.5)Primary text
- Wikipedia, 'Nippur'Reference
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