Kesh (Sumer)
Kesh was an ancient Sumerian city and religious site, whose patron goddess was Ninhursag. Its location is uncertain; some of the possible sites put forth include Al-Ubaid, near Ur, or Tell al-Wilayah near Adab or Abu Salabikh though the consensus is now with Tell al-Wilayah. The city is known to near to and was under the control of the ancient city of Irisaĝrig. Kesh in mentioned on the Bassetki Statue of Naram-Sin.[1]
Temple Hymn
There is a famous Kesh temple hymn[2] about Ninhursag's temple in Kesh (hur-saĝ gal), where she is called Nintud. The goddess Nisaba appears as the temple's caretaker and decision maker.A cuneiform tablet fragment of the Kesh Temple Hymn (the longer version, a shorter version having been written by Enheduanna, the daughter of Sargon of Akkad) was found at Abu Salabikh.[3]
Good house, built in a good place,
House Kesh, built in a good place, like a princely barge floating in the sky, like a holy barge set with seat and horns, like the boat of heaven,the lordly crown of the mountains, like a well-braced boat-cabin having moved off from the bank.
House, roaring like an ox,bellowing like a breed bull[4]
Location
Robert D. Biggs suggested Kesh could have just been a variation in the spelling of Kish.[5] From inscriptions it is known that Adab was on the Kesh Canal.[6] More recently it has been suggested that Kesh is located at Tulul al-Baqarat.[7][8]
References
- ^ Tinney, Steve. “A New Look at Naram-Sin and the ‘Great Rebellion.’” Journal of Cuneiform Studies, vol. 47, 1995, pp. 1–14
- ^ "The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature".
- ^ Biggs, Robert D.. "An Archaic Sumerian Version of the Kesh Temple Hymn from Tell Abū Ṣalābīkh", Zeitschrift für Assyriologie und Vorderasiatische Archäologie, vol. 61, no. 2, 1971, pp. 193-207
- ^ Ansky, S.. "Hymn to Kesh". The Harps that Once..., edited by David G. Roskies, New Haven: Yale University Press, 1992, pp. 377-385
- ^ Biggs, Robert D., Zeitschrift für Assyriologie und Vorderasiatische, Archäologie , Volume 61 (2), de Gruyter – Jan 1, 1971 - Springerprotocols
- ^ Biggs, R. D. “Pre-Sargonic Riddles from Lagash.” Journal of Near Eastern Studies, vol. 32, no. 1/2, 1973, pp. 26–33
- ^ Steinkeller, Piotr. "Two Sargonic Seals from Urusagrig and the Question of Urusagrig’s Location" Zeitschrift für Assyriologie und vorderasiatische Archäologie, vol. , no. , 2021. https://doi.org/10.1515/za-2021-2001
- ^ Viano, M. (2020): On the Location of Irisaĝrig Once Again, JCS 71, 35–52
See also
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