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120 ble and whose gardens were deemed one of the ancient world’s wonders, the sacred precinct, with the Esagil ziggu- rat-temple at its center, was protected by its own walls and guarded gates; inside, processional ways were laid out to fit the religious ceremonies, and shrines were built for other gods (whom Marduk expected to be his unwilling guests). When archaeologists excavated Babylon, they found not only the city’s remains but also “architectural tablets” describing and mapping out the city; though many of the structures are remains from later times, this artist’s conception of the sa- cred precinct’s center (Fig. 52) gives a good idea of Marduk’s magnificent headquarters. As befits a “Vatican,” the sacred precinct was also filled with an impressive array of priests whose religious, cere- monial, administrative, political, and menial tasks can be gleaned from their varied groupings, classifications, and des- ignations. At the bottom of the hierarchy were the service personnel, the Abalu—*Porters”—who clean-swept the temple and ad- joining buildings, provided the tools and utensils that the other priests required, and acted as general supply and warehous- ing personnel—except for woollen yarns, which were en- trusted only to the Shu’uru priests. Special priests, like the Mushshipu and Mulillu, performed ritual purification ser- vices, except that it required a Mushlahhu to handle snake infestations. The Umannu, Master Craftsmen, worked in THE END OF DAYS FIGURE 52