Page Content (OCR)
41 The temple “raised its head” in the customary seven stages, but—unusually for the flat-topped Sumerian ziggurats—its head had to be pointed, “shaped like a horn’—Gudea had to emplace upon the temple’s top a capstone! Its shape is not described, but in all probability (and judging by the image on Nisaba’s head), it was in the shape of a pyramidion—in the manner of capstones on Egyptian pyramids (Fig. 19). More- over, rather than leave the brickwork exposed, as was cus- tomary, Gudea was required to encase the structure with a casing of reddish stones, increasing its similarity to an Egyp- tian pyramid. “The outside view of the temple was like that of a mountain set in place.” That raising a structure with the appearance of an Egyptian pyramid had a purpose becomes clear from Ninurta’s own words. The new temple, he told Gudea, will be seen from afar; its awe-inspiring glance will reach the heavens; the ado- ration of my temple shall extend to all the lands, its heavenly name will be proclaimed in countries from the ends of the Earth— In Magan and Meluhha it will cause people [to say]: Ningirsu [the “Lord of the Girsu’”], the Great Hero from the Lands of Enlil, is a god who has no equal; He is the lord of all the Earth. Magan and Meluhha were the Sumerian names for Egypt and Nubia, the Two Lands of the gods of Egypt. The purpose Egyptian Prophecies, Human Destinies FIGURE 19