Page Content (OCR)
176 purposes should be barred from ruling over Giza, or over the whole of Lower Egypt, for that matter. Pondering the condition over, Enki agreed. He then and_ there announced his decision. The lord of Giza and Lower Egypt, he said, will be a young son of his, espoused to one of the female dei- ties born when Enki had made love to Ninharsag: "For the formi- dable House Which Is Raised Like a Heap, he appointed the prince whose brilliant wife from the cohabitation with Tsir [Nin- harsag] was brought forth. The strong prince who is like a full- grown ibex—him he appointed, and commanded him to guard the Place of Life." He then granted the young god the exalted title NIN.GISH.ZLDA ("Lord of the Artifact of Life"). Who was Ningishzidda? Scholars find the information concerning him meager and confusing. He is mentioned in Mesopotamian texts in association with Enki, Dumuzi, and Ninharsag; in the Great God List he is included among the gods of Africa following Nergal and Ereshkigal. The Sumerians depicted him with Enki's emblem of the entwined serpents and with the Egyptian Ankh sign (Fig. 52 a,b). Yet they viewed Ningishzidda favorably; Ninurta be- friended him and invited him to Sumer. Some texts suggest that his mother was Ereshkigal, Enlil's granddaughter; our own conclusion is that he was indeed a son of Enki, conceived during Enki's and Fig. 52 THE WARS OF GODS AND MEN