that Gudea decided to rebuild the temple E-ninnu in honour of Ningirsu.  It describes how, when the land was suffering from drought and famine, Gudea had a dream, how Nina interpreted the dream to mean that he must rebuild the temple, and how Ningirsu himself promised that this act of piety would restore abundance and prosperity to the land.  Its text ends with the long description of the sumptuous manner in which the patesi carried out the work, the most striking points of which we have just summarized.  The narrative of the second cylinder begins at the moment when the building of the temple was finished, and when all was ready for the great god Nin-girsu to be installed therein, and its text is taken up with a description of the ceremonies and rites with which this solemn function was carried out.  It presents us with a picture, drawn from life, of the worship and cult of the ancient Sumerians in actual operation.  In view of its importance from the point of view of the study and comparison of the Sumerian and Babylonian religious systems, its contents also may be summarized.  We will afterwards discuss briefly the information furnished by both the cylinders on the Sumerian origin of many of the religious beliefs and practices which were current among the later Semitic inhabitants of Babylonia and Assyria.

When Gudea had finished building the new temple of E-ninnu, and had completed the decoration and adornment of its shrines, and had planted its gardens and stocked its treasure-chambers and storehouses, he applied himself to the preliminary ceremonies and religious preparations which necessarily preceded the actual function of transferring the statue of the god Ningirsu from his old temple to his new one.  Gudea’s first act was to install the Anunnaki, or Spirits of the Earth, in the new temple, and when he had done this, and had supplied additional sheep for their sacrifices and food in abundance for their offerings, he prayed to them to give him their assistance and to pronounce a prayer at his side when he should lead Ningirsu into his new dwelling-place.  The text then describes how Gudea went to the old temple of Ningirsu, accompanied by his protecting spirits who walked before him and behind him.  Into the old temple he carried sumptuous offerings, and when he had set them before the god, he addressed him in prayer and said:  “O my King, Ningirsu!  O Lord, who curbest the raging waters!  O Lord, whose word surpasseth all others!  O Son of Enlil, O warrior, what commands shall I faithfully carry out?  O Ningirsu, I have built thy temple, and with joy would I lead thee therein, and my goddess Bau would install at thy side.”  We are told that the god accepted Gudea’s prayer, and thereby he gave his consent to be removed from the old temple of E-ninnu to his new one which bore the same name.