suffered and the country was threatened with famine.  Gudea was at a loss to know by what means he might restore prosperity to his country, when one night he had a dream, and it was in consequence of this dream that he eventually erected one of the most sumptuously appointed of Sumerian temples.  By this means he secured the return of Ningirsu’s favour and that of the other gods, and his country once more enjoyed the blessings of peace and prosperity.

In the opening words of the first of his cylinders Gudea describes how the great gods themselves took counsel and decreed that he should build the temple of E-ninnu and thereby restore to his city the supply of water it had formerly enjoyed.  He records that on the day on which the destinies were fixed in heaven and upon earth, Enlil, the chief of the gods, and Ningirsu, the city-god of Shirpurla, held converse.  And Enlil, turning to Ningirsu, said:  “In my city that which is fitting is not done.  The stream doth not rise.  The stream of Enlil doth not rise.  The high waters shine not, neither do they show their splendour.  The stream of Enlil bringeth not good water like the Tigris.  Let the King (i.e.  Ningirsu) therefore proclaim the temple.  Let the decrees of the temple E-ninnu be made illustrious in heaven and upon earth!” The great gods did not communicate their orders directly to Gudea, but conveyed their wishes to him by means of a dream.  And while the patesi slept a vision of the night came to him, and he beheld a man whose stature was so great that it equalled the heavens and the earth.  And by the crown he wore upon his head Gudea knew that the figure must be a god.  And by his side was the divine eagle, the emblem of Shirpurla, and his feet rested upon the whirlwind, and a lion was crouching upon his right hand and upon his left.  And the figure spoke to the patesi, but he did not understand the meaning of the words.  Then it seemed to Gudea that the sun rose from the earth and he beheld a woman holding in her hand a pure reed, and she carried also a tablet on which was a star of the heavens, and she seemed to take counsel with herself.  And while Gudea was gazing he seemed to see a second man who was like a warrior; and he carried a slab of lapis lazuli and on it he drew out the plan of a temple.  And before the patesi himself it seemed that a fair cushion was placed, and upon the cushion was set a mould, and within the mould was a brick, the brick of destiny.  And on the right hand the patesi beheld an ass which lay upon the ground.

Such was the dream which Gudea beheld in a vision of the night, and he was troubled because he could not interpret it.  So he decided to go to the goddess Nina, who could divine all mysteries of the gods, and beseech her to tell him the meaning of the vision.  But before applying to the goddess for her help, he thought it best to secure the mediation of the god Ningirsu and the goddess Gatumdug, in order that they should use their influence with Nina to