Temple-Building & Sacred Architecture

Building or restoring a god's temple was among the highest acts a king could perform. The temple was the god's 'house' (e), and its construction was framed as a sacred drama: the god commissions the work, often in a dream; the king secures the materials, lays the foundations with prescribed rites, and the god takes up joyful residence. Gudea of Lagash devoted two great clay cylinders to the building of Ningirsu's temple — the longest Sumerian literary text — narrating the dream, the bricks, and the god's entry. Temple-building proved a king's piety and secured his city's blessing.