Editing Nippur (section)

===Kassite through Sassanid periods===
Under the succeeding [[Kassites|Kassite]] dynasty, shortly after the middle of the 2nd millennium, Ekur was restored once more to its former splendor, several monarchs of that dynasty built upon and adorned it, and thousands of inscriptions, dating from the time of those rulers, have been discovered in its archives. A new temple within Ekur, the Ekurigibarra, was built by [[Kurigalzu I]] (c. 1375 BC).<ref>Bartelmus, A. (2010): Restoring the past. A historical analysis of the royal temple building inscriptions from the
Kassite Period, Kaskal 7, 143–171.</ref> After the middle of the 12th century BC follows another long period of comparative neglect due to the river Euphrates changing its course, but with the waters return and the conquest of Babylonia by the Assyrian king [[Sargon II]], at the close of the 8th century BC, we meet again with building inscriptions, and under [[Ashurbanipal]], about the middle of the 7th century BC, we find Ekur restored with a splendour greater than ever before, the ziggurat of that period being 58 by 39&nbsp;m.<ref>[https://oi.uchicago.edu/sites/oi.uchicago.edu/files/uploads/shared/docs/Publications/SAOC/saoc71.pdf Mark Altaweel and Carrie Hritz, Assyrians in Nippur], pp. 41-62 in Studies in Ancient Oriental Civilization 71, Chicago: The Oriental Institute, 2021 {{ISBN|978-1-61491-063-3}}</ref><ref>Cole, S. W., "Nippur in Late Assyrian Times (c. 755–612 BC).", State Archives of Assyria Studies, vol. 4, Helsinki, 1996 {{ISBN|9514572866}}</ref> After the fall of the [[Neo-Assyrian Empire]] Ekur appears to have gradually fallen into decay, until finally, in the [[Seleucid]] period, the ancient temple was turned into a fortress ({{langx|grc|Νιππούρ}}, ''Nippoúr''). Huge walls were erected at the edges of the ancient terrace, the courts of the temple were filled with houses and streets, and the [[ziggurat]] itself was curiously built over in a cruciform shape, and converted into an [[acropolis]] for the fortress. This fortress was occupied and further built upon until the close of the [[Parthia]]n period, about 250 AD; but under the succeeding rule of the [[Sassanid dynasty|Sassanid]]s it in its turn fell into decay.