Editing Enki (section)

==Worship==
The main temple to Enki was called ''E-abzu'', meaning "[[abzu]] temple" (also ''E-en-gur-a'', meaning "house of the subterranean waters"), a [[ziggurat]] temple surrounded by [[Euphrates|Euphratean]] marshlands near the ancient [[Persian Gulf]] coastline at [[Eridu]]. It was the first temple known to have been built in Southern Iraq. Four separate excavations at the site of Eridu have demonstrated the existence of a shrine dating back to the earliest [[Ubaid period]], more than 6,500 years ago. Over the following 4,500 years, the temple was expanded 18 times, until it was abandoned during the Persian period.{{r|Espak 2006}}{{Page needed|date=March 2021}} On this basis Thorkild Jacobsen<ref>Jacobsen, Thorkild (1970) "Mesopotamian Gods and Pantheons", p. 22</ref> has hypothesized that the original deity of the temple was Abzu, with his attributes later being taken by Enki over time. P. Steinkeller believes that, during the earliest period, Enki had a subordinate position to a goddess (possibly [[Ninhursag]]), taking the role of divine consort or high priest,<ref>Steinkeller P. (1999) "Priests and Officials", p. 129</ref> later taking priority. The Enki temple had at its entrance a pool of fresh water, and excavation has found numerous carp bones, suggesting collective feasts. Carp are shown in the twin water flows running into the later God Enki, suggesting continuity of these features over a very long period. These features were found at all subsequent Sumerian temples, suggesting that this temple established the pattern for all subsequent Sumerian temples. "All rules laid down at Eridu were faithfully observed".<ref>van Buren, E.D. (1951) OsNs 21, p. 293{{Full citation needed|date=March 2021}}</ref>