One of the oldest examples of poetic literature in the world, the “Lament for Ur” is a dirge for the destroyed city, written by the earliest kings of the Isin dynasty, who wished to rebuild it. Ur had fallen to the Elamites, which was the end of the city’s third dynasty. The purpose of the poetry was to calm the angered, anguished soul of the god of Ur. Only then could they commence rebuilding efforts. In the lament, the goddess Ningal weeps for her city after pleading with the god Enlil to call back a destructive storm. There are other sections, sprinkled throughout, describing the ghost town Ur has become, calling on the moon god Nanna for protection, and describing the destructive storm of Enlil that destroyed the city. Ningal, who incidentally is wife of the moon god Nanna, goes on to recall her petition to the leaders of the gods, An and Enlil, to change their minds and not to destroy Ur. But the council of gods decided that Ur’s third dynasty, though it ruled for a thousand years, was deserving of their prophesied fate. The city was allowed to be destroyed by the Elamites. The lament seems particularly concerned with all the shrines and temples destroyed – perhaps to appease or honor as many gods as possible? The destruction of Ur is reported to Enlil, and his consort Ninlil, who are praised and exalted at the end of the Lament for Ur. This ancient poetry dates to 2000 BCE
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