Ningishzida- Mesopotamian GodDeity"Lord of the Good Tree"
Also known as: Gizzida and Ningišzida
Titles & Epithets
Domains
Symbols
Description
His name means 'Lord of the Good Tree,' and serpents coil around his form on ancient cylinder seals. When the wise Adapa arrived at the gate of heaven, Ningishzida stood waiting to receive him. The same god guided the pious ruler Gudea by the hand before the divine assembly.
Mythology & Lore
At the Gate
In the Adapa myth, the wise man Adapa arrives at the gate of heaven, summoned by Anu after breaking the wing of the South Wind. Two gods stand waiting to receive him: Ningishzida and Dumuzi. They welcome Adapa and speak for him before Anu's throne.
The same god stood at the other threshold. In the Death of Gilgamesh, Ningishzida is among the underworld deities who receive the hero after death. On cylinder seals, two serpents coil around a central staff: his sign, marking the god who stood between the world above and the world below.
Gudea's God
Gudea of Lagash claimed Ningishzida as his personal deity. In the Gudea Cylinders, the god takes Gudea by the hand and leads him before the divine assembly, speaking for the ruler among the great gods. The relationship is preserved on Gudea's votive statues and described in his inscriptions.
Relationships
- Associated with