EN (cuneiform)

The Sumerian term En, was originally used in his capacity both as an additional form of address to God, such as En - Lil, and priesthood salutation and means: Lord, Mr. Priest, divine Lord. The priest clad in the beginnings of Sumer to their positions on senior positions. Their task was to execute the divine instructions. The title En is therefore also an ruler titles and was initially limited to Uruk.

As a priest Title En emerged, however, in Ur very common. Mostly it was used there for the top priestess of the moon god Nanna and city. The Sumerians did not know the title of priest; so it would be more appropriate to use the term priest with cultic person or recipient of the divine instructions to translate. The ruler of Uruk title En was always in communication with the main goddess Inanna ( sky mistress / mistress of the sky ) was used. In his character of the title En was also always associated with ritual activities. In the layer Uruk IV of En is depicted as a man in the net skirt on cylinder seals.

In Uruk the supreme priesthood coincided with the Office of the city ruler. The En was thus also the Supreme Commander of the Army. In the myths Lugal - banda and the Epic of Gilgamesh this function is manifest days. Under En Temena of Lagash in Girsu contrast, the chief priest is titled as Sangu, who played alongside the Ensi a special role.

The divine ruler title En was sometimes awarded retrospectively. As an example, Me - Bar - Agesi called Kish, which is called with the addition En as En -Me- Bar - Agesi as king of Kish in the Sumerian King List.