Lamassu from Dur-Sharrukin. University of Chicago Oriental Institute. Gypsum (?) Neo-Assyrian Period, c. 721–705 BCE

The boat finally drifts to the shores of a place I don’t recognise, a land of green and gold, marshland and desert. There are a few people standing on the shore, quietly watching my vessel land on a sandy bank. They move forward and grasp the vessel, taking a brief moment to place it near the simple port. We don’t speak each other’s language, but that presents no problem. What needs to be communicated is conveyed succinctly, accompanied by smiles and nods. There is more to this encounter, understood on a deeper level, without the need for speech.

Enki, Sumerian god of water, knowledge, creation and magic,

Enki, original patron of Eridu,

Enki, the purpose for this journey,

Enki, of the golden eyes and star filled temples.

A man appears, someone who is…