Ezen-maḫ (Nanna)

The Ezen-maḫ (also Ezen-mach, Ezem-maḫ, Ezem-mach ; sublime festival ) of Nanna denoted the za-mu festival in the city of Ur , consecrated to the moon god in the tenth month of the original lunar calendar . The tenth month of the lunar calendar also functioned in Ur as the first month of the new year in the cult calendar of Nanna and was nicknamed er-su-a ( shed tears ). Outside of Ur, the za-mu festival was held for other temple deities and was sometimes celebrated at different times in the respective places.

The Baderites and processions associated with Ur are documented for the period from the fifth to the twelfth day of the month of Ezen-maḫ. The Ezen-maḫ festival ushered in the longest full moon night of a year. The last king of the first III dynasty , Ibbi-Sin (2028–2004 BC), consecrated a vessel made of gold to Nanna for “bathing during (the festival) Ezen-maḫ” .

literature

• Walther Sallaberger : New Year (sfest) A. (based on Sumerian sources) In: Dietz-Otto Edzard u. a .: Real Lexicon of Assyriology and Near Eastern Archeology , Vol. 9 . de Gruyter, Berlin 2001, ISBN 3-11-017296-8 , pp. 291-294.