Vladimir Emelianov (St.-Petersburg State University) HISTORY OF GUDEA’S PROCESSION The most ancient ritual text of the Near East is the hymn dedicated to building activity of ensi (governor) Gudea from Sumerian city of Lagash. This hymn is written down on two big clay cylinders in second half XXII century B.C. Cylinder A contains the description of restoration of the main city temple, which was the house of the supreme city-god Ningirsu. On the Cylinder B it is told about procedure of consecration of this temple and about ceremonial entry of divine family to it before their sacred marriage. 1 The text of Gudea Cylinders is unique in many aspects. First, it represents synthesis of several text genres: a building inscription, a votive inscription, a hymn to a temple and a hymn to the god. Second, as it is already told, it is the first text, which has reached from the Near East with the detailed description of ritual (before it the Egyptian Texts of Pyramids are known only) 2 . Thirdly, this text, well-known for scribes of Sumerian schools, became the forerunner of a new genre – that is, the royal hymn devoted to deified king (see about it Klein, 1989). For the historian engaged in research of social hierarchy and power structures, Gudea Cylinders are important material because here for the first time different ways of symbolical legitimation of the governor were described in details. Here we shall meet the ritual procession making travelling with offerings by water, and ritual incubation with the subsequent interpretation of sacred dreams, as well as prays, consecration and the temple holiday continued within seven days after the finishing of construction (see the formal analysis of ritual of Cylinders in Averbeck, 1987). Without these necessary operations Gudea never could confirm the right on authority in Lagash. The reason is that he had no status of king since the territory of Mesopotamia has been occupied by Guteans at that time. Title of Gudea was only ensi – that is, the town governor disposing of economic activities in territory of Lagash and neighboring cities (Diakonoff, 1959, 237, 243-246). Rituals of legitimations were especially important in such position 1 It will not be the big exaggeration if we say, that all cult poem placed on two cylinders is devoted to МЕ, which is a sacral category of attitude during Sumerian time. In its first part (accordingly Cylinder A) city-god Ningirsu states desire to carry out reorganization and consecration of his temple with all offerings accompanying these ceremony and celebratory actions. In terms of Sumerian language and religion it means, that the god wants to actualize his ME in external world. As the instrument of the god in this process governor Gudea to whom Ningirsu expresses his will in sacred dream during the time of incubation in a temple acts. The will of the god expresses at the moment of the inundation of the rivers, in spring. Realization of the supreme will occurs during the time of New Year (may be in autumn), and Ningirsu settled to his renewed dwelling is convinced that his МЕ’s, earlier existing only inside his heart, are henceforth shown and embodied in the form of a temple, as well as in things and actions of the ritual. Hence, the primary goal of the text is to show a way of МЕ’s from their occurrence in consciousness and a strong-willed impulse of a deity to registration in all that provides to a deity vital energy and good mood. In turn, joyful and the pleased deity will grant by his gifts everyone who took part in fulfillment of his plans. And first of all it concerns governor Gudea (Averbeck, 1997, 81-82; Averbeck, 2000, 418, fn. 2). 2 Both text cases have the certain ideological function: if Texts of Pyramids are intended for maintenance died kings a safe way to revival in a next world, texts of Gudea are called to help their composer to be justified before a deity, predetermined to it destiny, and at the same time before posterity which in the award for nice acts of Gudea should constantly feed his spirit with offerings. Offerings will be brought to statues of Gudea in a place of commemoration (called ki-a-nag “ the place of giving water”).