Editing Gudea (section)

==Inscriptions==
[[File:Gudea dedication tablet (name and title).jpg|thumb|left|''Gudea [[Ensi (Sumerian)|Ensi]] [[Lagash]]ki'', "Gudea, Governor of Lagash", in an inscription]]
[[File:Cylinder seal of Gudea.jpg|thumb|Cylinder seal of Gudea. It reads "Gudea, Ensi of Lagash; Lugal-me, scribe, thy servant".<ref>{{cite book |last1=Ward |first1=W. H. |title=The seal cylinders of western Asia |date=1910 |publisher=Рипол Классик |isbn=9785878502252 |pages=23–24 Note 13, Seal N.38 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IxoSAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA23 |language=en}}</ref>]]
Gudea chose the title of ''énsi'' (town-king or governor), not the more exalted {{Lang|sux|[[lugal]]}} ([[Akkadian language|Akkadian]] ''šarrum''). Gudea did not style himself "god of Lagash" as he was not deified during his own lifetime, this title must have been given to him posthumously{{sfnp|Edzard|1997| p=26}} as in accordance with Mesopotamian traditions for all rulers except Naram-Sin of Akkad and some of the Ur III kings.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Brisch |first1=Nicole |title=Of Gods and Kings: Divine Kingship in Ancient Mesopotamia |journal=Religion Compass |date=2013 |volume=7 |issue=2 |pages=37–46 |doi=10.1111/rec3.12031}}</ref>

The 20 years of his reign are all known by name; the main military exploit seems to have occurred in his Year 6, called the "Year when [[Anshan (Persia)|Anshan]] was smitten with weapons".<ref>[http://cdli.ucla.edu/tools/yearnames/HTML/T4K2.htm Year-names for Gudea], [https://cdli.ucla.edu/ Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative].</ref>

Although Gudea claimed to have conquered [[Elam]] and Anshan, most of his inscriptions emphasize the building of [[irrigation]] channels and [[temple]]s, and the creation of precious gifts to the gods.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Steinkeller |first1=Piotr |title=Puzur-Inˇsuˇsinak at Susa: A Pivotal Episode of Early Elamite History Reconsidered |page=299 |url=https://www.academia.edu/35603952 |language=en}}</ref>

Materials for his buildings and statues were brought from all parts of western [[Asia]]: [[Cedrus|cedar]] wood from the [[Amanus]] mountains, quarried stones from [[Lebanon]], [[copper]] from northern [[Arabia]], [[gold]] and precious stones from the desert between [[Canaan]] and [[Egypt]], [[diorite]] from [[Magan (civilization)|Magan]] (Oman), and [[timber]] from [[Dilmun]] (Bahrain).<ref>{{cite book |last1=Thomason |first1=Allison Karmel |title=Luxury and Legitimation: Royal Collecting in Ancient Mesopotamia |date=2017 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-351-92113-8 |page=87 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=W2NBDgAAQBAJ&pg=PT87 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Moorey |first1=Peter Roger Stuart |title=Ancient Mesopotamian Materials and Industries: The Archaeological Evidence |date=1999 |publisher=Eisenbrauns |isbn=978-1-57506-042-2 |page=245 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=P_Ixuott4doC&pg=PA245 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Thapar |first1=Romila |title=A Possible Identification of Meluḫḫa, Dilmun and Makan |journal=Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient |date=1975 |volume=18 |issue=1 |pages=1–42 |doi=10.2307/3632219 |jstor=3632219 |issn=0022-4995}}</ref>