Nanshe: The Goddess of Social Justice and Prophecy
The following most influential Goddess of Mesopotamia is Nanshe: The Goddess of Social Justice of Prophecy. The mother goddess Ninhursag and the god of water, knowledge, mischief, crafts, and creation, Enki, were the parents of Nanshe. Like her father, she had several abilities with him, including prophecy, social justice, fishing, and fertility, and she also had a strong connection to water. Enki was tasked with assigning duties to each god, and Nanshe was given control of the Persian Gulf. Near Nina in Sirara was where her temple was located. As the goddess of social justice and balance, Nanshe helped widows, took care of orphans, rescued individuals from dangerous areas, and gave debtors guidance. She predicted the future via oneiromancy, the practice of reading dreams, in her role as goddess of prophecy. Even her priests had the gift of prophecy following the completion of specific ceremonies involving death and resurrection.
Many songs to Nanshe appeared between 2144 and 2124 BCE, depicting her in a high place in the pantheon. She was a goddess of justice who was highly revered. She fostered orphans, supported widows, offered debt counseling to those who needed it, and welcomed refugees from places ripped apart by conflict. Several additional gods seemed to be under Nanshe's control. Her assistants were Haia and Hendursag. She had Nisaba as her principal scribe, who was occasionally portrayed as Nanshe's sister. A festival was conducted in her temple on the first day of the new year. People flocked to her for advice and assistance from all over the country. If worthy, visitors were granted an audience with the goddess after being purified in the river of trials. Among mortals, Nanshe arbitrated disputes and presided over trials. Nanshe, who had a larger position in the pantheon during this time, occasionally collaborated on projects with Utu, the traditional deity of justice. She was revered as a goddess of protection and sat on the holy thrones among other powerful deities. Ninurta, the powerful god of war, looks to her for direction at one point.
