Artist's depiction of two winged deities that represented Enlil. They are kneeling in front of a sacred tree, often associated with the worship of the Earth god.
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Enlil

Enlil was the Sumerian god of Earth and air. Sumerians were living more than three thousand years ago in Mesopotamia. Mesopotamia is now known as the states of Iraq and Kuwait. Enlil was especially worshipped in the city of Nippur.

Even though Enlil was considered "the Father of the Gods", he was banished to the world of the dead by the assembly of the gods for doing wrong. To let him witness the birth of his own child, Ninlil decided to follow him to the underworld.

She gave birth to their son, the Moon god Sin. In order for Sin to enter the sky, the two gave their next three children to the gods.

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Windows to the Universe, a project of the National Earth Science Teachers Association, is sponsored in part is sponsored in part through grants from federal agencies (NASA and NOAA), and partnerships with affiliated organizations, including the American Geophysical Union, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Earth System Information Partnership, the American Meteorological Society, the National Center for Science Education, and TERC. The American Geophysical Union and the American Geosciences Institute are Windows to the Universe Founding Partners. NESTA welcomes new Institutional Affiliates in support of our ongoing programs, as well as collaborations on new projects. Contact NESTA for more information. NASA ESIP NCSE HHMI AGU AGI AMS NOAA