Kesh (Keš or Keši) was an ancient Sumerian city and religious site, whose patron goddess was Ninhursag. It was included on the "city seals" found at Jemdat Nasr. These seals sparked the theory at an Early Dynastic Kengir League control Sumer at that time.[1] [2] Its location is uncertain; some of the possible sites put forth include Al-Ubaid, near Ur, or Tell al-Wilayah near Adab or Abu Salabikh or even Tell Jidr though the consensus is now with Tell al-Wilayah or Tulul al-Baqarat.[3] [4] The city is known to be located near to the ancient city of Irisaĝrigm and was under the control of that city. According to a riddle from Early Dynastic times, there was a Kesh Canal, which Adab was on.[5]
It has been suggested that Mesilim, traditionally considered "King of Kish" was actually a ruler of Kesh, based on epigraphic reasons and by the fact that he called himself "beloved son of Ninharsag".[6]
A number of personal names from the Early Dynastic period include the city of Kesh. An example was Me-Kèški ie "The divine forces of Kesh".[7]
In the prologue of the Code of Hammurabi it states "the one whom the sage, Mama brought to perfection; who laid out the plans for Kesh" where Mama referred to the goddess Ninhursag.[8]
The third year name of Rim-Sin II (c. 1700 BC), ruler of Larsa, reads "Year in which Ninmah raised greatly in the Kesz temple, the foundation of heaven and earth, (Rim-Sin) to kingship over the land, (king) having no enemy, no hostile (king), opposing him in all foreign lands." where Ninmah is another name for Ninhursag.[9] In a letter to Amurrum-tillati, Rim-Sin II declares "In order to bring light to Yamutbalum and to gather its scattered people, the great gods established the foundations of my throne in Keš, the city of my creatress" suggesting that his throne, and capital, were in Kesh.[10] According to a statue inscription Samsu-iluna, ruler of Babylon, destroyed Kesh and "Ninhursag’s Gate", and possibly executed Rim-Sin II there after suppressing his revolt.[11]
Kesh is mentioned on the Bassetki Statue of Naram-Sin.[12]
There is a famous Kesh temple hymn[13] about Ninhursag's temple in Kesh (hur-saĝ gal), where she is called Nintud. The goddess Nisaba appears as the temple's caretaker and decision maker. A cuneiform tablet fragment of the Kesh Temple Hymn was found at Abu Salabikh.[14]
One of the Temple Hymns of Enheduanna, the daughter of Sargon of Akkad, is dedicated to Kesh as well, though it is shorter than the Early Dynastic composition:
Robert D. Biggs suggested Kesh could have just been a variation in the spelling of Kish.[15] From inscriptions it is known that Adab was on the Kesh Canal.[16] More recently it has been suggested that Kesh is located at Tulul al-Baqarat.[17] [18]