"The city was home to the god Enki (also known as Ea by the Akkadians), who would develop from a local god of fresh water into the god of wisdom and magic (among other attributes) and stand with other deities such as Anu, Enlil, and Inanna as the most important in the Mesopotamian pantheon. As Enki's home, it became associated with many of the most vital myths of Mesopotamia, including those concerning an early paradise on earth."
"The Sumerian King List cites Eridu as the "city of the first kings", stating, "After the kingship descended from heaven, the kingship was in Eridu," and the city was looked back upon by the various city-states of Mesopotamia as the initial home of human beings of a "golden age" of peace and order in the same way the writers of the biblical narrative of Genesis created a Garden of Eden as their mythical paradise, most likely modeled on tales of Eridu."
Eridu, at present-day Abu Shahrein in Iraq, was founded circa 5400 BCE and regarded by the Sumerians as the world's first city. The gods were believed to have created Eridu and established order on earth from that starting point. Eridu was the home of Enki (Ea), who evolved from a local god of fresh water into a major god of wisdom, magic, and other attributes. The city is integral to many Mesopotamian myths, including traditions of an early earthly paradise. The Sumerian King List calls Eridu the "city of the first kings" and assigns impossibly long reigns. Eridu was abandoned around 600 BCE, probably due to land overuse, and fell into ruin.
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