The Kesh Temple Hymn (c. 2600 BCE) is the oldest work of literature in the world, sometimes referenced as the oldest extant religious poem. It is a Sumerian praise song to the goddess Ninhursag and her temple in the city of Kesh, composed in eight sections of "houses" progressing from the temple's foundation to a cautionary welcome. [image:17182] The work is often referenced in connection...