Enlil (also Bel Enlil, Ellil). Mesopotamian god of the earth who also had power over the sky; husband of the grain goddess Ninlil, and supreme deity during the second millennium bc. Sometimes Enlil is called Bel Enlil, indicating lordship. In some Babylonian myths, Enlil’s name appears as “Ellil.”

Enlil’s sanctuary—called Ekur, “Mountain House” (“The Song of the Hoe,” lines 35–41)—was located at Nippur in northern Sumer. A “small shrine” of Enlil, built by King Amar-Suen (Third Dynasty of Ur), was discovered at Nippur in the late 19th century ad (Zettler, “The ‘Small Shrine’ of Enlil at Nippur,” 231–32).

Enlil generally is depicted as apathetic or hostile toward humanity in mythological texts. He receives a more positive treatment in certain royal hymns due to his association with kingship. In both the Enuma Elish and the Code of Hammurabi, Enlil acknowledges Marduk as his successor, appointing him “Lord,” (Bel).