The Kesh Temple Hymn, a Sumerian praise poem composed circa 2600 BCE, is often cited as the earliest religious text. The words were inscribed on clay tablets and were associated with worship in ancient Sumer. The poem pays homage to the goddess Ninhursag (Nintu), praising her temple in the city of Kesh, while also highlighting the roles of the supreme god Enlil, who authorized the temple's construction, and the goddess of writing, Nisaba, who is credited with composing it, making it a multi-layered hymn to deities and their sacred space. The poem is recognized as the oldest surviving literature in the world. This makes sense, logically, considering Sumerian cuneiform script, emerging around 3,200 BCE, is regarded as the oldest written language. That the oldest known piece of literature...