Excavations at the ancient Sumerian city of Eridu have revealed the foundations of a massive Neo-Babylonian temple dedicated to the god Enki and the legendary 'Seven Sages' (Apkallu). The site features seven distinct niches within the inner sanctum, each housing a terracotta figurine of a sage with bird-like features, intended to protect the city from spiritual imbalance.
The temple's mud-brick walls were found to be coated in bitumen-based waterproofing, which has preserved rare cuneiform inscriptions detailing a cosmic flood myth. Archaeologists state that the architectural scale of this temple suggests a major religious revival during the reign of Nabonidus, aimed at restoring the ancient ritual glory of Eridu as the oldest city in Mesopotamia.