Gudea of Lagash
“For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts…” Romans 2:14 - 15
We had an opportunity to visit the Detroit Institute of Arts recently and their Ancient Near East Collection of artifacts. One interesting item is a statue of Gudea - the king of Lagash, a southern Mesopotamian city state. He ruled shortly before the time of Abraham, somewhere around 2100s to 2000s BC. Gudea had many stone statues made of himself and because they are stone and not precious metals, many survived. Some of Gudea’s inscriptions read a bit like law codes: “I provided protection for the orphan against the rich, and provided protection for the widow against the powerful. I had the daughter become the heir in the families without a son.” Some would say this simply shows the development of civil society, that it’s anthropology, which is no doubt true. But from a Christian biblical perspective it also reminds us that God’s plans were set in motion from the foundation of the world, and his laws are written on our hearts.
Lest we think Gudea was all peace and protection of the downtrodden, he also inscribed: “The man who removes the statue of Gudea…or erases its inscription … may he be slain like an ox on the very same day! May he be seized by his terrible hands like a wild bull! May he sit in dung! May his personal god ignore him! … May he face years of hardship! May there be famine during his reign!” Not quite as serene as he looks!
Disappointingly, there is a chance this Gudea statue could be a masterful forgery, but there is no way to be certain - the photos explain.
Gudea, King of Lagash of southern Mesopotamia late in 21st century BC.
