Snippet “The basic narrative of Ni 12501 is one in which the storm god Ishkur is held captive in the netherworld (kur). Ishkur's father, Enlil, convened a divine assembly, asking one of the other gods to retrieve Ishkur. However, only Fox volunteers to go.

The story continues with Fox successfully entering the kur by accepting the food and drink offered to him but hiding them in his receptacle instead of eating them. The tablet's narrative cuts off here, and it is unknown whether Fox successfully completes his objective.

"The main protagonists are Enlil, Ishkur, and Fox. Enlil is the acting head of the Sumerian pantheon and is often referred to as king of the gods, whose main sanctuary is in the city of Nippur—i.e., the city in which this tablet fragment was found. In what is preserved of Ni 12501, his leading role can be seen in the fact that he has the authority to convene the divine assembly," explains Dr. Matuszak.

"In this fragment and a few other sources, storm god Ishkur is considered Enlil's son. Ishkur was responsible for bringing rain.”