MythicHuluppu Tree, sacred tree in Inanna's garden
UBTree of Life, sacred shrub
Tree of Life, sacred shrub = Huluppu Tree, sacred tree in Inanna's garden
The Connection
Enki rescues the Huluppu Tree and gives it to Inanna in her garden at Uruk. Van transplants the Tree of Life to the Garden of Eden for Adam and Eve. Both: a sacred tree, tended by a wisdom figure, delivered to a garden, for a powerful feminine figure. The structural mapping is 1:1.
UB Citation
UB 66:4.13, 73:6
Academic Source
ETCSL 1.3.1: Gilgamesh, Enkidu, and the Netherworld
Historical Evidence(Strong evidence)
The sacred/cosmic tree is one of the most frequently depicted motifs in Neo-Assyrian art (Ashurnasirpal II reliefs, 883-859 BCE). British Museum: "The palm branch symbolises the tree of life plucked for the benefit of the king." Brooklyn Museum and Yale collections confirm the motif. The sacred tree spans from the Sumerian huluppu tree narrative through 2,000+ years of Assyrian palace reliefs.