Erech, where he reigned as "the lord".
There Ishtar had a great temple, but her worldly wealth had decreased.
The fortifications of the city were crumbling, and for three years the
Elamites besieged it. The gods had turned to flies and the winged
bulls had become like mice. Men wailed like wild beasts and maidens
moaned like doves. Ultimately the people prayed to the goddess Aruru
to create a liberator. Bel, Shamash, and Ishtar also came to their
aid.

Aruru heard the cries of her worshippers. She dipped her hands in
water and then formed a warrior with clay. He was named Ea-bani, which
signifies "Ea is my creator". It is possible, therefore, that an
ancient myth of Eridu forms the basis of the narrative.

Ea-bani is depicted on the cylinder seals as a hairy man-monster
resembling the god Pan. He ate grass with the gazelles and drank water
with wild beasts, and he is compared to the corn god, which suggests
that he was an early form of Tammuz, and of character somewhat
resembling the Egyptian Bast, the half-bestial god of fertility. A
hunter was sent out from Erech to search for the man-monster, and
found him beside a stream in a savage place drinking with his
associates, the wild animals. The description of Ea-bani recalls that
of Nebuchadnezzar when he was stricken with madness. "He was driven
from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew
of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles' feathers, and his
nails like birds' claws."[207]

The hunter had no desire to combat with Ea-bani, so he had him lured
from the wilds by a beautiful woman. Love broke the spell which kept
Ea-bani in his savage state, and the wild beasts fled from him. Then
the temptress pleaded with him to go with her to Erech, where Anu and
Ishtar had their temples, and the mighty Gilgamesh lived in his
palace. Ea-bani, deserted by his bestial companions, felt lonely and
desired human friendship. So he consented to accompany his bride.
Having heard of Gilgamesh from the hunter, he proposed to test his
strength in single combat, but Shamash, god of the sun, warned Ea-bani
that he was the protector of Gilgamesh, who had been endowed with
great knowledge by Bel and Anu and Ea. Gilgamesh was also counselled
in a vision of night to receive Ea-bani as an ally.

Ea-bani was not attracted by city life and desired to return to the
wilds, but Shamash prevailed upon him to remain as the friend of
Gilgamesh, promising that he would