Gudea , the Sumerian king of the city - state of Lagash , revered Ningishzida as his personal protector .
In the Sumerian poem , The Death of Gilgamesh , the hero Gilgamesh dies and meets Ningishzida , along with Dumuzid , in the Underworld .
Gudea , the Sumerian king of the city - state of Lagash , revered Ningishzida as Dumuzid 's personal protector .
In the Sumerian poem , The Death of Gilgamesh , the hero Gilgamesh dies and meets Ningishzida , along with Dumuzid , in the Underworld .