We pass the ancient Tree of Life, stretching out into the sky. Lahmu tells me that the representation of the Hanging Gardens is actually the City of Nippur in Endur, the Garden of the Gods--the paradise of the Sumerian gods. The Tree of Life rises from the banks of the Euphrates, It looks like the tree is haloed by green and golden leaves, with a gigantic bloom sticking out of the top of the tree. In incredible sight.
Mountains covered with cedar trees dot the landscape, looking similar to the Cedars of Lebanon. This is truly the Garden of the Gods. "Those are the Mountains of Cedar-Felling," Kusarikku shouts above the wind.
We land on the ancient shores of the Mediterranean, near the mouth of the Euphrates. Breathless, I touch dry land, and so does everyone else. We stand, getting our bearings, feeling the shore beneath our feet.
