Prophet

==Mesopotamian origins==
{{main|Sumerian religion}}
{{see also|Nabu}}
[[File:Image from page 39 of "Ancient seals of the Near East" (1940).jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Late Assyrian seal. Worshipper between [[Nabu]] and [[Marduk]], standing on their servant dragon [[Mušḫuššu]], eighth century BCE.]]
Before the advent of Zoroastrianism and the prophetic tradition established by Zoroaster, various ancient civilizations had individuals who served as intermediaries between humanity and the divine. In ancient [[Sumer]], for instance, figures such as the "[[Ensi (Sumerian)|ensi]]" or "[[lugal]]" fulfilled roles akin to prophets, offering guidance and interpreting divine will through rituals, omens, and prayers.  The ''ensi'' was considered a representative of the city-state's patron deity.<ref>{{cite book |author-link=H. W. F. Saggs |last=Saggs |first=H. W. F. |year=1988 |title=[[The Greatness That Was Babylon]] |edition=rev.}}{{incomplete citation|date=March 2024}}</ref> The functions of a {{Lang|sux|lugal}} would include certain ceremonial and cultic activities, arbitration in border disputes, and military defence against external enemies.<ref name= Westenholz>{{cite journal |last= Westenholz |first=Aage |year=2002 |title= The Sumerian city-state: A comparative study of six city-state cultures: an investigation conducted by the Copenhagen Polis Center |editor1-first= Morgens Herman |editor1-last=Hansen |journal= Historisk-filosofiske Skrifter |number= 27 |location=Copenhagen |publisher=C.A. Reitzels Forlag, 23-42. |pages=34–35}}</ref><ref>Plamen Rusev, Mesalim, Lugal Na Kish: Politicheska Istoriia Na Ranen Shumer (XXVIII-XXVI V. Pr. N. E.), Faber, 2001 (in Bulgarian) Mesalim, Lugal of Kish. Political History of Early Sumer (XXVIII–XXVI century BC.)</ref> The ''ensis'' of Lagash would sometimes refer to the city's patron deity, [[Ningirsu]], as their {{Lang|sux|lugal}} ("master"). All of the above is connected to the possibly priestly or sacral character of the titles ''ensi''<ref name=glassner1>Glassner, Jean-Jacques, 2000: Les petits etats Mésopotamiens à la fin du 4e et au cours du 3e millénaire. In: Hansen, Mogens Herman (ed.) A Comparative Study of Thirty City-State Cultures. The Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters, Copenhagen., P.48</ref> and especially ''en'' (the latter term continuing to designate priests in subsequent times). 

These prophets, while lacking the systematic theological framework found in later traditions, laid the groundwork for the concept of prophethood by demonstrating a connection with the divine and providing spiritual leadership within their communities. Despite the absence of codified scripture or organized religious institutions, these pre-Zoroastrian prophetic figures played a crucial role in shaping early religious thought and practices, paving the way for the structured prophetic tradition that emerged with Zoroaster and subsequent religious traditions.