The Sumerian term é and the Akkadian term bītu, meaning 'temple' or 'house (of the deity)', were not restricted to 'dwellings' of deities of a particular size or importance. They applied to sanctuaries from small neighbourhood shrines in residential areas to large, freestanding, tall buildings, from one-room cult sites to temple complexes with extensive auxiliary buildings, and they could be used for temples where one or many deities were worshipped.
Prehisto…
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Nissen, Hans Jörg (Berlin),
Seidlmayer, Stephan Johannes (Berlin),
Hollender, Elisabeth (Cologne),
Niemeyer, Hans Georg (Hamburg),
Höcker, Christoph (Kissing),
Prayon, Friedhelm (Tübingen) and
Nielsen, Inge (Hamburg),
“Temple”, in:
Brill’s New Pauly, Antiquity volumes edited by: Hubert Cancik and , Helmuth Schneider, English Edition by: Christine F. Salazar, Classical Tradition volumes edited by: Manfred Landfester, English Edition by: Francis G. Gentry.
Consulted online on 09 June 2023 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/1574-9347_bnp_e1203370>