MISCELLANEOUS |
BABYLONIAN
INSCRIPTIONS ;
BY
GEORGE A. BARTON
PROFESSOR IN BRYN MAWR COLLEGE
, \
NEW HAVEN
YALE UNIVERSITY PRESS
LONDON HUMPHREY MILFORD
OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS
MDCCCCXVIII
COPYRIGHT 1918 BY
YALE UNIVERSITY PRESS
First published, August, 1918.
TO
HAROLD PEIRCE
GENEROUS AND EFFICIENT HELPER IN GOOD WORKS
PART I
SUMERIAN RELIGIOUS TEXTS
INTRODUCTORY NOTE
The texts in this volume have been copied from tablets
in the University Museum, Philadelphia, and edited in
moments snatched from many other exacting duties. They
present considerable variety. No. i is an incantation copied
from a foundation cylinder of the time of the dynasty of Agade.
It is the oldest known religious text from Babylonia, and
perhaps the oldest in the world. No. 8 contains a new account
of the creation of man and the development of agriculture and
city life. No. 9 is an oracle of Ishbiurra, founder of the dynasty
of Nisin, and throws an interesting light upon his career.
It need hardly be added that the first interpretation of
any unilingual Sumerian text is necessarily, in the present
state of our knowledge, largely tentative. Every one familiar
with the language knows that every text presents many possi-
bilities of translation and interpretation. The first interpreter
cannot hope to have thought of all of these, or to have decided
every delicate point in a way that will commend itself to all
his colleagues.
The writer is indebted to Professor Albert T. Clay, to
Professor Morris Jastrow, Jr., and to Dr. Stephen Langdon
for many helpful criticisms and suggestions. Their wide knowl-
edge of the religious texts of Babylonia, generously placed at
the writer's service, has been most helpful. His thanks are
also due to Dr. Edward Chiera for helpful criticisms of the
text. He is also grateful to the authorities of the University
Museum for the privilege of copying the tablets, and to Dr.
George B. Gordon, the Director of the Museum, for many
courtesies during the progress of the work. He is also
deeply grateful to Mr. Harold Peirce whose aid has made this
publication possible.
ABBREVIATIONS
AJSL The American Journal of Semitic Languages and Literatures.
B BRUNNOW: A Classified List of Cuneiform Ideographs.
BA Beitrage zur Assyriologie, edited by Delitzsch and Haupt.
BE The Babylonian Expedition of the University of Pennsylvania,
edited by Hilprecht.
CT Cuneiform Texts from Babylonian Tablets, etc., in the British
Museum.
Journal of the American Oriental Society.
Keilinschriften und das Alte Testament, 3te Aufl.
MEISSNER: Seltene assyrische Ideogramme.
BARTON: The Origin and Development of Babylonian Writing.
University of Pennsylvania, The University Museum, Publica-
tions of the Babylonian Section.
PSBA Proceedings of the Society of Biblical Archaeology, London.
SBAD BARTON: Sumerian Business and Administrative Documents
from the Earliest Times to the Dynasty of Agade. It is
Vol. IX in PBS.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE
INTRODUCTORY NOTE vii
THE OLDEST RELIGIOUS TEXT FROM BABYLONIA i
AN OLD BABYLONIAN ORACLE(?) 21
A HYMN TO DUNGI 26
A MYTH OF ENLIL AND NINLIL 34
FRAGMENT OF AN INCANTATION RITUAL 42
A PRAYER FOR THE CITY OF UR 45
A HYMN TO IBI-SIN 49
A NEW CREATION MYTH 52
AN ORACLE FOR ISHBIURRA, FOUNDER OF THE
DYNASTY OF ISIN 57
AN EXCERPT FROM AN EXORCISM 60
A FRAGMENT OF THE SO-CALLED " LITURGY TO
NINTUD" ; 62
LIST OF TABLETS 67
AUTOGRAPHED TEXTS PLATES I-XXIII
PHOTOGRAPHIC REPRODUCTIONS.. PLATES XXIV-XL
CORRECTIONS.. .PLATE XLI
No. i.
THE OLDEST RELIGIOUS TEXT FROM BABYLONIA.
This cylinder, found by Dr. Haynes at Nippur, remained
unpacked in the basement of the Museum until after Pro-
fessor Hilprecht's connection with the Museum had been
severed. It was apparently broken when found, for parts of
it were obtained from three different boxes. These were
identified by the writer, and the text pieced together from eight
different fragments. The Museum attendant afterwards fast-
ened them together. Parts of nineteen columns of writing
remain. Not more than one whole column of writing is lost.
The beginning of column i is unfortunately lost. The
only proper names beside those of deities that can be identified
in it are those of Nippur, Kesh, and Khallab (Aleppo). The \>
interpretation of an inscription written in pure Sumerian would >
be in any case difficult, in the present instance interpreta-
tion is rendered doubly difficult by the loss of the opening
sentences, which, perhaps, contained the name of the writer
and certainly indicated the occasion of the composition. Under
these circumstances it cannot be too strongly emphasized that
the interpretation offered below is purely tentative. The con-
clusion that the writer has reached is, however, that the inscrip-
tion was written as a foundation cylinder at a time when the
temple at Nippur was repaired, and that this repair was prob-
ably undertaken because of a plague that had visited the city.
Apparently the plague had made its way to Nippur from
2 YALE ORIENTAL SERIES, BABYLONIAN TEXTS
Kesh. While the occasion of the inscription appears, there-
fore, to have been historical, the inscription itself is of the
nature of an incantation.
The script in which it is written is that of the dynasty of
Agade.1 It is slightly more archaic than the business docu-
ments of this period,2 but similar differences are observable
between the business scripts and those of religious texts in
every period of Babylonian writing. As the dynasty of Agade
ruled from about 2800 to 2600 B. C., the incantation here
recorded is of equal if not greater antiquity than the Pyramid
Texts of Egypt.
During the excavations a pavement of the temple
terrace at Nippur laid by Naram-Sin and his successor Shar-
galisharri was found.3 It is, in the absence of definite informa-
tion as to where Dr. Haynes found this cylinder, plausible to
conjecture that it was written at the time of this reconstruction.
The probability that our text comes from one of the two great
kings of Agade mentioned above is increased by the fact that
the hold of the later rulers of the dynasty upon Nippur seems
to have been uncertain, and there is no evidence that they did
any building there.4 We now know that these two monarchs
belonged to the dynasty of Kish and Agade that ruled Baby-
lonia for 197 years, and the data published in 1914 by Dr.
Poebel5 and in 1915 by Professor Clay6 enable us to fix this
period as from 2794 B. C. to 2597 B. C. Naram-Sin ruled for
1 Compare BARTON, The Origin and Development of Babylonian Writing, Part I, pp. 204-221.
2 See BARTON, Sumerian Business and Administrative Documents from the Earliest Times of
the Dynasty of Agade.
3 See HILPRECHT, Exploration in Bible Lands During the Nineteenth Century, 1903, p. 388 ff.
and CLAY, Light on the Bible from Babel, 1907, p. 117.
4 See A. POEBEL, Historical Texts, Philadelphia, 1914, p. 133 f.
6 PEOBEL, Historical and Grammatical Texts, No. 3; Historical Texts, pp. 92 ff. and 132 ff.
5 CLAY, Miscellaneous Inscriptions in the Yale Babylonian Collection, p. 30 ff.
MISCELLANEOUS BABYLONIAN INSCRIPTIONS 3
forty-four years (2704-2660 B. C.) and Shargalisharri twenty-
four years (2660-2636 B. C.). The oldest of the pyramid texts
of Egypt was written in the reign of Unis, a king of the fifth
dynasty, whose reign, according to Breasted's chronology,
was 2655-2625. It seems more probable that our text came
from the reign of Naram-Sin than from the reign of Sharga-
lisharri. The bricks of Naram-Sin were three times as numer-
ous in the pavement of the temple court at Nippur as those of
his successor. Naram-Sin1 and Shargalisharri2 each calls him-
self, "builder of the temple of Enlil," but it would seem prob-
able that Naram-Sin constructed the terrace early in his reign
of forty-four years and that Shargalisharri repaired it after it
had had time to fall into disrepair fifty or more years later.
If our somewhat uncertain chronologies are correct, Sharga-
lisharri's reign was nearly contemporaneous with that of the
Egyptian king Unis, while that of Naram-Sin antedated it.
It is more probable that a foundation cylinder would be placed
beneath the structure when it was first constructed than when
spots in its worn pavement were repaired. It is, accordingly,
a plausible conjecture that our cylinder was written early in
the reign of Naram-Sin. In that case it is probably half a cen-
tury older than the pyramid text of Unis and is the oldest
extended religious expression that has survived from any por-
tion of the human race.
This consideration gives to the text a supreme interest.
It contains a primitive, but comparatively refined strain of
religious thought. The men who wrote it entertained the
animistic point of view. The world was full of spirits of which
they were in terror, but chief among these spirits were gods,
1 HILPRECHT, Old Babylonian Inscriptions, No. 3.
2 HILPRECHT, Ibid., Nos. i and 2.
4 YALE ORIENTAL SERIES, BABYLONIAN TEXTS
who, however capricious, were the givers of vegetation and
life. They could be entreated, and man's hope lay in placating
them. The text exhibits the neighborly admixture of religion
and magic so characteristic of Babylonian thought.
When compared with the pyramid texts it presents one
striking difference. They centre around the king and are inter-
ested in his fortunes as he enters among the gods. One text
represents the Egyptian king as a cannibal, who in heaven eats
gods to obtain their strength!1 This Babylonian text, on the
other hand, represents the community. If not the religious
expression of a democracy, it comes at least from an aristocracy.
The interests involved are those of the city of Nippur. It
represents the point of view of a Babylonian city-state.
TRANSLITERATION AND TRANSLATION.
(i) (i)
i'. e-e-da \' . He came forth,2
2'. kes^-ta ba-ta-e 2'. from Kesh he came,
3'. nik-ku den-lil 3'. the food of Enlil
4'. . .da-[an]-til 4'. gives him life.
5'. dmus-ir pad-balag*(?) 5'. Unto $ir5 there is a cry;
6'. -i]n-sag-ga 6'. she grants favor,
7' nigin. . . .til(?) 7'. makes all live.
1 See BREASTED, Development of Religion and Thought in Ancient Egypt, New York, 1912,
127ff.
2 This might, of course be rendered, "It came forth." Since the preceding context is lost,
it is not certain what the subject of the verb is. From later portions of the text it is tempting
to conjecture that it was some epidemic which spread from Kesh, as the pestilence is said to have
spread from city to city in Philistia in i Sam. 5.
3 The ideogram for Kesh is almost identical with the form of it in the Laws of Hammurabi,
iii, 32, except that there it is followed by ki while here it is followed by Us, possibly to be read tu.
At Nippur, the sign tu apparently had the value of ki, for in the "Sumerian Epic," published
by Langdon, the name of the god Enki is several times spelled en-tu.
4 The expression pad-balag appears to be a compound phrase for a cry. Pad = qibu (OBW,
4O712), and balag = balaggu or balangu, "cry" or "howl." The expression could, apparently,
denote either a cry of sorrow or of joy.
5 For a discussion of this deity, see the general comments on this text below.
MISCELLANEOUS BABYLONIAN INSCRIPTIONS
(ii)
i ' ..... su
2'. idig[na] a^ag a-kib-nun a\ag
3'. gat a^ag den-lil
4'. gar-sag mu-gub
5'. ib-bi-ge-[gd]l
6'. gat-b[i] ur[u]
7'. bar-ba. . iur . .
8'. ttunuf-ki. . . .
9' ..... lu. . . .nu
10' ..... me. . . .bi. .
1 I .
12'.
(iii)
i'.
2'.
3'-
4'-
5'-
[me]s [en]-lil
[mu-d]a-lag(?)
. . . . al [lu]
ama1 gig al lu
ama ud al lu
ama dar al lu
ama bara al lu
6'. mu2 ug-fu singu3
7'. dingir ga lu
8'. ug-gi temen sag-gi
9'. den al du-rim
10'. buru* engur lul al-la5
(ii)
r.
2'.
3'-
4'-
5'-
9-
10'.
i r.
12'.
(iii)
i'.
2'.
3'-
4'-
5'-
6'.
7'-
9-
10'.
The holy Tigris, the holy Eu-
phrates,
the holy sceptre of Enlil
establish Kharsag;
they give abundance.
His sceptre protects(P);
[to] its lord, a prayer. .
the sprouts of the land ....
. . . .man(?). . . .is not(?)
... .are (?)... . numerous (?)
The hero, Enlil
makes bright.
. . . . protect (?) [man]!
O lord of darkness protect man !
O lord of light protect man !
O lord of the field protect man !
O lord of the sanctuary protect
man!
Clothe thy king in singu !
O god be favorable to man !
Make strong the new temple-
platform !
O divine lord protect the little
habitation !
O well of the mighty abyss, give
protection !
1The sign ama is the ideogram for "wild ox." It was also employed as an ideogram for
emuqu, "strong," "deep," "wise," for btlu, "lord," and for qarradu "warrior"; cf. OBW, 183.
It was a favorite epithet of Enlil. A whole series of hymns at Nippur is known as the series
ama-e bara-na-ra, "the wild ox of his sanctuary"; see Reisner, Hymns, p. 33, etc., and Langdon,
Sumerian and Babylonian Psalms, p. 96 f. The "wild ox of the sanctuary" is in that title an
epithet of Enlil. In line 5' we have the very expression ama bara, "wild ox of the sanctuary";
there can be little doubt, therefore, that the passage is an appeal to Enlil. For al = nas,aru,
see OBW, 260".
2 For mu = labdsu, "clothe," see OBW, 48i30.
3 For singu cf. B, 7100. Cf. also 1. 1 1 below.
4 The sign buru may be due to an accidental perforation of the tablet. If omitted, the sense
would not be materially altered. It would be "O mighty abyss, give protection!"
6 Possibly the reading is al-ku here, but, if so, the sense would be unaltered.
YALE ORIENTAL SERIES, BABYLONIAN TEXTS
n'. sig1 al sig singu
12'. ui gi-%a. . . .ga-qa-a-
(iv)
I*.
2'.
3'-
4'-
5'-
6'.
7'-
9'.
10 .
1 1. .
12'.
.... se
sar ge-ge
gu nar-ne gu nar-ne
uru-da ba-la
e e-mud
musen a-ba sub-bi
rug-ma Idl-a-ge {id a-ba-ta sig-gi
ge edin lal-a e-^a a-ba-ta de
da-ba la e-gal ru ga mu-rug
lil-lal4 gasan lu mud
musen a-ba sub-bi
rug-ma lal-a- ge a-ba-ta sig-gi
n '. A large garment, a singu garment,
12'. A goat thou bringest (?).... let
them be offerings (?) !
(iv)
r.
2'.
3'-
4'-
5'-
6'.
7'-
9'-
10'.
n'.
12'.
Abundance (?) . .he restores.
His musician sings; his musician
sings:
"To the city he gives protection,"
The temple he strengthens;
O bird3, who can overthrow it?
My gain is great. The flour — by
whom is it increased?
A plain is filled. Thy water — by
whom is it poured out?
His hand makes the overflow of
great waters; it increases fatness.
The demon, the cloud-lord is im-
petuous;
O bird,3 who can overthrow him?
My gain is great, — by whom is it
poured out?
(v) (v)
I' .-. I'.
2'. dnin-gar-sag-da isib-lil 2'.
3'. a^ag-isib5 su-na mu-[ru?] 3'.
4'. dba-da mu-na e-ni-ge-ge 4'.
5'. gd-a^ag ga-me gd-rug ga-me 5'.
To Ninkharsag belongs demon-
enchantment;
brilliant enchantment her hand
[created (?)];
Bada opposed to her his word(?)6
"The house is bright," may she
say5!
"The house is pure," may she say!
1 Apparently a list of offerings begins here.
2 Cf. OBW, 593.
3 Perhaps to be rendered, O Enlil; cf. OBW, 8?.
4 B, 5940.
*The sign me (isib) signifies "incantation," "enchantment" (OBW, 4y86' 6) and also sasu,
"to speak." The context indicates that here me means to "say as an incantation."
6 OBW, 62'.
MISCELLANEOUS BABYLONIAN INSCRIPTIONS
6'. lu tug a^ag-nigin me .
7'. nu-gu a^ag-gi
8'. gi bil-erin bi. . me
9'. su-ni nam-ma-ku-. .
10'. dug II . . . .mu-na. . .
1 1 '. // pi. . . .mu-n[a-d\e
12'. sukum ki ago. ra-a-bi
13'. dug mu-da-ni-sub
1 4. dmus-ir pad-balag
15
6'. "Which is lofty, brightest of all,"
(may) she say !
7'. "Unspeakable with the brightness
8'. of many cedar fires" (may) she
say!
9'. Her power is not overthrown (?) . .
10'. Two jars they [pour out] for her;
1 1 '. two large .... they pour out to her;
12'. the food which she loves they
bring her;
13'. a vessel they present to her,
14. unto Sir there is a cry.
15
(vi)
1 .............................
2 ..... de. . . .dug-bi. .
3. idigna a^ag a-kib-ud-nun a^ag-gi
4. gat-a^ag uru-mu
5. den-lil
6. lu nam-e(?)
7. dumu-. . . .
8.
9.
10.
(vi)
i.
2.
3
Eu-
nn-gar-sag-ge
X*-{i dumun-su igi-du-ni
1 1 . igi-na ba-na-gar
12. lag-P kes nam-mi-gub
13. sig-su ba-ni-il
14. sig-su uru m:-. .
15-
16.
. . . .poured out many jars(?)
The holy Tigris, the holy
phrates,
4. the holy sceptre of my protector,
5. Enlil,
6. man does not bring forth.
7. The son ....
8 ................................
9. of Ninkharsag.
10. To the source(?) of life, the divine
lord, raise the eye !
His eye he lifted up to him;
that which came from Kesh did
not cease;
on the weak3 he laid hold,4
14. for the lowly3 he [withheld (?)] not
protection.5
15 ............ .............. ; .....
16.
219- 2 B, 6509.
3 The sign is OBW, 527. It may mean either "weak" or "lowly."
« See OBW, 2771.
6 Lines 10-14 are very enigmatical. According to my understanding of the text, col. v
directs offerings and prayers to Ninkharsag, or Sir, on account of the plague that had
come from Kesh. Col. vi, 3-6 reminds the worshipper that certain great powers are in the
YALE ORIENTAL SERIES, BABYLONIAN TEXTS
(vii)
r
(vii)
. . . . r
2'. e(?) mu-na-u
3'. ud-bi-a rd {al-la
4'. kisal(?)-bi gub en
5'. dmus-ir pad-balag
6' ku. . . .
2'. the temple1 nourished2 them;
3'. at that time3 satisfaction came.
4. Its platform (?) stands as an incan-
tation4;
5. unto Sir there is a cry.
6'. ...
7'
7'.
8'. *,..,
9'. dumu-m[u] gd-as . .
10'. a-na a-mu
1 1'. nar(?) . . . .na. . . .
8'. The house. . . .
9'. "My son, in the house(?).
10'. What is my present5?"
n' The musician (?)
(viii)
i' dEn pes
2'. gal-dig-ga mu-rug
3'. kd-gal Big-gar ba-gar
4'. gdl-mu su-a mu-. .
5'. gis. . . .dingir. .
(viii)
i' the mighty divine lord
2'. increases greatness.
3'. The great gate to bolt he appoints,
4'. my door for protection he. ...
<;'.
6'
6'.
7'
7'.
8'
8'. . .
9' gis-mu-se (?)
10'. igi an-su ni-il-da
9' may he be favorable (?)
10'. To heaven he lifts an eye
control of the gods, or at all events not in human control. It would seem probable that lines
7-10, from which so much is lost, contained Ninkharsag's response, ending with the command
to look to the divine source of life, — probably to Enlil. Line 1 1 states that man lifted his eye to
him; line 12 that that which came from Kesh (by hypothesis an epidemic), did not stand;
lines 13, 14 tell how he (Enlil) delivered the lowly.
:The sign is broken; it may have been sa, "net" (OBW, n818), but the context does not
favor it.
2 For the meaning akalu, "feed," "nourish" see OBW, 2732.
3 Probably referring to the stopping of the plague.
4 An early expression of the idea that the very presence of a holy building drives away evil
spirits and evil events and acts as a protection to a place.
6 This sign (OBW, 521) has many meanings. It might be rendered "figure," "image,"
"vessel," "sceptre," "bed," "rest," "love," and "present." The last mentioned meaning seems
to best suit the context.
MISCELLANEOUS BABYLONIAN INSCRIPTIONS
1 1 '. dun gis-fi-dim
12'. . .du-mu
M'
II'
12'.
M'-
opened1 by the tree of life!
. . . .my dwelling.
(ix)
(ix)
I
i
2 nam-lag-ga
2 favor
3. sangu ni-nam
3. the priest proclaims.
4. gd-ku ne-da
4. The firm house he raised up;
5. ab-laP-bi sag-ga
5. its nest is favorable;
6. mas-ra ni-me^-nam
6. for the prince he appointed it.
7. kas-kas-dim
7. Like a heap
8. gul-fi ge-um-e
8. may the joy of life be great !
g. ki-nam-us-ni
9. From his cohabitation4
10. mus dam-dag-su mu-dim
10. with Sir, the brilliant wife, he
created
n. da dara-gis-dim
1 1 . a strong one, like a full-grown ibex,
12. ki gar5 (t]il n[e-g]u
12. whom he commanded to guard life.
• o
13.
. . . i -j.
I c
1 J
(x)
(x)
i . u-uru-a u-uru-su
i. "The light of the city,6— in the
light of the city
2. na-nam
2. are they;
1 Cf. OBW, 4278. The translation given above is the only intelligible one the writer can
make out of the two fragmentary lines. If more of the context were preserved, it might appear
that the sense was something quite different. As it stands the passage seems to imply a
knowledge on the part of the Babylonians of a story kindred to that of Genesis 3. However, in
the absence of the context one cannot build on this.
2 ab-lal has two meanings, aptu, "a nest" as of swallows, and naplastu, "scales" or "balances"
(cf. B. 3841, 3842). As "house" is mentioned in the preceding line, the word has been trans-
lated by the first of its meanings. If the second meaning were chosen, the passage would imply
that the god possessed scales similar to those that are so often pictured in Egyptian inscriptions
as belonging to Osiris.
3 For me-ni-nam, — an example of the early Sumerian indifference to the order of syllables.
4 On this passage see the discussion which follows the translation.
& Gar menas "a guard;" it can probably express the verbal form of the thought also.
6 Lines 1-6 are not clear to me. They are capable of at least two interpretations. 1 have
translated them as though they are an address of the "strong one who was told to guard life"
(col. ix, II, 12) concerning the demons of sickness. This is one possible interpretation; cf.
JAOS, XXXVII, 27.
10
YALE ORIENTAL SERIES, BABYLONIAN TEXTS
3. gig-uru-a gig-uru-su
4. na-nam
5. mu-uru-a mu-uru-su
6. na-nam
7. ud-na ul-ul
8. nin-na gir-gir
9. es en-lilkt
10. ud-na ul-ul
1 1 . nin-na gir-gir
12. dingir-ni di-da
1 3 . £M durudu-e
14. &z dda-uru durudu-e
'5
1 6.
3. The darkness of the city, — in the
darkness of the city
4. are they;
5. The people1 of the city, — among
the people of the city
6. are they.
7. Whenever there is gladness
8. its lady is strong
9. O house of Nippur.
10. Whenever there is gladness
11. its lady is strong,
12. its god is just."
13. Urudue speaks
14. with Dauru. Urudue
15
16.
(xi)
1 . igi en-gal an-[na]
2. nin-gal den-lil
3. dnin- gar-sag
4. igi gin-gal an-na
5. nin-gal dEn-lil
6. dnin-gar-sag-ra
7. us mu-ni-gu
8. gi bil-mu-ni erin-bi . .
9. a-mas vii
10. kam-mu mun-dag
n. ki mus-gir-da
12. bal-bal dingir-da-^a
13. d id-mag
14. nig-tur-^u-a mu-da-ra
15. sig-ra d id-da uru
16 mu. . . .
(xii)
1. dsar-kim?
2. gu lil-gir ba-ra(?)
(xi)
1. before the great lord Anu(?),
2. the great lady of Enlil,
3. Ninkharsag,
4. before the arbiter, Anu,
5. the great lady of Enlil,
6. even Ninkharsag,
7. the exalted one spoke:
8. "On my fire much cedar
9. my seven brightnesses
10. makes brilliant.
1 1 . With mighty Sir
12. are the fruits of thy wise divinity.
13. The great divine river
14. to thy vegetation comes.
15. for the overflow of the divine
river the wall
1 6 [thou makest(?)]"
(xii)
1 . Like the garden god
2. she commands the strong spirit to
make
1 Cf. OBW, 6234.
MISCELLANEOUS BABYLONIAN INSCRIPTIONS
11
3- 8ispi-pi disgara-nigginakku
4. lag gestin-a-saru-ba mu-mar-mar
5. igi lag-lag sir-gal
6. dingir-da um-e
7. gasan-me ^id dingir-el
8. nu-gii gi-aiag ldl-^u
9. dda-ra-ta-bar-e
10. gii-li gab nunu% nar se-a
i 1 . gu-gur pu-gin
12. gasan-me lu lam-dal-esku-kim
13. sig dsd-sd-e
14. lag-^ag-gir an-lag
15. su-sig sika-til an-ga
\6. gal. . . .
(xiii)
i . bur . . . .si dub
2. [d]mus. . . .bar. . . .gal-gur
3. lag-fir (?) den-lil
4. en-lit1 -lu
5. gig-su mu-mar-mar
6. dtispak-ra ki
3. The pipi-plants of Iskhara-nig-
inakku;
4. among his 3600 vines she sets them.
5 . Before the sunlight is the great light
6. to the goddess, the mother.
7. Our lady, faithful one, brilliant
goddess,
8. unspeakable is the brilliance of
thy goodness !
9. From Dara1 is food ;2
10. thou speakest, the gab-grain
sprouts, abundant is the wheat;
11. the wide bank is an increasing
orchard.
12. O our lady, man is like a sprout of
three fronds,3
13. the planting of the divine begetter.
14. Strong foundations he establishes;
15. a full hand, a full vessel, he fills.
16
(xiii)
1 . A libation bowl [he] poured out
2. [to] Sir [at] the great sanctuary.
3. The fiery offering of Enlil
4. at Nippur
5. on account of the sickness he pre-
sented ;
6. to Ishtar from the land of Khalab,4
1 Dara, "ibex," enters as an element into a number of epithets of Enlil and Enki; cf. MICHATZ,
Die Gotterlisten, etc., p. 23.
2 Perhaps to be rendered "fodder" or food; cf. OBW, 77™.
3 Cf. OBW, QB26.
4 The Sumerian reading of this name is given in CT, XII, 28, 28, though the last sign or
signs are unfortunately there erased, leaving only ia-ba legible. The ideogram occurs in
REISNER'S Hymnen, 99, 67, and in slightly different writing in PSBA, XIII, 158, CT, XV, 19, 7,
and the Code of Hammurapi, iii, 52. ZIMMERN, ZA, III, 97 and Tammu?, 133, HOMMEL,
Grundriss der Geographic und Gescbicbte des alien Orients, 386, 390, and R. F. HARPER, Code of
Hammurabi, 7, take it as an ideogram for Aleppo. While this is not absolutely certain, it is
probable.
8 lu, as a post-positive equals adi, ana, and ina. Ina in Akkadian sometimes is equivalent to
"from." I take ki lu in this phrase to be equivalent to ki ia, "from," which occurs
so often in the temple archives, e. g. HLC, 15, 43; 21, 1 1.
That an Ishtar from Aleppo should be worshipped in Nippur in this period is interesting,
12
YALE ORIENTAL SERIES, BABYLONIAN TEXTS
7. gig-su mu-mar-mar
8. den-ki-ra {u-ab-su
9. gig-su mu-mar-[mar]
10. lag (?Y -sir den-lil
1 1 . en-lilkt u-mas-su kii-e
12. a-mas-su gu-gu
13. ga-gar-a menari-ne-na
14. menari-na nu-mu-gdl
1 5 . ga uru-a nig temen-na
1 6.
(xiv)
i
2. den-lil mu-ab-a-gu
3- *-?»£ £*£ igi-ki-ka
4. a-uru-a ne-ba-lal-lal
5 . den-lil-a ne-ne-e
6. a-uru-a ne-ba-lal-lal
7. «/m nig-bil-^a
8. nig-bil mas mu-gdl
9. tfdm tn£ temen-^a
7. on account of the sickness he pre-
sented ;
8. to Enki in the deep
9. on account of the sickness he pre-
sented
10. the fiery offering(P) of Enlil.
1 1 . O Nippur on abundant food thou
feedest,
12. of abundant water thou drinkest,
13. luxurious fatness is in that store-
house;
14. that storehouse thou dost not lock;
15. the fatness of Akkad is the pos-
session of the temple.
16
(xiv)
i
2. Enlil declares to him:
3. "Removed2 is the sickness from the
face of the land."
4. "As a protector thou removest
it,"—
5. Enlil's are they,—
6. "as a protector thou removest it.
7. The plain is thy royal possession;
8. the royal possession bears fruit.
9. The plain is the possession of thy
temple;
10. the possession of the temple bears
fruit.
1 1 . The great dagger, the ox-devourer,
O father, is thy possession;
12. the house of Nippur
13. it waters, it exalts.
10. wig tewww TWflS mu-gal
1 1 . gir-mag gud-ku ad nig-^u
12. es en-lil[kt]
13. ni-si-bi-a ne-ba-nd
but not strange. Clay has shown that the dynasty of Agade was of Amorite origin (Amurru,
190 f.). During its supremacy and even later, there must have been Amorite inhabitants in Baby-
lonian cities, who, of course, brought their deities with them.
1 The part of the sign remaining looks like the beginning of um, but is the same sign as in
line 6. It may be intended for dub or lag (OBW, 270). I have tentatively read it lag.
2Cf. B, 11445.
MISCELLANEOUS BABYLONIAN INSCRIPTIONS
13
14. {abar-mag-{u
1 5 . gan-kul mu-gi gu
1 6.
14. Thy great weapon is lifted up."
15. The seeded field the bird discovers.
1 6.
.en
(xv)
i. .
2 nig-gi
3. d[en-lil] sag-su
4. gig-su mu-mar-mar
5. nam-nam-ra
6. nam-nam-ra
7. ud dnin-[ga]r-[sag]-a(?)
8. dnin-urta
9. mes-lam-ta e
10. ud ge mag-mag-a
1 1 . rug gir bar-n[e\ mi-tuk
12 ug-gi
13. fag mu-ni-kesda
14. si-si-ma-ta %a
1 5 . lal-lal-ma-[ta fa]
1 6.
(xv
i.
2.
3-
4-
5-
6.
9-
10.
1 1.
12.
'3-
14.
15-
1 6.
.lord.
.... possession ....
for Enlil, the prince,
on account of the sickness he pre-
sented.
"Let it not come !
let it not come!"
When to Ninkharsag
Ninurta
coming from Meslam
day and night with might
the increase of his cattle protects
The foundation thou strengthen-
est for it,
thou fillest,
thou raisest up.
(xvi)
i
2
3- gjg- ...gig....
4. su-nigin sar-na-a
5. gurus-^i [dingir] lam-ma
6. gurus-{i dingir lam-ma
7. kd-dug tab-bi de
8. de. .na ial sig
9. ama-mu a^ag rd \u-a na-ur
10. kala-^u sar(?)-na urn-bar1
(xvi)
i.
3. sickness. . . .sickness. . . .
4. all, in its entirety.
5. Lord of life, god of fruit,
6. Lord of life, god of fruit,
7. pour out good beer in double
measure;
8. pour it out, make abundant the
wool!
9. O my mother, brilliant one, come I
The flour withhold not !
10. (may) thy might man's garden (?)
restore I1
f. OBW, 3oi3.
14
YALE ORIENTAL SERIES. BABYLONIAN TEXTS
1 1 . ama-mu \dingir\-nin nu-gud me-a 1 1 . O my mother, divine lady, is there
no might with thee?
12. dig gig su-su-a ne-sub 12. To expel the sickness, I pray
earnestly !
13. tur-li nu-me a-lil 13. In the fold (may) there be no
demon !
14. a-gig a-bil-a 14. sickness, fever
15. dig. .' 15. expel. . . .
(about seven lines are defaced here).
(xvii)
8. gig....
9. iv iemen-ia mu-ni-da
i o. sal-me . . . . na . . . . sal-me . .
1 1 . dup den-{u tab pu-bi
12. ki-tur-ra-bi
13. lal-es ki-a nin-urta ra erim
(xvii)
8. The sickness ....
9. Four (times) thy temple platform
approaches.
10. The priestess.
1 1 . The down-pour of
deep his well
12. which he dug.
13. The sea fills the land; Ninurta
comes as a laborer;
the priestess ....
En-zu makes
14. [ki} mu-rug {ag [l]i-a. . ...
14. [who] increases the boundary abun-
dantly (?)
15.
i ;.
(xviii)
s
(xviii)
i .....
i .
2
2
3. nam-l-na
3. Let him not come !
4. ki-am nam-gud-du
4. Like the wild-ox his strength
5. mu-me gub
5. is terrible.1
6 gig ki
6 sickness. . . .the land.
7. [dingir]-nin . . . .gu
7. O divine lady, speak
8 ne-ne
8 them
9. mu-. .-dag(?) uru
9. establish (?) the city.
10. gu-la na-ra
10. Let not the full bank overflow!
1 1. {ag-gi-e ni-kal(?)
1 1 . The side is strong,
12. gub-na a-ag-gi
12. its firmness, complete.
13. gi-ba ge-mi-de
13. May its reeds be abundant,
14. dingir-en-a elim-til-la
14. O divine lord, living ram
I 5.
1 5.
• 7 •
" 7'
1 Gub is a predicate adjective after me — ba$u; cf. OBW, 2O7*2.
MISCELLANEOUS BABYLONIAN INSCRIPTIONS 15
(xix) (xix)
i -ni- . . -ru nigin-sar \. when(?) thou makest(?) all vege-
tation . .
2. lul. .lu igi-igi-ii-[ni] 2. strong is man; his eyes see.
3 3- •
4 bar-bar-ra 4 brilliant (?).
5. kud ga-sub-a-fu 5. The decree do thou establish !
6 6
7 7
8. engur-al (?)... .bur-bi. .' 8. The deep abyss for a libation-
bowl
9. ni-^a-sU nin 9. By thy wind, O lady,
10. nam-nam gul m. command not the storm-cloud (?)2
n. ra-na den-{ii ra n. to come! O Enzu, come.
12. ku-se ge-gana-an 12. Let the meal offering be abundant !
13. ki-{u mu-su-es-gub 13. Thy land it establishes.
14. lu-lu gu 14. Men say:
«5 15
An interesting peculiarity of the palaeography is the writing
of the determinative kam, which is often placed after numerals
as in the cone of Enlitarzi.2 In column xi, 10, of our text it is
written on the next line after the numeral to which it points.
The possessive mu "my" in the same line refers back to the
noun in the preceding line.
It is interesting to note that in this text, in accordance with
a wide-spread conception of early men, water was regarded as
holy. The Tigris and Euphrates are twice spoken of as holy
rivers, and the "mighty abyss" (or well of the mighty abyss)
is appealed to for protection (col. iii, 10).
As was to be expected the principal deity mentioned in the
text is Enlil, though Enki is also prominent, and Enzu and
some minor gods are also mentioned. The name Ninlil does
**
ld. OBW, II, p. 251, note
2 See ALLOTTE DE LA FUYE, Documents presargoniques, No. 32.
16 YALE ORIENTAL SERIES, BABYLONIAN TEXTS
not occur. The spouse, of Enlil is here called by two other
names, Ninkharsag and Mush or Sir. That Ninkharsag was
one of the names of the consort of Enlil has long been known,
but the new light that the text throws on the Snake goddess
Sir is important. That she was a goddess down to the time of
Esarhaddon has long been known,1 though Jastrow in his great
work, Religion Babyloniens und Assyriens- appears to have
overlooked it. In an inscription of Esarhaddon published in
BA, III,3 Sir is defined as ilbe-lit, "the divine lady," while in
another copy of the text we find Sir ilbel.* The scribes of Esar-
haddon were therefore uncertain as to her sex, — a fact that
indicates that she was actually in process of being transformed
from a feminine to a masculine deity.6 Zimmern6 supposes that
Sir was identical with the dragon-serpent Tiamat, but the
references to her in our text disprove that view. She was
regarded as a beneficent goddess, a friend to mankind.
Although Sir appears in this text as a goddess, the serpent
deity was also from early times sometimes regarded as a god.7
According to our text Mush (Sir) was a spouse of Enlil. She
was very wise. Her counsels strengthen the wise divinity of
Anu (xi, n, 12), a statement which reveals a point of view
similar to that of Genesis 3*: "Now the serpent was more subtle
than any beast of the field."8 Snake worship is very old and
has been widely scattered over the earth. It is not strange,
therefore, that one of the roots of the cult at Nippur should
1 Cf. ZIMMERN, KAT3, 504 ff.
2 Vol. I, 55, 105, 163 ff. So also WARD, Seal Cylinders, p. 127, and LANGDON, Tammu^, 120 f.
3 P. 297, 42; cf. p. 238, 42.
4Cf. BA, III, 307, 34.
6 See the writer's Semitic Origins, pp. 120, 125, etc.
6 Loc. cit.
7 See WARD, Seal Cylinders, No. 362 f., and LANGDON, Tammuf, 120 f.
8 In later times Sir appears mainly on the boundary stones; cf. W. J. HINKE, BE, Series
D, Vol. IV, p. 229 and the translations passim.
MISCELLANEOUS BABYLONIAN INSCRIPTIONS 17
have been the snake-goddess. One passage concerning her is
very interesting. "From his cohabitation with Sir (Mush), he
begat one strong as a large ibex, whom he told to guard life."
(ix, 8-1 1). This statement embodies an idea very wide-spread
among men, that important acts of creation are the result of
cohabitation between a god and a goddess. This idea is
expressed in lines 22-30 of a tablet which describes the origin
of a city and the beginnings of agriculture, published by
Langdon, and which he calls the Sumerian Epic of Paradise,
the Flood, and the Fall of Man,1 as well as in No. 4, line 22 fT.,
and in Nos. 4 and 8 of this volume; it appears in the
Japanese myth that all things were generated by the union of
Izanagi and Izanami,2 in Indian myths, which represent the
earlier Vedic cosmogonic ideas, and which refer to acts of cre-
ation as acts of generation.3
Another point of interest which the text makes prominent
is the connection of Ninkharsag with enchantment. To her
is attributed the function of enchanting the demons, or of
keeping them away by incantations. If I rightly understand
the text, a number of sentences are given, the utterance of
which by her, was supposed to banish demons from the temple.
A recollection that some such function attached to Ninkharsag
is found in one of the Ritualtafeln4 published by Zimmern, in
which divination by oil, connected with the name of Enme-
duranki is somehow also connected with the name of Nin-
kharsag. A line in the text is broken, so that it does not appear
whether it is divination by oil, or Enmeduranki himself that is
1 See G. A. BARTON, in American Journal of Theology, XXI, 576 ff., and JASTROW in
AJSL, XXXIII, 112 f.
2 See G. W. KNOX, The Development of Religion in Japan, New York, 1907, p. 21 ff.
8 Cf . A. A. MACDONNELL, History of Sanskrit Literature, New York, 1900, p. 132.
4 H. ZIMMERN, Ritualtafeln fur den Wabrsager, Leipsig, 1901, No. 24, I. 26.
18 YALE ORIENTAL SERIES, BABYLONIAN TEXTS
called "a creation of Ninkharsag," but the text attests a later
belief in her connection with the subject. It appears that in
the lapse of time her patronage was transferred from enchant-
ment to divination. In this connection it is stated that a
deity named Bada, who is otherwise unknown to me, opposed,
or was hostile to Ninkharsag. From the point of view of
suffering men, Bada, then, if not an actual devil, was one of the
not-altogether-friendly divinities that had in him the potenti-
alities of devilship. Perhaps this is too strong a statement
of the case, for, in Babylonian thought, the gods were subject
to all the passing moods of men, and Bada may have been
thought to oppose Ninkharsag's beneficent restraint upon
demons, not of settled purpose, but on account of some tem-
porary dislike of men.
In column x, 13 mention is made of Urudu-e, or the Bronze
god. In CT, XXIV, 49, 5b Urudu is defined as Ea. It is
probable, therefore, that in our text Urudu is an epithet of
Enki. The lists of gods in CT, XXIV further record a god
Urudu-nagar-dingir-e-ne, literally "The bronze-carpenter of the
gods" or "The metal-worker of the gods" (cf. CT, XXIV, 12,
25; 25, 8yb), and Urudu-nagar-kalam-ma, "The metal-worker
of the world" (CT. XXIV, 12,24; 25, Sya).1 The simple phrase,
"the Bronze god," suggests a god represented by a bronze statue,
but the name may have originated because the god of wisdom
was believed to have imparted the knowledge of working metal.
As Ea is the Semitic name usually applied to Enki, it is probable
that in our text Urudu-e is Enki.
The passage that mentions Urudue says that he spoke with
a deity called Da-uru. In CT. XXIV, i, 13 Da-uru is given as
one of the names of Anu. When it is said in our text that
1 Cf. PAUL MICHATZ, Die Gotlerlisten der Serie An iluA-na-um, Breslau, 1909, p. 19.
MISCELLANEOUS BABYLONIAN INSCRIPTIONS 19
Urudue spoke with Dauru, it is but another way of saying that
Enki addressed Anu.
As among all early peoples the presence of the temple, the
abode of deity, was thought to afford protection to the land
(col. vii, 5 ff.). This idea persisted in Israel down to the time
of Isaiah or later, (cf. Isa. xxxi, 4, 5).
In col. xii, 3, the name of a deity is expressed by nigin,
the ideogram for double enclosure, or grand total. CT. XXIV,
1 8, Qb gives the Sumerian name of this deity as Ishkhara-
nigginakku, and the Semitic as the goddess Ishtar.
This goddess who is said by her ideogram to sum up the
totality of deity, is said to be the possessor of &^pi-pi, i. e. the
pi-pi-tree or pi-pi-plant. This plant is mentioned in K jib,
iii, 21, — a tablet published by Kiichler,1 where the writing is
*ampi-pi. It was a plant believed to have medicinal properties,
since in the tablet published by Kiichler it is an ingredient of a
medical prescription.
Another interesting statement is found in col. xv, 8 if.,
where the phrase mes-lam-ta-e, or as formerly read sid-lam-ta-e,
follows the name of Ninurta or Nin-ib. This phrase is in later
texts connected with the name of Nergal, and later still, with
the planet Mars.2 The phrase means, "the hero who comes
forth from lam," or "the prince who comes forth from lam."
The only known meanings of lam are "sprout," "to bear fruit,"
and ninsabu, perhaps, "be blown away" from the stem nasabu,
"to blow," — a meaning applicable to the falling petals of a
flower, or to the pollen of a fruit-bearing plant. The sign lam
itself probably originated in the picture of a ploughshare, thus
suggesting growth and fruitfulness. When this phrase describes
1 Beitrdge %ur Kenntniss der assyriscb-babylonischen Medium, l.eipsig, 1904.
2 Cf . JASTROW, Religion Babyloniens und Assyriens, \, 64, 185, II, 18, II, 628 f.
20 YALE ORIENTAL SERIES, BABYLONIAN TEXTS
Ninurta as "the hero who comes forth from lam," what does it
mean? May the meaning not be suggested by two seals pub-
lished by Ward on which a god is represented as a walking
tree?1 In each case a human form takes the place of the tree-
trunk, the head is surmounted by the horns that are emblem-
atical of deity, and from the body the branches of a tree
grow. Probably we see in these figures the picture of the
"hero who came forth from vegetation" (lam}. It is this
hero who comes forth day and night from vegetation, as our
text says, who protects the increase of the cattle. This deity
is declared to be Ninurta or Ninib, rather than Nergal. It
thus becomes probable that the deity referred to under the
name Mes-lam-ta-e in the time of Dungi,2 of the dynasty of Ur,
was Ninib rather than Nergal.
In conclusion it should be noted how closely sickness is
associated in the text with the work of demons. In col. x, 18,
according to one interpretation,3 a demon is adjured not to fly
to the darkness of the city, the light of the city, or the people
of the city. The Babylonian view that sickness was demoniacal
possession was so all-pervading that its primitive character does
not need demonstration. The evidence of this text on the
point is, accordingly, what we might expect.
1 Cf. WARD, Seal Cylinders of Western Asia, Nos. 374, 378.
2CT, V, 12217 and IX. 35389.
3 The rendering given in the text s^atis more probable, but the passage is difficult.
MISCELLANEOUS BABYLONIAN INSCRIPTIONS
21
No. 2.
AN OLD BABYLONIAN ORACLE(P).
This text is very enigmatical. The interpretation of it
here put forth is given with great reserve.
TRANSLITERATION AND TRANSLATION.
(i)
1 . gal-X1 kud-du
2. garas-bar ^id-da
3. Al-la-dKal
4. mega-isib-bi ama gub
5. nam-sir-ge
6. men mega-isib bur-pad-da
7. gal. . . .
(i)
1. The great victim (?) is cut open;
2. the oracle comes forth.
3. O Alla-Kal,
4. the wise priest firmly establishes
(it).
5. Of the apparent fate
6. I, the wise priest, am beholding
the whole.
7. The great ....
(ii)
bur-dub
dEn-lil-lal
dEn-ki-ta
ge-gdl-ne
5. ki-dEn-ki gub
6. nam-sar-a-ge-a
7. en mu-ge-gdl
8. me-gi-la
9. [men] mega-isib-mag
10. [ki] dEn~iu na
(iii)
i . dingir-dingir-ra
2. an-sar-m
(ii)
i.
2.
3
4-
5-
6.
7-
8.
9.
10.
The destructive axe
Enlil
from Enki
verily will take.
Standing with Enki
in wisdom
the lord verily will receive it;
verily he will guard i,t !
I, the wise high priest,
whom Enzu exalts,
(iii)
1 . the gods
2. address.
1 See p. 23 ff .
22 YALE ORIENTAL SERIES, BABYLONIAN TEXTS
3. ki-dingir-a ni-i[n]-da 3. Unto the god I say:
4. ge-gub 4. "May there stand
5. utu-utu 5. the dwellings
6. erin-erin 6. of cedar."
7. £w2 an-babbar 7. His mouth he opened,
8. dEn-iu an-da 8. Enzu said :
9. fo dEn-%u ni-utu 9. "Where Enzu dwells
(iv) (iv)
1 . ni-utu i . he dwells.
2. 01 nun-me-su [ni]-mag 2. As one of the bearded princes he
is exalted.
3. dingir-ri-ne 3. His god
4. an-se-ter-da 4. shall fasten
5. iag-du 5. the foundation firmly;
6. <?rm ni-dim 6. with cedar he shall build.
7. su-e-e 7. Strong are the houses;
8. utu siris 8. the dwelling is of aromatic wood,
9. gal-unu 9. the great dwelling
10. dEn-lil-lal 10. of Enlil."
The text here presented is enigmatical and difficult, and it
must be confessed that its interpretation is uncertain. That
offered here is merely tentative. If I rightly understand it, it
is an oracle obtained from the inspection of a victim by a seer
for Allu-dKal, who wished to rebuild the temple, or some build-
ings that formed a part of the temple at Nippur. The building
was to be constructed of cedar. I take it that the destructive
axe which Enlil is to receive from Enki is the axe with which
the cedars are to be cut. Enki, the god of wisdom, was supposed
to be the inventor of working wood as well as the discoverer of
working bronze. This axe and its work, it is declared Enlil will
guard. The priest then adjures the gods, addressing Enzu in
particular, requesting that the dwellings of cedar may stand,
and he declares that in reply Enzu assured him that Alla-dKal
MISCELLANEOUS BABYLONIAN INSCRIPTIONS 23
dwells where he (Enzu) dwells, that he (Alla-dKal) is exalted as
one of the bearded princes, that the foundation shall be firmly
laid, the dwellings constructed of cedar, and the great dwelling
of Enlil of aromatic wood.
The sign which I have rendered victim (?), £=00$, is an
unidentified sign. It is, apparently, an older form of 5§fnjfl» a
sign which Langdon in AJSL, XXXIII, 48 ff. reads sub and
equates with shepherd. His evidence for this is that in a sylla-
bary of the time of Lugal-usum-gal published by Schileicho in
ZA, XXIX, 79 gal-jjjJTJmi occurs next to gal-sab, which Langdon
translates "great shepherd" and reads sub. It has the value
sab according to all the syllabaries, and means "great priest"
or "great baru-priest." Langdon's inference that because the
two words follow each other in the syllabary they are therefore
synonyms is likewise fallacious. Moreover the Sumerian word
for shepherd is not sub but sib or siba. In Clay's Miscellaneous
Inscriptions of the Yale Babylonian Collection, No. 12, there is
published a larger duplicate copy of the syllabary ascribed to
Lugal-usum-gal in the ZA text. A study of this makes it clear
that the larger part of the syllabary is occupied with a list of
Sumerian words before which gal, "great" could be written.
Thus in col. i we have gal-kal, "large laboring-man;" gal-mus,
"large serpent;" gal-dim, "large dim-grain;" gal-sangu, "high
priest;" gal-sangu-e, "large priest-house;" gal-ti, "long life;"
gal-pa-sag, "large palm grove"; gal-mus pa, "large fearful(?)
serpent;" gal-tuk(?), "long hair;" gal-kesseba, "great image;"
gal-mus -\-mus -\-sir, "great sbinbiltu-tree;" gal-pa-bi, "great terra
cotta sceptre;" gal-pa-urudu, "great bronze sceptre;" gal-e,
"great house." Col. ii is mostly occupied with a list of garments,
but in line 11 we find gal-numun, "abundant seed;" in 1. 13
24 YALE ORIENTAL SERIES, BABYLONIAN TEXTS
gal-sil, "large prayer-offering." Line 14 has the heading nun-me,
"princes" or "great men." Naturally therefore 1. 1 5 begins gal-
sangu," high priest" — a term which here occurs for a second time.
The end of the second column and the beginning of the third
are defaced. When col. iii becomes legible we read: gal-li,
"great unguentary (of a temple court);" gal-kisal, "great temple
court;" gal-sab, "great barn-priest;" gid-sab, tall baru-priest;
then g0/-t§SH2|, the phrase in question, which is followed by
gal-tur, "a great court-yard" or a "great fold." It is clear from
this list of words that because one word follows another they
are not necessarily synonyms. The context of the expression
in the Nippur inscription suggests that some meaning
like victim would be appropriate, and it would not in the sylla-
bary be inappropriate for a victim to be followed by the fold
from which the victim was taken. I accordingly tentatively
translate "a large victim."
If I am right in taking the Al-la-dKal as a proper name it
is proof that al-la, though sometimes the name of a deity pre-
ceded by the determinative dingir,1 is not, when not so pre-
ceded, always a deity as Huber supposes.2 It is a predicate
element here. The name means, "the god Kal protects."
Mus in col. i, 5 is spelled with the sign for serpent (OBW,
328). Here it apparently represents a phonetic spelling of Mus
"appear, appearance" (OBW, 115).
In col. iv, 2 the phrase as-nun-me-su, "one of the bearded
princes," is interesting. Nun has the meanings "great,"
"prince," "strong," "lord," and preceded by the determinative
1 See E. HUBER, Personennamen in den Keilscbrift-Urkunden aus der Zeit der Konige von Ur
und Nisin, Leipsig, 1907, p. 45 f., and G. A. BARTON, Haverford Library Collection of Cuneiform
Tablets, Philadelphia, Vol. Ill, 1914, p. 12.
2 Op. cit., p. 185.
MISCELLANEOUS BABYLONIAN INSCRIPTIONS 25
for divinity may denote Anu, Ea, Bel, or Sin. The Sumerian
deities are pictured on the seals as bearded, although the
Sumerians themselves were beardless. Eduard Meyer has
shown that this is because the Semites were the first settlers in
Mesopotamia, and that, after the invasion of the country by the
Sumerians, the Sumerians adopted the local traditions of var-
ious Semitic deities and pictured their gods as bearded. Since
this is the case, may not the phrase be a hint to Alla-dKal that
he may be deified as were Naram-Sin, Gudea, Dungi, Bur-Sin,
Gimil-Sin and others?
26 YALE ORIENTAL SERIES, BABYLONIAN TEXTS
No. 3.
HYMN TO DUNGI.
The colophon to this tablet states that it is the first of a
series addressed to "My King," and the contents make it clear
that the king was Dungi. The tablet was originally consider-
ably larger than at present and contained six columns of writing.
Columns i and ii have suffered at the ends by breaking; col-
umns v and vi, at the beginning; while columns iii and iv have
been almost destroyed.
Similar hymns to Dungi have been published by Langdon
in BE, XXXI, Nos. 4 and 5 and in PBS, X, No. 7 (translation,
p. 136 f.). Such compositions appear to have been introduced
into Babylonian worship in the time of the dynasty of Ur, and
were continued into later dynasties. Thus two hymns to
Ishmi-Dagan of the dynasty of Nisin are published by Lang-
don, BPS, X, Nos. 9 and 14. A text to Ibi-Sin of the dynasty
of Ur is also published below.
This custom seems to have been introduced with Dungi.
Was it begun during his life-time, or only after his death? Mer-
cer has contended (JAOS, XXXVI, 360-380) that no Baby-
lonian king was worshipped during his lifetime, but that all
such worship developed after their death. He overlooked,
however, the fact that his contention is nullified by proper
names that were given during Dungi's reign. On one tablet
(HLC, II, pi. 53, No. 10) the following names occur: ddun-gi-
ra-kalam-ma, "The land is for the god Dungi;" ddun-gi-
kalam-ma-gi-li-bi, "The god Dungi, — the land is his delight;"
MISCELLANEOUS BABYLONIAN INSCRIPTIONS
27
ddun-gi-a-us, "The god Dungi is the strength of man;" ka-ddun-
gi-ib-ta-e, "The word of the god Dungi goes forth;" ama-ddun-
gi-ra-ur-ru, "The mother of the god Dungi is the goddess
Urru;" ddun-gi-u-nam-ti, "The god Dungi is the food of life."
On another tablet, HLC, I, 12, No. 52, 9, occurs the name
tab-ddun-ki-dnannar, "The god Dungi is the twin of the god
Nannar." This tablet is also dated during Dungi's reign. If
such praise could be given him by means of proper names dur-
ing his lifetime, there can be little doubt but that laudatory
hymns such as this were composed in his honor while he was
yet alive. The script of our tablet shows that this copy was
made during the time of the First Dynasty of Babylon, but
that does not preclude an earlier date for the composition of the
original.
TRANSLITERATION AND TRANSLATION.
1 . lugal mu g[ud-gal a]-gu-nu
2. mus-rus igi ug-ga
3. sib dun-gi gud-gal a-gu-nu
4. mus-rus igi ug-ga
5. amar-tur-bi gal-la sar barun
6. gibil bar mar-ri silim-ne
7. lig-ga-gi ur-sag-ga tum-ma
8. gi-ten kalam-ma-na
9. us-gi dutu ki gar-si-di
10. sag-a-su gat-da gub-bi
1 1 . ug-i-i-da ga-{i ku-a
(i)
i.
2.
O my king, great warrior, lord(F),1
O mighty, lion-eyed serpent,
3. O shepherd, Dungi, great warrior,
lord(?),
4. O mighty, lion-eyed serpent,
5. Offspring of the fold who pro-
tectest the improved garden,
6. O brilliant flame, thou bestowest
its welfare.
7. Wise ruler, hero, come !
8. Give rest unto the land !
9. A faithful hero, a sun-god, who
art just,
10. At the head with the sceptre thou
standest;
1 1 . O exalted lion, the fat of life thou
eatest.
JCf. 8,6575.
28
YALE ORIENTAL SERIES, BABYLONIAN TEXTS
12.
13-
15-
1 6.
'7-
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23-
24.
25-
26.
27-
28.
29.
30.
31-
32.
33-
(ii)
gud kas-gar elim-gal su-sar-da
sd-^a kur du a^ag-ga sa sd
lugal sag-men-na gi-li-bi
dun-gi nimgir-gi-dim
ge-ul-bi
ago. kesda nam-dingir-ra gub-gub
lugal-an-ni-mu dug-ga sd-a
sib iid-a si tun
den-lil-lal
nin-gi dnin-lil-lal
ki-aga-sag-bi-na
lugal-mu ia-dim
a-ba an-ga kal
a-ba an-ga-a-da sa
a-ba-^a-dim
sd-ta gtSku-pi ga
su-ama mu-ni-in-gu
.... ur-sag dib-u
e e
. . . . C- C-
. . . .ga tun-la
. . . .e
.... ga-a me-li
. kur-nam-bi 8tSru-gdl dnannar-ka
2. kalam-ma-ka mi-ri-a
3 . ra-ra m$-lil
4. ama-ii ama-gal su-sar-da dim
5. e-mus gu-nu me-li2
O ox, mighty wild ox, O ram great
to bless,
Thy word breaks the mountain,
holy and just.
O king, as commander in chief
thou rejoicest,
O Dungi, as a faithful steward
thou art glad !
The crown, bound to divinity,
abides.
O my divine king, speak favor !
O shepherd, to the faithful give
increase.
Enlil,
The faithful lady, Ninlil,
Whom he loves in his heart,
O my king, are like thee.
Who brings favor to man?
Who brings justice?
Who is like thee,
By whom the broad weapon is
carried?
The powerful mother calls:
.... hero, come ! •
.... come forth, come forth !
12.
13-
14.
15.
1 6.
1 8.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23-
24.
25-
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31-
32.
33-
(ii)
1. O mountain of fate, the firm bow
of Nannar
2. For the land thou carryest;
3. To fight is gladness!1
4. Bull of life, great bull, thou rulest
to bless;
5. Great serpent art thou.2
. . . .verily thou art.
1 Cf . B, 10391; M, 7917, 7918.
2 Mt = balu (OBW, 47815); li=atta (OBW, $83). No one meaning of mi-li suits all its occur-
rences here. It seems to have been purposely employed in different senses.
MISCELLANEOUS BABYLONIAN INSCRIPTIONS
29
6. gar-su gllginar gar-ra-an-na sig-
ga-me-li
7. gir-ni gtSku-dim rim-ne gdl}-la
{U-U
8. d en-til tul-li me-li
9. gis-ama(?)-dul den gub {ag-ga-
ru-a dim
10. rim-kal-a me-li
1 1 . dup-fi bi-na-da-a-dim
12. igi-e sd dug-ga-me-li
13. dun-al-a^ag-dim
14. dnin-lil gal-ama
1 5 . sal-%i dug-ga me-li
1 6. **erin a-ga ur-ri md-a-dim
1 7. ***|i| dug-ga me-li
1 8. lugal-mu %a-dim a-ba an-ga kal
19. fl-&<? an-ga-a-da sd
20. #-&# ia-dim sd-ta stSku-pi ga
2 1 . g^tun mu^ni-in-gu
22. nam-tun sag %u-u gat ge-e-e
23. nam-lig-ga-fu-u sal-dug ge-e
24. 527> dun-gi-a %u. . . .a-ga
25. #-foz dingir-ri. . . .
26. awm ba-fu dnin- ....
27. mu-u-tu. . . .
28. dingir {u-a%ag an- ....
29. mu-u-tu(?) ....
6. The possession of the chariot gives
joy to the road,
7. Its course is like a javelin;- its
running thou appointest;1
8. Enlil below2 thou art !
9. Great bull of the dwelling, divine
lord, standing like a builder's
wall,
10. A wild-ox of a man art thou !
1 1 . The tablet of life thou makest for
them;
12. Beholding justice, thou art good.
13. As the great, holy dun-an\ma\,3
14. Ninlil, great mother,
1 5 . Woman of life, preserver of gladness.
1 6. Like abundant cedars, a growing
wall,
1 7. A grateful shade thou art !
1 8. O my king, who like thee favors
the working-man?
19. Who brings justice?
20. Who is like thee by whom the
broad weapon is carried?
21. The axe, — thou demandest it !
22. Fighting exalts thee! Bring forth
the sceptre !
23. Verily thy might increases abun-
dance.
24. O shepherd Dungi, thou ....
25. Who, O god,. . . .
26. The mother bore thee, the god-
dess Nin ....
27. She bore. . . .
28. O god, thou holy one, she. . . .
29. She bore ....
Cf. OBW, 8720.
3 The pictograph from which the sign dun is derived was apparently that of a pig (see OBW,
427). The female of the species was sacred to the goddess Bau and the sign could designate
that deity. Langdon regards the ^ww-animal as the zebu or bos indicus, but there is no evidence
known to me in favor of such an identification.
30
YALE ORIENTAL SERIES, BABYLONIAN TEXTS
(iii)
(iii)
i . ud . . . .
i. When....
2 . im ....
2
3 . nu-dim ....
3. Not made. . . .
4. gis tur-tur ....
4. Great and small. . . .
5 . mi ....
5.
6. gis-am-dim ....
y •
6. Like a great bull ....
7. «"<*»&-&* ....
7. The tablet ....
8. sal-{i mu-. . . .
8. Thy wife
9. ud-ba ....
9. At that time. . . .
10. dmu-lil. . . .
10. Mulil. ...
1 1 . dub mu-u ....
1 1 . The tablet ....
1 2 . waw mu-u- ....
12. Fate. . . .
13. dnin-lil. . . .
13. Ninlil. . . .
14. sigissi-sigissi-a r[a. . . .
14. With prayers. . . .
i 5 . sa im-ma-an- ....
15. Which....
1 6. aw &i nam-tar-tar. . . .
1 6. Heaven and earth the fates. . . .
1 7. na-nam na-nam ....
17. They, they. . . .
1 8. ba-lag-lag-gi ....
18. It brings. . . .
19. m'w jf/^ zgz nim-lu uku. . . .
19. The beloved slave looking to the
exalted one, the people ....
20. d en-lil lugal kur-kur ....
20. Enlil king of countries. ...
21. nam-sib-bi ma-bi-. . . .
21. His shepherding. . . .
22. lugal-mu {a-dim a-b[a. . . .
22. My king who like thee. . . .?
22. a-ba an-ga. . . .
23. Who favors [man]?
23. a-ba an-. . . .
24. Who [brings justice]?
(iv)
['.
2'.
3'-
4'-
5'-
6'.
(iv)
. . . .mm
gu gud-gal
gis-ki lig-ga . . .
nam-ur-sag-g[a .
edin-li im-. . . .
kal si-su ga-a- .
na-mu. .
8. lugal ki. . . .
Said the great warrior. .
With greatness strength .
Heroism ....
The luxuriant plain he. .
6'. Man with crushed-grain
7'. Give not(?). . . .
8. King of the land ....
MISCELLANEOUS BABYLONIAN INSCRIPTIONS
31
(v)
r
2'. tu[m u]g. . . .
3'. gud li-a si-ka. . . .
4'. sag-bi sagar . . . .
5'. i-i-na %id-bi . . . .
6'. iid-bi-a nam-umun. . . .
7. sagar ses1 gi-ib. . . .
8'. gis-gid-da ib-ma
9'. su-ner mu-ub . . . .a-an-ru
10'. e-ntar-ur-. . . . ga-a-an-ta- . .
H'. gt*ban-mu. . . .gir-dim
12'. lag ga-ma-bal-bal-ri
13'. til-ka igi-mu-ht nam-dim ge-bur-
bur
14'. gi-bar-bar-ra su-tin-gu-gu. . . .
15'-
16'.
I?'-
18'.
ka-ag-ga-a ga-ma-an-es3 ....
im-ku-da til-a kalam-ma ga-ma-
im-. . . .
im-bi-gi-ni &llku
me-ba-ra ama-um ga-ma-ab-. .
19'. sd-bal-a kalam tar-tar-ra. . . .
20'. g*sm-{u ib-uru mu-. . . .
21 '. nam-dim ga-am-mi-ib ur-. .
22'. [ga]-e su-mu so. sag-kalam-ma-ka
23'. gug sar ga-mu-u-ag-ga
24'. i gtSku dingir mu-u-gu-in nam-
lu-ad
25'. a-dim ge-im-bal-e
26'. gtSku ga-{i-in-da tab-ba-mu-u
2'. Bringing strength(F) ....
3'. Warrior, the abundance of bright-
ness ....
4'. His head the dust. . . .
5'. In glory his right hand. . . .
6'. By his right hand lordship. . . .
7. The dust the blood1 received ....
8'. The tall tree grows,
9'. The shaft2(?) one makes.
10'. In the quiver verily carried(?) it.
1 1 '. My bow like a mighty . .
12'. The right hand verily draws,
13'. Of life before my eyes according
to fate verily he is bereft.
14'. By the strong snare the sudim-
birds ....
15'. For eating are caught ....
1 6'. He who hunts the life of the land,
verily I [will destroy !]
17'. I will seize the weapon,
1 8. By its might the gracious mother
verily ....
19'. By justice perverted the land is
destroyed ....
20'. Thy bow protects, it. ...
21'. Like a swallow verily I will cut
them off ! . .
22'. Verily my power and leadership
of the land are great !
23'. Bright will I make the garden
land!
24'. Exalted is the weapon; the god
subdues human-kind !
25'. Like a flood verily he is mighty!
26'. The weapon verily is lifted up, I
raise it;
1 Cf. OBW, ago4.
2 Literally "pillar," "column;" cf. B, 7198.
6 Cf. OBW, 9318 and ».
32
YALE ORIENTAL SERIES, BABYLONIAN TEXTS
27'. ki-ib-ne tun-bi-a
28'. gu-ul(?)-sd gu-ull ga-mu-u-ag-ge
29'. ba(?)-bi gi ga^a-dim
30'. ub-sag(?)-e-ni ne-ni-gid
31'. sa-gub sa-gub-ba kalam si-$u. .
32'. la. . . .lu idim-a-dim
33'. ki-in. .tur(?) in-da-. .
34'. la gu. . . .su mi- ....
35'. uru-gir. .
36'. kur-ra. . . .
37'. e dutu
(vi)
r gal. .
2' ib-idim-e
3' la mu-ta-a-sig
4' gum-gum-ma-ni
5 umun mu-u-sud-e
6 ga(?)-ra sag-lu gu mu-ni-al-
si-rd
7 uru-ra na-a-bi
8. \uru-d\a ga-am-mi-ga^
9. bad-da na-a-bi
10. bad-da ga-am-mi ga{
1 1 . mu-u-da-rd-a-bi
12. ug-tum ga-am-mi-rd
13. nu-mu-u-da-rd-a-bi
14. sd-ba ga-am-mi-gaz
1 5 . kur-ra tur-tur-bi ma-a ga-am-mi-
ib-bar-ru
1 6. gal-gal-bi su-ge-ta ga-am-ge
7 mu-u-ge-lu
7 mu-u-ami-e-sd-a
19. w<f mas-su ba-da-es ugu ra-al
27'. Those who are strong are des-
troyed ;
28'. Destruction on destruction it
makes;
29'. Its. . . .it seizes by killing;
30'. They lift it up, it pierces.
31'. Blessing, blessing to give the
land . .
32'. And. . . .a man like a demon
33'. Who enters( ). .
34'. And. . . .
35'. protector of the wall (?)....
36'. The mountain. . . . •
37'. Water(?) of Shamash. . . .
(vi)
r.
2'.
3'-
4'-
5-
6.
1 7.
1 8.
. . great ....
. .he cries out(?);
. . and he is filled
. .his meadows
. the lord made wide,
.to the temple (?) as its head
the prince comes;
7 by the beam he stands;
8. By the beam verily he2 prays;
9. By the wall he2 stands,
10. By the wall verily he1 prays;
1 1 . He1 departs.
12. Let the roaring lion come,
13. He shall not depart;
14. Let his plan be frustrated !
15. On the mountain his whelps I
verily will seize;
1 6. His grown ones with a snare I
will verily catch;
17. As lord I will catch them;
18. As lord I will hold them!
19. When the prince approaches them
the pack departs.
1 gu-ul for gul; cf DELITZSCH, Sum. Glossar, p. 108.
2 Directions for the ritual begin at this point.
MISCELLANEOUS BABYLONIAN INSCRIPTIONS
33
20. lugal me-li
2 1 . lu-ur-ma ga-am-ge
22. gar ki-em-gi-ra ba-a-gu-la
23. kur-ra ga-am-mi-ib-gu-ul
24. uru ba dingir-bi
25. ne-ba ga-am-mi-. .
26. sukkal gu si-sag
27. dkal si-sag-ga
28. bar-su ga-am-ta-an-rd
29. gan ii sar lag-ga-bi-e
30. sukkal-gid ama ga ne-ni-sar
3 1 . gis-luli- gud
32. egir-ba ga-kul sum-sum
33. gis-ama-gal bi-e
34. ama-gir ga-am-gu
35. £*s tfwr-fo
36. tftttw . . . . gi ni-ib-bal
37. gw . . . . ba-sar-a-bi
38. a-uru-na .... for
20. O king, there is gladness !
21. May power exalt my city!
22. Food for Sumer be abundant !
23. The land be great !
24. The city is the creation of its god;
25. May its power. . . .
26. The pasisu-priest cries: "Be gra-
cious !"
27. The guardian deity is gracious;
28. To its border he comes;
29. The field is bright, the garden
brilliant.
30. The great pasisu-priest the mother
turning blesses.
31. "A mighty man, exalted is the
warrior,
32. Unto him let prayers be many;
33. A man beloved, great, is he/'
34. The mother without (?) says:
35. "The man is a prince."
36. Advancing, the faithful (priest)
pours a libation.
37. Saying. . . .,, bless it!"
38. "For the city a blessing!"
COLOPHON.
gi-ba dup-sag lugal-mu gud-gal a-gu-
nu
The whole of it, tablet one of "My
great warrior, lord(?)"
34 YALE ORIENTAL SERIES, BABYLONIAN TEXTS
No. 4.
A MYTH OF ENLIL AND NINLIL.
This tablet, though fragmentary, as the copies show, con-
tains a more complete text of a myth, a portion of which was
published by Pinches in 1911 in PSBA, XXXIII, 85 ff. The
text of Dr. Pinches contained an Akkadian translation; the
Philadelphia text is in Sumerian only. The myth concerns the
irrigation of Nippur and the establishment of its prosperity,
the first line of Dr. Pinches text read "At Duranki, their city
they dwelt" instead of At their Nippur(?) they dwelt."
A colophon at the end of his tablet states that it was "First
tablet, At Duranki, their city. Not finished." In reality his
text covers only parts of columns i and ii of our tablet. The
two texts in general agree closely, though there are minor
variations here and there.
The myth itself is of great interest. It represents the
courtship and marriage of Enlil and Ninlil. He was a young
hero; she a handmaid. She was standing on the bank of a
canal, when he saw her, ran to her, and kissed her. Her heart
was captivated; she yielded to him, and from their marital
union fertilizing rain was born. The story is not unlike that of
the union between Enki and Nintu in the Epic of Paradise
published by Langdon.1 The idea of creation by birth from the
marital union of deities appears to have been particularly popu-
1 PBS, X, No. i. For the interpretation cf. JASTROW, AJSL, XXX HI, 112; also BARTON,
in Am, Journal of Tbeol., XXI, 576 ff.
MISCELLANEOUS BABYLONIAN INSCRIPTIONS 35
lar at Nippur. The creation of men occurred in this way
according to the myth published below as No. 8.
After the creation of irrigating waters and the settling of
some marital differences between the god and goddess, they
proceeded to Nippur accompanied by fifty great gods and
seven gods of fate; they cast out the poisonous plants and gave
intelligence to the inhabitants. For these and other blessings
our text ascribes praise to Enlil and Ninlil.
TRANSLITERATION AND TRANSLATION.
(i) (i)
i en(?)-lil;t-na-nam na-an-dur- \. At. . . .their Nippur(?) they dwelt;
[ru-ne-en-ne-en]
2. en]-ltfn uru-ki-na-nam na-an- 2. At Nippur, the city which is theirs,
dur-ru-ne-[en-ne-en] they, dwelt;
3. dur-sag1 uru-ki-na-nam na-an- 3. At the favorable dwelling, the city
dur-re-ne-en-ne-[en] which is theirs, they dwelt.
4. id sal-la1 id a^ag-ga na-nam 4. The wide river is their holy river;
5. kar-pigu-na3 kar-bi na-nam 5. Its close-shut dyke, — its dyke is
theirs;
6. kar-a-sar* kar gtSmd-us-bi na-nam 6. The crowded dyke, — the dyke of
its large ships is theirs;
7. tul-lal5 tul-a-dug-ga-bi na-nam 7. The good well, the well of sweet
water is theirs;
8. id nun-bi-ir-rd gud-mul-bi na- 8. The canal Nunbiirra, its star-
nam bright one, is theirs;
9. ib-ta-bu-i-ne buru-gan-seg-ga gar- 9. They reap a bur of irrigated land;
bi na-nam its food is theirs;
10. den-lil gurus-tur-bi na-nam 10. Enlil, its young hero, is theirs;
1 Possibly Dur-lag should be read as a proper name. It has been translated to give the
English reader the meaning.
2 Pinches takes Idsalla as a proper name.
3 Pinches reads Kar-geliin-na, which is quite possible, and takes it as a proper name. That
would mean the "vine-dyke" or the "wine-dyke," which seems to me improbable. I have pre-
ferred rather to interpret by OBW, 2I34.
4 Kar-a-lar (spelled Kar-ular] is regarded by Pinches as a proper name.
5 Tul-lal (read Tul-amar-uduk) is taken by PINCHES as a proper name.
36
YALE ORIENTAL SERIES, BABYLONIAN TEXTS
1 1 . dnin-lil ki-el-tur-bi na-nam
12. dnun-bar-se-gu-nul du um-ma-bi
na-nam
13. ud-ba ki-el ama mug-na sd-na
mu-un-di-di
14. dnin-lil-li dnun-bar-se-gu-nu
sd-na mu-un-di-di
15. id a^ag-ga nu^-nunuf-e id-a^ag-
ga-am-a-nam-m i-tu-tu*
1 6. dnin-lil-li gu id nun-bi-ir-ka5
nam-mi-in-gub-ne
17. i-de a^ag-ga-am u-mu-un i-de
. . . .ba-si-bar-ri
1 8. kur-gal a-a dmu-ul-lil i-de a^ag-
ga-am i-de ba-si-bar-ri
19. sib-na ne-nam-tar-tar-ri i-de a%ag-
ga-am i-de ba-si-bar-ri
20. a-i gal gur mu-bi-am-i-i-kar-an
mi-su-ub-bi
21. sag dam-a gi-li sag-gi sa-lal-na-
am mu-un-sd ni-ib-ru-ru
22 mu-un-ni-in-ri ga-mu-us-su
si-mu-na-si-ag
23. [id a{ag-g]a-am sal-e id-a^ag-ga-
am im-ma-ni-tu-tu
24. [dnin-lil]-H gu id gu nun-bi-ir-
ka5-i im-gub-ne
11. Ninlil, its young maidservant, is
theirs;
12. Nunbarshegunu, the exalted, its
mother, is theirs.
13. At that time the handmaid, the
mother who bore her, verily
helped,
14. Ninlil Nunbarshegun verily helped.
15. The holy river, the woman Ida-
zagga, did not flow.
1 6. Ninlil stood on the bank of the
canal Nunbiir;
1 7. With holy eyes the lord of .... eyes
looked upon her;
1 8. The great mountain, father Mulil,
of holy eyes, with his eyes
looked upon her;
19. Her shepherd, he who determines
fate, of the holy eyes, with his
eyes looked upon her;
20. The exalted father rising, ran;
he seized her; he kissed her;
21. The heart of the lady exulted;
her heart was captivated; she
wished it; she yielded6 to him;
22 he received her; he cohabited
with her; he caused it to rain.
23. The holy river, the woman Ida-
zagga, flowed;
24. Ninlil stood on the bank of the
canal, — the bank of Nunbiir;
1 For this goddess cf. CT, XXIV, 9, 34; 23, i6b. Perhaps we should read Ninbarshegula.
In these passages the spelling is slightly different, but the goddess is doubtless the same. She
was evidently a grain goddess.
2 The Semitic translation published by PINCHES shows that the nu is a prepositive phonetic
complement; it repeats the first syllable of nunu^.
3 For the meaning "woman" cf. OBW, 348'.
4 For the word tu cf. M, 51 56.
6 The sign ka may also be read du (OBW, 1 56). I have taken it as the genitive particle, but
it may be the final syllable of the name.
6 Literally "gave herself"; cf. OBW, 69".
MISCELLANEOUS BABYLONIAN INSCRIPTIONS
37
25. [den-lil igi a{ag-g]a-am lugal-e igi
a^ag-ga-am igi im-ma-si-in-bar
26. [kur-gal a-a] den-lil igi a^ag-ga-am
igi im-ba-si-in-bar
27. [sib-na ne]-nam-tar-tar-ri igi a%ag-
ga-am igi im-ba-si-in-bar
28. [dam gir]-bi-e-gii-mu-na-ab-bi nu-
ur-ra-si-ib-se-gil
29. [dnin-lil-l]i gir--bi-e gu-mu-na-
ab-bi nu-un-da-ra-si-ig-ge
30. ... .[nu-mu-un]-ra-am-pigu*(?)
nu-mu-un-fu
31 [mu-ni]-i-ra-am-se-su-ub
mu-un-fu
32 dib*-mu ib-sig5-gi
33 su-dure-bi mu-e-en"7
34 bi-mu-me-e ba-na-silig-gi
35 gu-mu-na-de-e
25. Enlil of holy eyes, the king with
holy eyes with his eyes looked
upon her;
26. The great mountain, father Enlil,
of the holy eyes, with his eyes
looked upon her;
27. Her shepherd, he who determines
fate, of the holy eyes, with his
eyes looked upon her;
28. To his wife in anger he said: "Did
I not yield to thee?"
29. To Ninlil in anger he said: "Did
I not yield to thee?"
30 "Did I not embrace(?) thee?"
"Did I not know [thee]?"
31 "I kissed thee; I knew [thee]";
(ii)
32. .
33- •
34- •
35-
(ii)
. . ."thou didst sieze me; I sub-
mitted;
..."thou didst lie down; thou
didst gain the mastery8;
..."thou wast [enticing?];
wast mighty.
. .he said.
thou
(About 8 lines are broken away.)
r.
lugal. . . .
r.
King
2'.
us-bi-na mu-un-gii
[gir-bi-na
2'.
To her husband she spoke;
to
mu-un-. .]
1
his anger she. .
3'-
a-a den-lil dup-gi ....
3'-
Father Enlil, the tablet of fate .
4'-
us-bi-na mu-un-gu
gir-bi-[na
4'-
To her husband she spoke, to
his
mu-un-. .]
anger she. . . .
1 See DELITZSCH, Sum. Glossar, 262.
2Cf. OBW, iSs^and35.
3Cf. OBW, 2I34. The rendering is most uncertain.
4 Cf. OBW, 4822.
5 See OBW, 24980.
6Cf. OBW, 481".
7Cf. OBW, ii24.
8 On account of the fragmentary condition of the text the rendering of the last lines of the
column is most uncertain.
38
YALE ORIENTAL SERIES, BABYLONIAN TEXTS
5'. ur-ur-na su-ni ba-an-. . . .
6'. us-bi-na mu-un-gu gir-bi-na
mu-un- . .
7'. dur-ki a-tur-ra-su im-ma-da-ab-
nd
8'. us-bi-na mu-un-gu gir-bi-na
su-ub
9'. us-as sag-ga-ni gdl-as su-ub-ba-ni
10'. a d en-lil-na-na? gub lag-e sd mu-
na-ni-ri
n'. d en-lil ki-ur im-ma-ni-in-rd-rd
12'. d en-lil ki-ur dib-dib-da-ni.
13'. dingir-gal-gal eninnu ne-ne
14'. dingir nam-tar-ra umun-na ne-
ne
15'. d en-lil. . . . im-ma-ni-tug-ga-ne
1 6'. d en-lil sam-ug-gi uru-ta ba-ra-ne
17'. dnu-nam-nir* sam-ug-gi uru-ta
ba-ra-[ne]
1 8'. d en-lil ni-la dnin-li-[li in-gdl]
19'. dnu-nam-nir ni-gub ki-el mu-
un-. .
20'. den-lil-li bi-e-gal-ra gu-. . . .
21 '. lit ka-gal lu gti si-gar . . . .
22'. lu gtisu-da lu, si-gar-e
23'
24'
25'
26'
27
nin-fu d[nin-lil]-li-i im- . .
e-da-li mu mu-ra-tar-ne
. ia-e ki-mu nam-mu-ni-in-pad-de
. dnin-lil-li mu-lu kd-gal-ge gu-. .
'. mu-lu ka-gal mu ^[si-gar]
5'. His hand grasped it. ...
6'. To her husband she spoke, to his
anger she. . . .
7'. In a dwelling with offspring thou
shalt lie down.
8'. To her husband she spoke; to his
anger she gave a kiss;
9'. Resting her head on her husband,
she kissed him.
10'. Standing brilliant by Enlil, her
husband, her heart rejoiced.
1 1'. Enlil, the hero came;
12'. Enlil, the hero, entered.
13'. The great gods, — fifty are they;
14'. The gods of fate, — seven are they;
15'. With Enlil they marched.
1 6'. Enlil cast the poisonous plant (?)
from the city;
17'. Nunamnir cast the poisonous
plant (?) from the city;
Enlil came; Ninlil [descended,]
Nunamnir came; the handmaid
18'.
19'.
20'. Enlil to him of the palace called:
21'. "O man of the great gate! man of
the lock !
22'. Man of the strong wood; man of
the lock !
23'. Thy lady, Ninlil, [comes]!
24'. If a name he shall ask of thee,
25'. Thou shalt not tell him of my
place."
26'. Ninlil1 to the man of the great
gate spoke:
27'. Ol man of the great gate, man of
the lock,
1 Cf. OBW, 230".
1 The construction is peculiar; we should expect den-lil a-na-na. The lacunae are supplied
from DR. PINCHES' text, PSBA, XXXIII, 85 ff. and from col iii.
3 In DR. PINCHES' text it is Enlil who speaks here.
MISCELLANEOUS BABYLONIAN INSCRIPTIONS
39
28'. mu ai*$u-di-es mu-lu [^si-gar 28'. O man of the bolt, man of the
a^ag-ga] holy lock,
29'. dmu-ul-lil u-mu-[un kur-kur-ra] 29'. Mulil, the lord of the lands.
30'. dingir-[%u lu sti[si-gar]. . . . 30'. Is thy god', O man of the lock.
(iii)
i gi git mu-e-kal ....
2. dmu-ul-lil u-mu-un kur-kur-ra
3. drnu-ul-lil u-mu-un ^u ni-mi-dun
4. lag-da nin mu-me-en-ne su-^u-
tu-mu du- . .
5. a u-mu-un ba-a lag-lag-ga sa-
gd-ni-. .
6. a den-lil ne-a-lag-lag-ga sa-gd-
ni. . . .
7. a lugal-mu dingir-su ib-rd-a mu-
ki-$u-bi . .
(About 1 8 lines
25 [dmu-u]l-lil u-mu-un kur-
kur-ra . .
26. dmu-ul-lil u-mu-un itu-ni git-
dim u- . .
27. ud-da nin mu-me-en-ne su-^u-
lu mu-ib-tag-tag ....
28. a u-mu-un %u-a lag-lag-ga sag-
gd ni-gdl
29. a den-%u na-a lag-lag-ga sag-gd
ni-gdl. .
30. a lugal-mu dingir-su ib-rd-a mu-
ki-su ib-rd-. . . .
31. a-mu a-lugal-mu-dim-ma ku-ib
im-ma-rd. . . .
32. den-lil-li lu id-kur-ra-dim da
ga-na- na
33. us im-ma-ni-in-gu-ne-en im-ma-
ni-in-su-ub
34. us-as dug-ga-ni us-as su-ub-ba-
ni
(iii)
i.
2.
3-
4-
5-
6.
7-
Mulil, lord of lands;
Mulil, lord, thou didst create,
"In brilliance, O lord, art thou;
by thy hand thou created (?) . .
Father, lord, thou dost illumine
their heart!
Thou, father Enlil, dost illumine
their heart !
O father, my king, mighty god,
thou comest, thou dwellest ....
are broken away.)
25 Mulil, lord of lands ....
26. Mulil, lord of the month, like a
tree. .
27. When, O lord, thou art in thy
might thou overthrowest ....
28. O father, lord, thou art brilliant;
the heart thou liftest up. ...
29. O father Enzu, exalted one, brill-
iant, the heart thou liftest up. .
30. O father, my king, mighty god,
thou comest, thou abidest, thou
comest ....
31.0 my father, as my king thou
advancest, thou comest ....
32. O Enlil, who, like the river of
the land, mightily risest,
33. O hero, thou speakest to them;
they have rest !
34. With the hero is their preserva-
tion; with the hero is their rest.
40
YALE ORIENTAL SERIES, BABYLONIAN TEXTS
35. a dnin a-ba lugal-su us-mu gu- 35. O father, divine lord, who is
lub-mu-. . . . against the king? My hero,
verily thou overthrowest him.
36. den-lil ni-rd dnin-lil in-g[dl] 36. Enlil comes; Ninlil descends;
37. dnu-nam-nir ni-ra ki-el mu-un- 37. Nunamnir comes; the handmaid
(iv)
i.
2.
3-
4-
5-
. .-mu
. .ul-rad-du
. . mu mu- .... tar-ri
. .mu nam-mu-in-ni-si-sub-ne
. .gtima a-sig-bi- gis-$ukum
dir-ra dnin-lil im-ba-ni
6 gtima a-sig-bi gis-sikum dir-
ra ga
7. [dmu-u]l-lil u-mu-un . . . . ku ma
.... lugal
8. [dnin-lil]-li mu-ba-si lu-lag-ka
mu-ni-ba-sig-gi
9. mu-sag-sag-ga sag-ga-ba-ra mu-
da-ab-gu
10. den-lil-li sag-sag sag-ga-ba-ra
mu-da-ab-gu
1 1 . [^nity-lil i ni-in-tar dnin-lil i ni-
in-im-te . .
12. gur ub-gi-da mu-mu tu-nel sig
in-. .
13. [d]mu-ul-lil u-mu-un ku-ta gur-
ne el-su ab-
14. ud-da nin mu-me-en-ne su-[{u]~-
su mu-i[b-tag-tag]
15. a u-mu-un [{u]-a l[ag-lag-ga sag-
ga ni-gdl]
1 6. a d en-lil u-[mu-un lag-la}g-g[a
lag-ga ni-gdl]
17. a lugal kur-[kur-ra sag]-ga-{u
mu- . .
(iv)
i
2
3. My. . . .determined,
4. My. . . .does not overthrow them.
5 the boat for the ferry Ninlil
makes;
6 the boat for the ferry comes.
7. Enlil, lord of. . . .king;
8. Ninlil fills the flock with favor,
she gives verdure;
9. She is gracious, to her beloved she
speaks ;
10. Enlil is gracious to his beloved he
speaks.
1 1. Ninlil, the exalted, gives decisions;
Ninlil the exalted thunders;. .
12. Turning she establishes, she
clothes the weak, she. .
13. Mulil the lord with the weapon
turns in brilliance he. ...
14. When, O lord, thou art in thy
might thou overthrowest . .
15. O father, lord, thou art brilliant;
the heart thou liftest up;
1 6. O Enlil, lord, thou art brilliant;
the heart thou liftest up;
17. O father, king of countries, thy
favor thou . .
1 Cf. M, 5866.
2 The lacunae in this and the following lines are supplied from the corresponding lines of
col. iii.
MISCELLANEOUS BABYLONIAN INSCRIPTIONS
41
1 8. a-mu a-lugal[-mu-dim-ma k]u-
i[b im-ma-rd}-. .
1 9. en-lil-li nam- .... e-da ....
20. us im-ba-ni-in-gu[-ne-en im-ba-
ni-in-su-ub]
21. [u$-as] dug-[ga-ni us-as su-ub-
ba-ni]
22. [a] den-lil....
23. en %a-su. . . .
24. [den]-lil en ia-\e ....
25. [dnu]-nam-ner [ni-rd ki-el mu-
un-] . .
26 gir si. . . .
27. us(?~) mu-ma-ma. . . .
28. en an-u en an-. . . .
29. den-lil e[n] den-lil lugal. . . .si
30. den-lil lugal gar nu . . . . lu
31. sag-sar-ru sag-ru-ru-a-m nu-
bal-e-ne-
32. ^ag-sal-dug-ga ama dnin-lil-li-su
33. a-a den-lil ^ag-sal
1 8. O my father, as my king thou
advancest, thou comest . .
19. Enlil. . . .
20. O hero, thou speakest to them;
they have rest !
21. With the hero is their preserva-
tion; with the hero is their rest.
22. O father Enlil(?). .'. .
23. O lord, to thee. . . .
24. O Enlil, thou art lord ....
25. Nunamnir comes; the maiden. . . .
26
27. The hero makes. . . .grow. . . .
28. The lord creates, the lord ....
29. Enlil is lord; Eniil is king. . . .
30. Enlil, the king does not [deny]
food to man
3 1 . The prince, creator of all, does not
deny them intelligence !
32. Full praise to mother Ninlil!
33. To father Enlil praise!
42
YALE ORIENTAL SERIES, BABYLONIAN TEXTS
No. 5.
FRAGMENT OF AN INCANTATION RITUAL.
This text, though fragmentary, is of great interest. The
tablet contained four columns, but columns i and ii are entirely
erased. Indeed few lines of columns iii and iv have been pre-
served entire, nevertheless, if the following translation, which
on account of the condition of the text is necessarily tentative,
at all represents the original, the text affords an interesting
example of the ritual by which it was believed destructive
storms could be averted. Such storms were frequent in Baby-
lonia: cf. Reisner Sumerische Hymnen, No. 7 and Peters, Nippur
I, 258, 259.
TRANSLITERATION AND TRANSLATION.
(iii) (iii)
i' ..... gis ---- g* gur ---- i'
2' ..... us(?) gu-ra ki mu-ni-a-ni
4'. gi*gibil V-la VH-ia. ...
2'. The. . . .man(?) for the bird thou
presented l
3'. d[ug]-dug-til ii-ra pu-ka mu-[gu] 3'. Words of life for thee at the well
will speak (?).
4'. On the fire by fives, by sevens. . . .
5'. eiigibil-md X-ta XV-la gub-ne- 5'. My fire by ten, by fifteen he shall
place.
6'. e-gibil ago, dgu-la e X-. . . . 6'. The fire beloved of Gula, the
house ten ....
7'. Xam'ma-ra ab-lag-. . 7'. by ten shall illuminate.
8'. e-gibil aga mu-ul-lil LX[X . . 8'. The fire beloved of Mulil seventy
'SeeOBW, 521".
MISCELLANEOUS BABYLONIAN INSCRIPTIONS
43
9'. [gisgib]il-bi LXX-ta Xam-ma ne-
[gub]
10'. . .sugus-uru nu-tug nu-uku. . . .
1 1 .
12'.
13'-
14'.
15'-
16'.
1:7'.
18'.
19'.
20'.
21'.
22'.
<23'.
24'.
25'-
.... ab-ba nu-tug nu uku ....
. . . .mu-un-ra-la-ni mu-un-. . .
e-gibil-bi sd dgu-la ....
[gt*gibil] gd-tur-ra mi-ni-ibi . .
....ki-sagguVIIIkam-ma..
[de]-luml e-gibil mu-un-. . . .
dingir me-e im-ma-a-da-gibil . .
de-lum-e mu-rug-in-ni gi-li. .
gibil-in-e-ni me-e im-ma-a-us . .
dmu-ul-lil mu-rug [gi-li]
gibil-uru uku-ni ....
ma du-n-a-ni . . . .gtsgibil-ni
mu-^u du-ri-a-ni . . . .an
gu-ni-ma-md gu-ni- .... %u-an
uru-a-si nin-a uru3 . . . ra-am
26' a-gi-in-i. . . .ni. . . .ra-am
27'. uru-a ki-el mu-kur-ra-da ....
28'. g[ur] kal-kal mu-ad-du-ni . . .
ra-a[m
29'. dug-ga mu-tu-ni du su-ba...
du-ga. .
30'. udu uru-ma ag-%u na-sag. . .
su-sik-. .
31'. nigin dingir ni-ib-rd-e-ne . . .
LXIX..
32'. mu-^u-na ag-na. . . .[n]e
33'. gtsgibil aga mu-ul-[lil
34'. mu-^u-na ag mu-pad-ne . . . .
35'. ud-da gan ga-ga-ba-da. . . .
10 .
i r.
12'.
f3'«
14'.
15'-
16'.
17'.
18'.
19'.
20'.
21'.
22'.
23'.
24'.
25'-
26'.
27'.
32'.
33-
34'-
35'-
His fire by seventy in tens he
shall place (?)
. . protected foundation, neither
leader nor people ....
.... neither leader nor people ....
. . shall fill it for thee, shall . .
His fire verily Gula. . . .
My fire(?) shall [protect?] the fold.
. . In the land eight talents. . . .
" Bel the fire will. . . .
I am the god who kindles (?) ....
Bel increases gladness ....
I kindle fire, I lift up. ..."
Mulil increases gladness. .
The protecting fire his people. . . .
His foremost ship .... his fire
He knows2 his foremost. . . .
He calls, he calls. . . .
The raging whirlwind, O lady, the
flood ....
The whirlwind the maid captures
28'. Turning(?) men stand. . . .
29'.
30'.
3i'-
With a cry they stoop, lifting up
their hands. . . .
The sheep, O my protector, which
thou lovest ....
All its gods are coming. .. .sixty
nine. . . .
They recognize it they love ....
The fire beloved of Mulil,
He recognizes it, the beloved . .
he sees ....
When the field is favored4 . .
1 B, 5889
2 We might read mu-rug = "He makes great."
3 Ci. OBW, 571.
4 ga may here be equal to aldku. In that case
the field . . . he recognizes it; the beloved he sees,
be made in lines 37', 38'.
the rendering would be, "When he comes to
Taking this value a similar change would
44 YALE ORIENTAL SERIES, BABYLONIAN TEXTS
36'. mu-fu-na ag mu-pad-ne. . . . 36'. He knows it, the beloved he sees
37'. e-dag e-su-md-md ga-ba-da . . . . 37'. The dwelling Eshumama is fav-
ored ....
38'. mu-(u-na ag mu-pad-ne . . 38'. He knows it, the beloved he sees
(From this point the text is too broken for connected translation.)
MISCELLANEOUS BABYLONIAN INSCRIPTIONS 45
No. 6.
A PRAYER FOR THE CITY OF UR.
It is most regrettable that this interesting composition is in
such a fragmentary state. From the portions that can be
translated it appears to be a prayer for the city of Ur at a time
of great danger and distress. It seems impossible to assign it
with certainty to any particular period. The hymn to Dungi
(No. 3) and that to Ebi-Sin (No. 7) show that during the period
of the dynasty of Ur great homage was paid the sovereigns of
that city at the temple at Nippur. It is tempting to conjecture
that this long composition was written during the last days of
Ebi-Sin, when Ur was tottering to its fall. The conjecture is
plausible, but cannot at present be confirmed.
TRANSLITERATION AND TRANSLATION OF COMPLETE PORTIONS
OF THE TEXT.
(ii) (ii)
i sim i green grass(?),
2 uru-mu HI 2 my whirlwind is the w^-bird,
3 p-gi-gi 3
4 sag-sag 4 favorable,
5 uru-ma nu-me-a-me-a mu(?) 5 my whirlwind no command
ta-an-bal-rd transgresses;
6. dingir. . . .sis-abki nu me-a-me-a 6. O God. . . .Ur no command trans-
mu-ib-bi-bal-rd gresses.
7. me-l[i] . . . . gd-tur sir-ra-rd lid sig 7. Joy [from] the fold is snatched;
ge-dug-ga-rd the storm the cow cuts off;
8. dlu. . . .sib-na kid pi-el rd 8. The sheep god(?) ... .for the shep-
herd a bedraggled garment is
bringing;
46 YALE ORIENTAL SERIES, BABYLONIAN TEXTS
9. 1§y ba-ne-sub 9. The thicket of reeds he over-
throws.
m. me-li. . . .uru-ta e a-du-im nu 10. Joy is borne away by the whirl-
sim-gid ago, wind, by the wind no tall grass
isleft(F).
n. dlu. . . .e gan-ta e-e \\. The sheep-god(F) has gone forth;
from the field he has gone
12 ..... il-ne-dam 12. with his. ...
13. i-%u-kas[kal . . . .tu(?) ^u-a-ni 13 ................................
14. e-gar-ra. . . .a-gar-bar 14. Ekharra. , . .
75. sag-a-. . 15 ................................
16. e-gar-ra mu-[du]g-ga d$-a dug-ga 16. Ekharra [speaks] the uttered
.... curse;1
17. ki-ba nam-uru mu-na-kar-si-ne 17. Its land, — the whirlwind extends
(?) .... over it.
1 8. nin-mu nam-ma-a-dim mu-na-te 18. O my lady by fate thou destroyest
it.
19. nam-ma igi-ur a-an mu-[na]-te 19. The fate agreed upon who can
resist?
20. nam-uru igi-ur-na mu-na-kar 20. The sin of the city graciously wilt
.... gig-ni .... thou forgive, .... its disaster
. .?
21. me-li-e-a na-ag uru mu-ga(?}- 21. Gladness there is not; the whirl-
am-ma wind removes it;
22. na-ag uru mu-gig-ga 22. It is not; the whirlwind has
brought disaster!
23. nin rd gd-gul-la mu-ga-am-gu 23. O lady, come! The house is
destroyed. Speak!
24. na-ag-ga mu-gig-ga 24. It is not; thou has brought dis-
aster!
25. se-ib sis-abkt a-dug-ga mu-a- 25. A gathered seed is Ur; the cry
gir am-a-mu is strong (urgent), O my lord!
26. ga-ii mu-ri-tug-tug dam-ba mar- 26. Thy house I protect for thee;
ra-mu its lady appointed me.
27. ur-ra gd-{i gul-la-^a 27. The servant of thy house thou hast
destroyed;
28. ba-e-ne in-nu-u-nam 28. Broken he lies prostrate.
29. ub-sub ba-dim-in nik-ku-ta ba-ra 29. He has fallen; he is thus; in his
mu-da-ge-ge misery he is overthrown; he
is siezed.
1 Cf. OBW, 2984.
MISCELLANEOUS BABYLONIAN INSCRIPTIONS
47
3O. ii-ta e-ru-a-bi bul-la-a gul. ... 30
31. nu-bil-rd-ab sis-abkt sukum dln- 31
inni bi-ni-ba pap-gal ....
32. gd-nun-a^ag-ga bil-bil-la-mu la- 32
la ga-nu-du-a-mu
33. uru-mu ru-a-la ba-du mu-ta-as
si-ur a-mu
34-35. pu-gul. . . .ni-ga-nun. . . .gul-
la mu-ta-a-as-si-ur a-mu
36-37. a-da-al-lam ud-gul gig. . . .
si-ga mu-da-la-ba ge-e
38. sis-abkl-ma ga den-{u na-mu-
39. gul(?\-u-bi gig-ga-am
40. ki-sub-bi-^a dug ba-am
4 1 . a-su-mu a-gan-mu
42. gis-gi-gal ki sub-gu-da-kam
43. la ki. . . .mu-un-ba-ni-til-li
44. dnin-sd a-dim-ni mu-un-a-da-ni-
til-li
45. ub-^i-sub-ba-da gul-la
46. ni-ne-lu-dim ni-ab am-md
47. dnin-gal lu kalam-ma e-ba-til gan
48. la-dim a-kim in-mu- ....
- 33
(iii)
ga. . . . gul-la ni-ne-dib-ni e-g. . . .
gd-gd-^u im-ma-gul-la pisan-a-
dim ru-mu-un
uru-^u uru-kur-ra ba-ab-gar-ni
ne-ku-ni e-am-ser
From life he goes forth; by
oppression he is grievously des-
troyed.
May it not happen to Ur! Ishtar-
cakes we make, O great father!
The great holy house is burned;
it is submerged; Verily it is
not raised up, my father!
My city, built for protection, it
crushes, it makes sad, O my
father!
34-35 destruction makes sad, O
my father!
36-37. Now is an evil day; complete
disaster o'erwhelms; verily it
transfixes.
38. Ur is the temple of Enzu; let it not
39. be bestroyed with disaster.
40. Thy down-trodden land is inno-
cent.
41. O my Strength, my Brightness(P),
42. Equally the land is destroyed !
43. O protector of the land. . . .thou
wilt make it live.
44. O lady, its creator, thou wilt make
it live!
45. Thou art strong; ....
46. disaster like a .... covers ....
47. O Ningal the men of the land
thou makest alive; the field
48. in the midst thus thou. . . .
(iii)
i'
2'. Thy temples are destroyed like a
jar that is smashed.
3'. Thy city, the second which thou
foundest, is struck down; it
cries out.
1 pi for bi; cf. BARTON, SB AD, 4, iii, 7 with 6, iii, 5.
48
YALE ORIENTAL SERIES, BABYLONIAN TEXTS
4'. gd-{u a-igi es-ba-an-ni di-ib gar 4'. Thy house weeps; O speak, lift it
5'. uru-^u-a-dim ru-mu-un
6'. uru-{U tus-dam-ba gar-ra-^a
7'. gu-bi-nu-rd
8'. ga-^i gtSal-a {u-ab gar-ra-^a
9'. sim la nin-mul-e-en
\o'. e-. . . .la-ba-ab- gub-gub-^a
i 1'. nin-bi. . . .la ba-an-tur-ri
\2f. a-igi-ne-a-ra ba-ab-gar-
13'. ka aga-^u nu-sag-sag
14'. a-igi so. ne-rd nu-tuk-a tar-tar im-
ba-an-ku
15'. gu-na-bi igi-^u gar-ka-sig-dim
1 6'. dug-su ba-ni-ib-ku
17'. uru-fu-su sd-im-ba-an-gar-ni ne-
dib e-am-sir
1 8'. gd-iu. . . .-gid ga-ba-an-ru. . . .
{u-a-dim ru-mu-un
19'. lis-abki gub-ba-e im-ba-an-gar-
20'. ni ne . . . .-dim ni-dib e-am-sir
2\'. gar-rad-bi ge-gub-ba iu-ra mu-un-
gub
22'. sd-^u. . . .ru-mu-un
23'. en-bi gig-ga-ra %u-ra mu-un-til
24'. ni-ne-ku-ni e-am-sir
25'. dam-ga-lu suslug-e ki-ag-e
up!
5'. Like thy city it is overthrown.
6'. Thy city, the dwelling of its
lady, didst thou establish;
7'. let it not be moved !
8'. Thy dwelling, the yoke of the
abyss, thou didst establish
9'. As a plant protected of Ninmul,
the lady;
10'. The. . . .thou didst found.
1 1'. Its lady as protectress entered.
1 2'-! 3'. On her weeping thou thinkest ;
thy anger is unfavorable!
14'. Heartfelt tears flow; they are
not checked; they fall.
15'. She cries before thee with
thoughts,
1 6'. A loud voice she lifts up:
17'. "Unto thy city give rest; it is
caught" she cries.
1 8'. Thy house. . . .verily is shattered
like thy. . . .it is smashed.
19'. Ur was founded, it was estab-
lished;
20'. Like a .... it is caught, it cries out.
21'. Its ruin verily abounds; for thee
it abounds;
22'. Thy heart. . . .is broken;
23'. Its priest in darkness for thee
dwells
24'. he is cast down; he cries out.
25'. The man, the priest whom thou
lovest, —
26'. The priest does not approach thee
26'. suslug nu-mu-ra-ma-dim
(From this point the text is too broken for connected translation.)
MISCELLANEOUS BABYLONIAN INSCRIPTIONS 49
No. 7.
A HYMN TO IBI-SIN.
This fragment of a hymn to Ibi-Sin is a portion of a large,
finely written six-column tablet. Unfortunately it is so broken
that in only a portion of columns ii and v are there complete
lines. These portions are herewith translated. In line 5' of
col. v he is addressed as lugal-mu, "My king." It is probable
that the hymn belonged to the same series as No. 3 the hymn
to Dungi. Ibi-Sin was an inglorious king. Under his rule the
extended empire built up by Dungi gradually dwindled and was
finally overthrown, but the tradition that he was a god, inher-
ited, perhaps, from the great Dungi, persisted, and loyal court-
iers and priests in the language translated below addressed him
as the source of all blessings, and with servile adulation lauded
him as a god. The hymn must, one is compelled to think,
have been composed during his lifetime, for there was nothing
in his career that could, so far as we know, induce later genera-
tions, in a city like Nippur, to address him in such language.
He was the last of his dynasty, and fawning priests and
courtiers were soon compelled to make their peace with a con-
queror to whom his memory was hateful (see No. 9 below).
The hymn supplies a powerful argument for emperor worship in
Ur during the lifetime of the monarch.
50 YALE ORIENTAL SERIES, BABYLONIAN TEXTS
TRANSLITERATION AND TRANSLATION.
(As far as col. ii, 8 the text is too broken for translation.)
(ii) (ii)
9'. [dingir-dingir] gal-gal mir-gal-e 9'. The great gods (?) the great
tar-ri steward appointed.
10'. tu-lal sar ga kaskal gid V 10'. The length (?) of the garden was
*) kaskal-gid.
n'. en-te-en e-gu-un gar-ra-ni im-ba- n'. The cold filled the land; it dark-
mi-ni ened it;
12'. e-mes tur-ur-sag den-lil-lal-ge 12'. The houses of the young hero of
Enlil,
13'. e nam-til-la e en-lil-lal ba 13'. The house of life, the temple of
Enlil he built;
14'. sukum "innin-na sir-ne 14'. I shtar-cakes he prepared,
i^'.birnin- -bi udu gar-sag-ga 15'. The cattle of his lady, the
sheep of Kharsag,
16'. e-mes en-te-en-bi-ta kas-gar sag a- 16'. In houses, apart from cold, drink
and food with full
17'. si ba-ni-in-sd-sd 17'. heart are poured out.
18'. man-na-ne-ne am-gal-ul-ul-dim 18'. Strong are they; like roaming
wild-oxen
19'. sd-na ma-an-lag-gi-es 19'. verily they advance.
20'. den-te-en-id sur-a ^ag-limmu sur- 20'. The cold-god is mighty; the four
a-^a walls protect thee.
21'. se es-nam-na gu-pes-a-na 21'. The grain, luxuriant on the broad
banks,
22. gig-ma-a-su-ta im-mi-in-dug-ga-na 22. From its power (?) preserves them.
23. nu ne-ru-dim bar-ta im-ta-rd 23. Not like an enemy in hostility
does he come;
24. uku-bi nu-mu-un-dag-gi 24. His people he does not destroy.
25. gar-sag en-te-en-ra . .X1 mu-na- 25. Kharsag for the cold constructed a.
te furnace,1
26. e-mes-a lu+bil ne-in-gar 26. For the houses it appointed com-
fort (?).2
27. e-mes sis-mu im-ki-ma-na-an-es 27. The houses my brethren inhabit;
28. gar-enbur gar-ge a-e-gal. ... 28. Edible fruits for food the palace . . .
1 Cf. OBW, 450. The ideogra'phic value is unknown, but as the sign consists of the
emblem for fire within an enclosure "furnace" or "brazier" does not seem a violent guess.
2 This sign consists of the sign for "man" within which is placed the sign for "fire" or "heat."
It is unknown to me elsewhere, but from its elements the meaning "comfort" does not seem a
rash conjecture.
MISCELLANEOUS BABYLONIAN INSCRIPTIONS
51
(v)
i '. uru-ntu ....
2'. na-'a-ib a-an gar-. . . .
3'. ku nag gal-gal-e {U-. . . .
(v)
r.
My protector (?) . . . .
2'. Thou art exalted; what. . . .?
3'. Food and drink abundantly thou
4'. uku-ta sur-a im-ta-ab-. ... 4'.
5'. lugal-mu pad anannar i den-lil- 5'.
lal
6'. i-bi-den-{u lu-mag-su gur-un-u- 6'.
ni-su
"]' . tug-bar tuggar-ne-ba sal sd ba ni- 7'.
gu
8'. e^en dingir-ri-e-ne uras-su mu- 8'
u-ul-ni
9. dingir a-nun-a III gibil-bar a^ag 9'.
ba-su-mu-ni-gdl-gdl
10'. e-nam-til-la ki ku-afag nam- 10'.
lugal an-ni-gar-ni
\\'. ki-te sag-gi ki-ta gar nig-dug-ga 1 1'.
si-ba ni-sd-sd-es
12'. likir d-lal-si saker-si duk-ki im- 12'.
ba-mu-na-tuk
13'. lul tin erim-^a am gar-ra bar- 13',
gis-la-^a
14'. ud gig ni-ib-ial-ial-e 14'.
15'. ga-e lugal kab-kab me-en gu-gu 15'.
gal-gal me-en
16'. lu-ni dug-gi ba-ab-ul-me-en 16'.
17'. . .su-ba-$u mag-lu a-su a-d-ba 17'.
ni-e-me-en
1 8' ba-gig e-mei sur ki-en-gi-ra 18'.
19' fid-bi tum-tum-ne 19'.
For the people as protector thou . .
My king, known of Nannar,
exalted one of Enlil,
Ibi-Sin, in exalted power he is
alone.
In brilliant garments, lamkbussu
garments his wife and he con-
verse;
The feasts of the gods as seer he
celebrates ;
The great god, the spirit of bright
fire, brilliantly he raises up;
The house of life with the bright
weapon of royalty he estab-
lishes;
Below favor, — below food, a good
possession, in fullness he pours
out;
In the midst1 full pails, festal
vessels2 full for watering3 he
makes abundant.
Mighty one, life of thy soldiers,
exultant warrior, the enclosure
thou didst protect,
day and night thou dost illumine.
The palace of the king is fortu-
nate; great are the acclamations!
His beneficent power gives joy.
With his...., with majesty the
seers at his side go forth;
.... strong houses of Sumer
... .at his right (?) they go
1 The sign written is kis (OBW, 377); probably likir (OBW, 376) was intended.
2Cf. OBW, I7o8».
' Cf. OBW, 1 5".
52 YALE ORIENTAL SERIES, BABYLONIAN TEXTS
No. 8.
A NEW CREATION MYTH. U .
This important text was found by the writer among some
then uncatalogued tablets that had just been unpacked. It
belongs to the cycle of myths of which No. 4 above is an excel-
lent example. It is also in some respects parallel to the myth
published by Langdon in PBS, Vol. X, No. i, called by him
a "Sumerian Epic of Paradise," etc. Takku (read by Langdon
Tagtug) is one of the deities who figures in this new myth.
Like the myth published by Langdon, this one begins with an
elaborate statement of the non-existence of many things once
upon a time. Most interesting is its statement that man-
kind was brought forth from the physical union of a god and
goddess.
TRANSLITERATION AND TRANSLATION.
Obverse.
1. gar-sag-an-ki-bi-da-ge \. The mountain of heaven and
earth
2. erim-an-ni dingir-dingir a-nun- 2. The assembly1 of the great gods,
na im-tu-ne-es a-ba entered, as many as there were.2
1 In the script of this period the sign may be either tu (OBW, 337) or erim (OBW, 347).
The latter suits the context here.
2 a-ba may be the interrogative pronoun "who?", the adverb "afterward" or mala, "over
against," "in comparison with," then, "as many as there are." Possibly we shou'd read a-{u =
"wise ones."
MISCELLANEOUS BABYLONIAN INSCRIPTIONS 53
3. mu de{inu nu-ub-da-tu-da nu- 3. A tree1 of Ezinu had not been
ub(?)-da-an-sig-ga born,2 had not become green,3
4. kalam-e*-bi dtak''-ku nu-ub-da- 4. Land and water4 Takku5 had not
an-dim-ma-al created,
5. dtak-ku-ra temen nu-mu-na-sig- 5. For Takku a temple-terrace had
ga-as not been filled in,
6. 'u(?) nu-gu(?)-a pugad nu-ub-ra 6. A ewe6(?) had not bleated6(?), a
lamb had not been dropped7,
7. anse(?) nu-me-a-am numun dug- 7. An ass(?) there was not to irri-
ra gate8 the seed,
8. pu-e x-a-bi nu-ub-tu-ud 8. A well and canal '(?) had not been
dug,10
9. anse-ra11 bir-a-bi nu-ub-tu-ud 9. Horses11 (?) and cattle had not
been created,
1 mu more often means name, but the context here requires "tree"; cf. OBW, 629.
2 The sign is so badly written that it may be either mu (OBW, iyo3) "grow," or tu. Either
reading makes good sense in the context.
8 As written on the clay and blurred this sign is illegible. Some lines have to be supplied
in imigination. The phonetic complement ga shows that some syllable ending in g stood here.
I at first read dug but was never fully satisfied with it. sig (OBW, 308) is possible and fits the
context better.
4 The sign e is blurred on the tablet and the reading is not absolutely certain, but is the
most probable, kalam-e-bi might be "his land," possibly meaning "his Sumer." The instances
below, however, where bi is the postpositive conjunction, together with the nature of the things
in the immediate context that are said to be still non-existent, make it probable that kalam-e-bi
mean "land and water." A possible reading would be uku-e-bi = "His people" (Takku had not
created).
5 The sign tak as it occurs here is distinguishable from tik (for which 1 at first took it) only
with the greatest difficulty. The god here referred to is, however, clearly the being that
LANGDON calls Tagtug. For a discussion of his character and functions see the writer's article
"New Babylonian Material Concerning Creation and Paradise" in the American Journal of
Tbeology, XX 1 , 586 ff., 595 ff
6 The reading gu is conjectural. The sign was partly erased by the scribe; 'u is also uncer-
tain, being partly chipped away.
7 Cf. OBW, 28722; employed here of the birth of a lamb.
8 OBW, 35330; the reference is to an irrigating machine.
9 The sign seems to be OBW, 606. The translation of it is wholly conjectural. Perhaps
we should read 'u-e pugad-bi and render " The ewe a lamb had not brought forth."
10 Fortu = baru, "dig" see OBW, 57*.
11 The ra of this line is blurred; it looks more like ra, but may possibly be e. If we read e
the reading is "asses;" if ra we must suppose that the reference is to "horses" and that kur
has been accidentally omitted The appearance of the sign on the clay and the mention of the
ass in line 7 incline me to the reading ra. The line might also be rendered: " Hors;s(?) (or
asses) had not brought forth their young."
54 YALE ORIENTAL SERIES, BABYLONIAN TEXTS
10. mu de%inu lill-sud-umuna-bi-da- 10.
ge*
1 1 . da-nun-na3 dingir gal-gal- e-ne \ \ .
nu-mu-un-fu-ta-am
12. le ses* erim ulu-am nu-gdl-la- 12.
am
13. le-ses erim eninnu-am nu-gdl-la- 13.
am
14. se-tur-tur se-kur-ra se-id-dam- 14.
afag-ga nu-gdl-la-am
15. su- gar tus-tus-bi nu-gdl-la-am 15.
1 6. dtak-ku nu-ub-tu-ud men nu-il \ 6.
1 7. en dnin-ki en'° kal-kal nu-ub-tu-ud 1 7.
1 8. dug mas tum-ma Ia6-ba-ra e 18.
19. nam-lu un-^u1 erim-nun-a gd*-e- 19.
ne
20. gar-ku-si9-bi nu-mu-un-fu-us-am 20.
2 1 . tug-gal tuS-tus-bi nu-mu-un-^u- 2 1 .
us-am
22. usu gt*gi-am-na-dur-bi mu-un- 22.
turn
The name of Ezinu, spirit1 of2
sprout and herd,
The Anunna, the great gods, had
not known,
There was no M-grain of thirty
fold,
There was no M-grain of fifty
fold,
Small grain, mountain grain,
cattle-fodder, there were not,
Possessions and dwellings there
were not,
Takku had not been brought
forth, a shrine not lifted up,
Together with Ninki the lord had
not brought forth men.
Shamsah as leader came, unto her
desire6 came forth ;
Mankind he planned; many men
were brought forth;
Food and sleep he did not plan for
them;
Clothing and dwellings he did not
plan for them;
The people with rushes and rope
came,
1 This sign and the following long puzzled me. They are so written on the clay as to
appear to be one sign, and were so taken in my preliminary rendering. It now seems better
to transliterate as above taking them for OBW, 295 and 325.
JThe last sign looks on the clay clearly like apin (OBW, 55); it may however, be a badly
formed ge (OBW, 269). The last makes better sense.
3 With an added ki we should have here the Anunaki, or spirits of earth. The ki is how-
ever wanting, so that the expression seems to be a symbol for dingir gal-gal which follows.
4 The grain se-fes occurs in ZIMMERN'S Ritualtafeln, 42, 26, where he renders it "Bitterkorn."
Cf. alsoCT, XX 11 1, 1,2.
6 For en = adi, "together with," see OBW, 1 121.
6 La = lal&, "splendor," "beauty," "desire" (OBW, 54*). In the Gilgamesh epic it is used of
the female generative organ (see HAUPT, Nimrodepos, p. 1 1, I. 22 f.). Probably it is so employed
here.
7 Perhaps to be rendered: "For mankind he knew her."
8 For gd = aladu see OBW, 23O1.
9 For this meaning of si see OBW, 412".
MISCELLANEOUS BABYLONIAN INSCRIPTIONS
55
23. tus-dim-ka ba-[ni]-m-ib usbar 23. By making a dwelling a kindred
was formed.
24. a-sar-sar-ra . . . .im-gu-gu-ne 24. To the gardens they gave drink;
25. ud-ba-ki sig. . . .e-ne- 25. On that day they were green;
26. gis-bi. ... 26. Their plants. . . .
Reverse.
i .............................
2. [a-a-de]n[-lil]
3. . .no. kar . . . .
4. [nam] lu-ge. . . .
5 ..... ba den-ki. . . .
6. a-a den-lil. . . .
7. du-a^ag-ga dub-ba-da dingir . . . .
8. du-a^ag-ga lag-ga dingir ba-
da-ra-ab-uru(?)
9. den-ki den-lil-bi gu-a^ag-ga1 ku2-
n[e-. .
10. surims-de{inu-bi du-a^ag-ta im-
ma-da-ra-. .
1 1 . surim-e amas-a im-ma-ab-gab (?) . .
12. u-bi e-gar-ama-ra mu-un-na-ba-
e-ne
13.
gan-e mu-un-imi*-es-ne
14. lil-apin uras-lag-bi mu-un-na-ba-
e-ne
15. surim amal-a-na gub-ba-ni
1 6. sib amas-a gi-li du-dii-a
1 7. de$inu el-nam-na* gub-ba-ni
2. Father Enlil (?)....
3
4. Of mankind. . . .
5. . . creation (?) of Enki. . . .
6. Father Enlil. .. .
7. Duazagga is surrounded, O god,
8. Duazagga, the brilliant, I will
guard (?) for thee, O god.
9. Enki and Enlil cast a spell. . . .
10. A flock and Ezinu from Duazag
[ga] they cast forth,
1 1 . The flock in a fold they enclosed (?)
12. His plants as food for the mother
they created.
13. Ezinu rained on the field for them;
14. The moist (?) wind and the fiery
storm-cloud he created for them ;
15. The flock in the fold abode;
1 6. For the shepherd of the fold joy
was abundant.
17. Ezinu as tall vegetation stood;
1 Cf. B, 750. In our text ga appears to have been written for gal.
2Cf. OBW, 481".
» Cf. OBW, 449.
4 OBW, 34 (nut) employed for OBW, 358.
»Cf. OBW, 7 15.
56 YALE ORIENTAL SERIES, BABYLONIAN TEXTS
1 8. ki-ell sig-ga- gi-li-gur^ sub-am 18. The bright land was green, it
afforded full joy.
19. gan-ni-la sag-^i* il-la-ni 19. From their field a leader arose;
20. dumu-gdr-an-na-na rd-rd-a-ne 20. The child from heaven came to
them;
2 1 . lurim de{inu-bi pa-e mu-un-ag-et 2 \ . The flock of Ezinu he made to
multiply for them;
22. ukkin-na ib-gdl mu-da-an-ga-i- 22. The whole he raised up, he ap-
l pointed for them;
23. kalam-ma-gi-sag-gdl mu-da-an- 23. The reed-country he appointed for
gdl-'i-es them ;
24. me6 dingir-ri-:-ne si im-sa sa- 24. The voice of their god uttered just
e-ne decisions for them.
25. gisgal-ma kalam-ma-ne gar mu- 25. A dwelling place was their land;
ni-ab-rug-rug uku-as food increased for the people;
26. x1 kalam-ma-ne gig* mu-un-ne- 26. The prosperity of their land
gal-as brought them danger;8
27. ab-uku-ra sagar-ki us-sa-ba-as 27. They made bricks of clay of the
land for its protection.
28. u-mu-un mu-ne-es-ib-gdl mu-da- 28. The lord caused them to be; they
an-gdl-li-el came into existence.
29. man-na-ne-ne (a9-ki dam10 ne-ne 29. Companions were they; a man
ba-an-gub-bu-us-a with a wife he made them dwell ;
30. gig-bi ganu-a gar tag-me-es 30. By night, by day they are set as
helpers.
31. LX SU-SI LX 31. Sixty lines.
I ki-el may be taken as equal to ardatu, "slave," "slave-girl" (B, 9831), but the context
favors the literal meaning.
2OBW, 308
3 For gur with this meaning see OBW, 277*.
<Cf. B, 3555.
B One is tempted to think dumu-gdl a mistake for dumu-^i and render Tammuz from
heaven. The line seems to mean that children were born to them, but its exact meaning is
obscure.
6 Cf. OBW, 478* . We might read ilib (OBW, 478") and render "The priest of their god."
7 Literally "favor"; cf. OBW, 241*.
8 gig means "heaviness," precipice" (OBW, 401), hence "danger."
•Cf. OBW, 523".
10 The sign dam, like many of the characters on the tablet, is badly formed. It might be
}u, but I think dam was intended.
II gan = nabatu sa umt, OBW, 119". It appears to be employed here in contrast to the
darkness of night.
MISCELLANEOUS BABYLONIAN INSCRIPTIONS
57
No. 9.
AN ORACLE FOR ISHBI-URRA, FOUNDER OF THE
DYNASTY OF ISIN.
Obverse.
1. a-a d en-lil dug-ga-dug-ga-ni tug-
ga-da
2. en-na ses-abkt-ma lu erim sa-
3. mu-un-me-ri-a
4. is-bi-ur-ra lu ma-irk'-ge
<j. sugus-bi ba-sir-ri
6. ki-en-gi ge-ag-e
7. gar-din-nam ne-in-gu
8. la tukundi-bi- pa-te-si uru-as-as
9. ni-gar-gar-ri-en-^i-en
10. dug-den-lil-lal-ta is-bi-ur-ra
1 1 . ni-bal-e-es-a
12. lu-usbar-dim uru-erim-ra
13. ba-sig mu-na-ta
14. sa %a-e uru-na se-kak-dim
1 5 . is-bi-ur-ra nu-mu-un-sul-a
1 6. i-de-su gu-dug-ga ge-ge-de
17. lul-du-du sa-da ge-ni-ib-da-tum-
mu
1 8. uku-ba den-%u ge-ag-e-ne
19. ^a-^ na-an-kin uku ugu-mu2-su
20. nam-masi-du-un
1. Father, Enlil, his words to the
oppressed, —
2. The lord of Ur, the hostile man,
3. verily he has subdued;
4. Ishbi-urra, the man of Mair,
5. his foundation has broken.
6. "Sumer I truly love,"
7. thus he said,
8. "and quickly as Patesi, of two(?)
cities,
9. I present (him) to you "
10. According to the word of Enlil, O
Ishbi-urra,
1 1. thou shalt subdue them.
12. Like a seer to the hostile city
13. thou shalt hasten, thou shalt enter
it,
14. And thou, his servant, like a reed
15. O Ishbi-urra, he will not break.
1 6. Formerly a favorable response he
returned;
17. The rebellion, crushed, was
brought to naught.
1 8. Its people verily Enzu made.
19. Do not thou deliver the people to
destruction;
20. let them not go to it.
su=lalalu, "spoil," OBW, 810.
, OBW, 62s3.
58 YALE ORIENTAL SERIES, BABYLONIAN TEXTS
21. su-ni uru ki-a nam-ne-ib-sd-sd 21. With power the city did not assist
the land.
22. lu ma-irkt -ge mega-ur-ri 22. O man of Mair, the hostile plotter
23. nam-en-na-an-na-ag-e 23. did not do it.
24. i-de-m mar-tu kur-bi-ta 24. Formerly Amurru from his moun-
tain
25. den-lil a-tag-mu im-ma-^i 25. Enlil, my helper, seized;
26. elantkt ki-fag mu-un-tag-gi 26. Elam, the strong land, he over-
threw,
27. sd is-[bi]-ur-ra mu-un-ku-bi 27. and Ishbi-urra he raised up;
28. kalam tus-bi ge-ge-ne 28. The land, — its dwellings he seized;
29. nam-lig-ga kur-kur-ra ge-{u-^u 29. The might of the mountains he
took;
30. a-ma-ru gu-^a-e nam-tab-ku-se- 30. The tempest did not shake (his)
ne-en throne.
Ishi-urra, the founder of the dynasty of Nisin, lived about
2340 B. C. He is here, as elsewhere, described as a "man of
Mair," a city in northern Babylonia. He was not a native of
Nisin. Similarly Lugalzaggisi, though king of Erech, was not a
native of that city, but of Umma. The oracle apparently
encouraged Ishbi-urra to attack Ur. In order to encourage
Ishibi-urra in the enterprise, victories that Enlil, presumably
through former kings, has achieved over Amurru and Elam, are
cited. The text appears to have been composed at a later time,
and states that, in consequence of the oracle Ishbi-urra's throne
was firmly established.
"The lord of Ur, the hostile man" of line 2 is evidently
Ibi-Sin, king of Ur, whom this text says that Ishbi-urra subdued.
This confirms the statement on the chronological tablet pub-
lished by Hilprecht (BE, XX), "Ur, its dominion (?) was over-
thrown; Nisin took the kingdom." A rival theory had been
that Ibi-Sin, the last king of Ur, was taken captive to Elam.
Sayce, PSBA, XXXIV, 166, so states without giving any
MISCELLANEOUS BABYLONIAN INSCRIPTIONS 59
authority. Langdon, BE, XXXI, ^, repeats the statement on
the basis of a text at Constantinople, which he there translates.
The line on which he bases this theory is, however, broken. It
has lost its verb. Langdon supplied "was taken," making it
read "Ibi-Sin to the land of Elam (was taken)" (op. cit. p. 7).
On this authority the statement is repeated by Clay, Miscellan-
eous Inscriptions of the Yale Babylonian Collection, 42. Our
text shows that all this is erroneous. The broken line in BE,
XXXI, 7, (/. e. No. 3, rev. 5), must have contained a different
verb.
60
YALE ORIENTAL SERIES, BABYLONIAN TEXTS
No. 10.
AN EXCERPT FROM AN EXORCISM.
After this fragmentary text was in type, it was discovered
that it is an excerpt from a longer text (CBM, 14152) which
has been copied by Dr. H. F. Lutz. Dr. Lutz has kindly per-
mitted me to see his copy and interpretation of the text. The
part of the text copied by me forms lines 5-24 of the reverse of
Dr. Lutz's tablet. Some of the lines on my tablet are frag-
mentary, and can be completed from his. I would render the
portion published here as follows:
Obverse.
i. kur-kur-ri sag ni-[{u xl sig-gi] i. The countries, O pritice, thy terror,
darkness, smites.
2-3. e^en-gal-gal-ba uku-e \nam\-ge- 2-3. Its great festivals inundate the
[a ug-ga mu-un-di-ni-ib-ni-e people with abundant light.
4. aen-lil-li durta-a^ag gi-li du-du- 4. O Enlil, holy seer-god, abundance
a-{u thou makest to abound.
5. fu-ab bara a^ag-ga gal-bi turn- 5. Mightily thou enterest the deep
ma-^u as a holy sanctuary.
6. kur-sig x* a^ag-ki im-te-en-ta- 6. On the low mountain of the brill-
en-ba iant shrine thou restest;
7. im-me-ne-bi dingir-gar im-us 7. Thou3 art the protecting god ;
thou exaltest;
8. aiSgig-bi kur-kur-ra-as mu-un-lal 8. Their protection for the countries
thou raisest up;
9-10. mu$-bi an-sag-ga4 mu-ba mu- 9-10. Their form as the horizon thou
un-til-til-ne didst make, thou didst complete."
, 232. 2OBW, 239.
*The duplicate text inserts a line between 6 and 7, which makes this and the following line
refer to E-kur.
MISCELLANEOUS BABYLONIAN INSCRIPTIONS 61
1 1 . en-en-e bar-bar-ge-ne 1 1 . The priests of his sanctuaries
12. sukum-a ininni-a^ag-gi si-ni-in- 12. Make holy Ishtar-cakes,
di-[es]
13-14. g]ul-{urd-iur-ra sa gul mu-un- 13-14. Words of blessing and destruc-
[na-gd-gd-]ne tion they utter.
15. *en]ilil sib igi-fu bar-ra-^u 15. "O Enlil, shepherd, thy eyes are
bright !
16. dug-ii de-a kalam-ma il-la-^u 16. The word of life speak! The land
raise up
17. kur-gis-ni*-su kur-ne-ni-su 17. On the inaccessible mountain, on
his strong mountain,
1 8. kur-ra ki-gid gis-bi gu mu-na-ab- 18. The mountain which is distant
gd-gd-an and great, the prince dwells.
19. a-ri-sa-dim[du-a]garki-sar-ra-ge 19. Like a just shepherd appoint
the command for the whole land,
20. gi-gi-ri-a gu kaldm dugud-da-bi 20. With bright reeds make the sur-
face of the land dark,
21. sag-dug in-il(?) e nig-ga-ra-ka 21. Offerings will it bring(?) to the
treasure-house
22. e-uag si-di sukum mnini si-ne- 22. For Emakh, the temple, Ishtar
in-sa cakes it will make.
* an-lag-ga = Hid same.
2 gif-ni = putikkee (M, 4017).
62 YALE ORIENTAL SERIES, BABYLONIAN TEXTS
No. ii.
FRAGMENT OF THE SO-CALLED "LITURGY TO
NINTUD."
This text contains a fragment of the text that Dr. Langdon
has named the "Liturgy to Nintud on the Creation of Man and
Woman," — a designation which the writer is inclined to believe
will have to be abandoned, when the whole text is known. A
fragmentary form of the text is preserved on a prism in the
Ashmolean Museum, Oxford. It was published by Langdon
in his Babylonian Liturgies, Paris, 1913, plates LXV-LXVIII,
and translated on pages 86 if. Three other fragments of the
same text have also previously been published: one by Radau
as No. 8 of his "Miscellaneous Texts" in the Hilprecht Anni-
versary Volume (1909), and translated by Langdon on p. 19 of
his Sumerian Epic of Paradise, the Flood, and the Fall of Man,
(1915); another by Langdon in BE, XXXI, (1914), pi. 22;
and a third by Langdon in his Sumerian Liturgical Texts, 1917,
pi. LXI. Of these three, the first and third are in the Uni-
versity Museum in Philadelphia, the second in the Imperial
Ottoman Museum at Constantinople. Unfortunately, even with
the addition of the new material here presented, it is impossible
to reconstruct the whole text of the work. The Ashmolean
prism has suffered greatly from disintegration, and the other
texts so far recovered are mere fragments. The text of this com-
position was divided into sections. At the end of each section
there was a colophon giving the number of the section. The
Ashmolean prism contained eight such sections. The new
MISCELLANEOUS BABYLONIAN INSCRIPTIONS 63
tablet which is published herewith was the second of three
tablets on which the text was written in nine sections, — three
on each tablet. Our tablet contained sections four, five, and
six. Section five corresponds to section four of the Ashmolean
text and the text of BE. XXXI; section six, to section five of
those texts. Section four, accordingly (the first section of our
tablet), is a section previously unknown. The text of sections
five and six of our tablet is much broken, but as these sections
overlap sections in BE, XXXI and the Ashmolean prism, the
lines of which are also fragmentary, the three sources supplement
one another in a very satisfactory way, and make it possible to
restore several incomplete lines.
The nature and purpose of the composition are still obscure.
Langdon (Babylonian Liturgies, 86) says : 'The occasion which
gave rise to the compostion appears to have been the corona-
tion of a patesi king of Kesh." The evidence for this view is
far from convincing. Kesh is mentioned in some broken
lines, where it is impossible to make out the meaning, but
so is Surippak. Several sections later a patesiat is also
mentioned in a broken line. Apparently the text celebrated
the primitive (or very early) conditions in some town; possibly
the founding and growth of the town, but beyond this we can
confidently affirm nothing. We must await the recovery of the
whole text.
So far as the writer can see, there is no allusion in the text
to the creation of man. True, allusion is several times made to
the goddess Nintu, the mother of mankind (see above, No. 8).
The sign lu which Langdon renders "man" the present writer
renders "which"; cf. OBW, 289.* Langdon renders "Like
Enkkar may man bear a form"; the present writer: "Like
Enkkar verily was the form which it bore." As Enkhar was a
64 YALE ORIENTAL SERIES, BABYLONIAN TEXTS
place, it seems clear that the comparison refers to a place and
not to a man. Men do not resemble places! The reading
gis = "man" in Babylonian Liturgies, LXVII, 22 (the line is
numbered 19 in his translation on p. 91 !) is confessedly uncer-
tain. It is partially erased and the other copy which contains
the line omits it. If gil really stood in the text, it could with
greater probability be rendered "tree" rather than "man."
In the writer's judgment, therefore, the nature of the text is
still an enigma.
TRANSLITERATION AND TRANSLATION.
Obverse.
i im-e-ar-an-ni mu-mag sd \ makes it bright, exalts the
word;
2 gal den-Ul-H nam-ma-ni gal 2 Enlil fixes its destiny as great;
tar-ri
3. \e\-a-nun-gal dingir-a-nun-ge ne- 3. Eanungal of the great god he
un-gar-su ne-mu founded, he named;
4. e-su-ba-im egir-gid dingir gal-gal 4. Eshubaim for the distant future
e-sar the great gods blessed ;
5. e-an-ki-bi-da ^gar-bi ni-gar-me 5. The house of heaven and earth, —
el-su ba-e-i its structure he built, to brill-
iance he exalted it;
6. E-kalam ki-gar-ra ^ag-gar-ra us- 6. Ekalam is a structure appointed
sa as a sanctuary;
7. e-kur ge-gal gu-ni ud-ni-ir li 7. Ekur abundance proclaimed; then
there was abundance;
8. e dnin-gar-sag-ga {i-kalam-ma 8. The house of Ninkharsag is the
ki-bi-su gar life of the land; for its land
there is food ;
9. E-gar-sag-gal su-lug-ga tum-ma 9. Ekharsaggal is devoted to cere-
nam-ma-ni ni- pab monies; its fate he established;
10. e-uiug-da nu-ka-as-bar nu-gd-gd 10. Eutug1 had neither oracles nor
decisions;
1 "The house of the demon."
MISCELLANEOUS BABYLONIAN INSCRIPTIONS
65
n. E-. . . . -lar-kalam ama-tu lal-a
12. . .kalam-ysar u-tu numun gis-kir
sar tuk-tuk
13 lugal u-tu nam-kalam-ma
tar-ri
14. [e] bar-bar-gan suslug ma-bi ag-
ne
15. [en-gar]kt -dim rib-ba lu si-in-ga-
an-tum-ma
1 6. [ur-sag]-bi [d]as-sir-gi-dim rib-ba
ama si-in-ga-am-u-tu
17. [nin-bi] dnin-tu-dim rib-ba-ra a-
ma-a si-in-in-tug
11. E . . . . sharkalam for the mother
was raised up;
12. . .The whole land was born; the
seed of the Jh'r-tree the garden
received ;
13. . .the king was born, the fate of
the land determined
14. Ebarbargan, the brilliant, as his
dwelling he made;
15. Like Enkhar verily was the form
which it bore;
1 6. Its hero, like Ashirigi1 in form,
verily the mother bore;
17. Its lady, like Nintu in form, gives
the land abundance.
1 8. [gu l\V kam-ma-am
1 8. Section 4.
19. [gan2 in-ga?-]am uru in-ga-am
sag-bi a-ba-a mu-un-su
20. [gan2 en-gark* ur]u in-ga-am sag-
bi a-ba-a mu-un-su
2 1 . [sag-bi ur]-sag-ur-sag-e-ne si-mu-
un si-di*-e-ne
22. [es-bar-kin dug]-ga su-gal5 mu-
un-ul-ul
23. [gan2-e gu]d-udu gud-am-ma6-ge
m[e-e]n
24. [erin-e ib-ba]-ab-[an sukka]l-suk-
kal-e-ne
25. [gan-e gud sar]-ra-[am al-gu]. .
26. [gan-e udu sar-]ra-[am al-bi(?)]-
su-um (?) . .
19. To the field he went, to the city
he went; into it who shall enter?
20. To the field of Enkhar, to the city
he went; into it who shall enter?
21. In it their heroes were collected;
they were noble;4
22. In decisions rendered, the word of
all the gods,5 they rejoiced;
23. The fields, — the sheep and oxen
were like an ox of the stall;
24. The cedars spoke; they were their
messengers;
25. The field invited the oxen all of
them;
26. The field strengthened (?) the
sheep, all of them;
1 I.e., Urta or Ninib; cf. B, 45.
2 LANGDON reads this sign e = "house," though he has copied it like gan = "field." In view
of the preceding section, perhaps it should be e.
3 The lacunae are supplied from LANGDON'S Babylonian Liturgies, pi. LXV1, 25 ff., and BE,
XXX I, 22, obv. cil. ii.
4 si-di = isaru, Hebrew, yasber,, "upright one," "hero."
6 Cf. B, 7203-4.
6 Literally, "house."
66 YALE ORIENTAL SERIES, BABYLONIAN TEXTS
27. [g'*ma]-e-ne gu[stSma] . . . . ma-gdl- 27. Their fig-trees on the bank the
l[i\ boat filled;
28. [g**ku] nin sag . . . . il 28. The weapon the lord, the prince
.... lifted up ;
29. [gt*]a-tu-du-su dam-dingir-da pi- 29. The luluppi-tree of the wife of the
pi-sal. . . . god, the pi-pi-p\&nts of. ...
30. [gar]-sag-da sar-a dingir-da sig- 30. In Kharsag the garden of the god
sig were green ....
31. [en-gar kt-dim rib-]ba lu [si-in ga- 31. Like Enkhar was the form which
an-]tum-mu verily it bore;
32. [Ur-sag-bi das-sir-gi]. ... 32. Its hero was Ashirgi. . . .
Reverse.
1. [gan. . . .a-ba-a mu-unl]-tu-ma i. The field. . . .who shall enter?
2. [sag-bi a-ur-sag-ur-sag]-e-ne [si- 2. In it were their heroes collected;
mu-un si-di-e-ne] they were noble;
3. [dnin-gar-sag-ga] ulum-a an-na 3. Ninkharsag, unique in heaven and
k[i .... earth ....
4. [dnin-tu ama] gal-la tu-tu [mu-un 4. Nintu, the great mother, the beget-
.... ress ....
5. [ddun-pa-]e pa-te-si-ge n[am-en 5. Dunpae for the Patesi, the lord-
mu- .... ship ....
6. [da$-si]r-g[i] ur-sag-ga es mu-un 6. Ashirgi, the hero, the dwelling. . . .
7. [d]dim-me nimgir-gal-e edin-na 7. Dimmi, steward of the plain, made
mu-da-an-til . . . . alive. . . .
8. [e]-e siqqa lulim-e gu am-ma- 8. The house of the wild goat and the
gur-ri ram occupied the bank ....
9. en-garM-dim rib-ba lu si-in-ga- 9. Like Enkhar was the form which it
an-tum-ma bore ;
10. ur-sag-bi das-sir-gi-dim rib-ba 10. Its hero, like Ashirgi in form,
ama $i-in[-ga-am-u-tu] verily the mother bore;
11. nin-bi dnin-tu rib-ba a-ma-a si- n. Its lady, like Nintu in form, gave
mu-ni-i[n-tug the land abundance.
12. [gu] VI [kam]-ma-am 12. Section 6.
13. [e-ud-dim-ki-gal\-la gub-ba 13. Euddimkigalla stands.2
1 The lacunae are supplied from BE,, XXXI, 22, rev., col. i and from LANGDON'S Babylonian
Liturgies, pi. LXVII.
' This is the first line of section 7, with which the next tablet began.
MISCELLANEOUS BABYLONIAN INSCRIPTIONS
67
LIST OF TABLETS.
TEXT
PLATE
MUSEUM
NUMBER
DIMENSIONS
NATURE OF CONTENTS
L. D. C.
I
1-3
8383
6^X5X16^
Foundation cylinder contain-
B. T*.
ing an incantation.
2
4
8322
3>^X2f^X^
An Old Babylonian Oracle.
3
5-7
I 1065
7X5^X1^
A Hymn to Dungi.
4
8-1 1
9205
6^X4^2X1^6
A Myth of Enlil and Ninlil.
5
12
II932
7XX4XiX
Fragment! of an Incantation
0
Ritual.
6
•3,4
1 2204+
| 2270+
9X4^X1^
A Prayer for the City of Ur.
[ 2302
7
15-17
8310
5XX4f<Xl^
A Hymn to Ibi-Sin.
8
l8,I9
14005
5X2^X1^
A Creation Myth.
9
2O
7772
3^X2^XlyV
An Oracle for Ishbiurra, Foun-
der of the Dynasty of Nisin.
10
21
8317
3^X2^X1^
An Excerpt from an Exorcism.
1 1
22,23
8384
5><X2^Xi^
Fragment of the So-called
"Liturgy to Nintud."
12
23
2225
2#X2fgXX
Fragment of a Hymn to Nan-
nar.
* The thickness is always measured at the thickest part of the tablet,
t The fragment is irregular. These are its greatest measurements.
AUTOGRAPHED TEXTS
PLATE
Cot.. I. Cot.. II. Cok. III. Cok. IV. Co... v. cou vi. Cok. VII. Cok. VIII.
CONTINUED
PLATE II
COLIX.
C°I-X- COL. y.1. COL. XII. Coi-.Xlll. Cou. XIV. Cou.XV.
PLATE in
CONTINUED
COC.XVI. COU.XVH. COi.. XVIII. CO*.. XIX.
IB
ED
55*5
Ut^J-i
IlKjgf
PLATE IV
OBVERSE
"p^-^^3
.1—-— -^'
REVERSE
COL. IV.
PLATE V
30
CONTINUED
PLATE VI
t=f
f
T,
PLATE VII
CONTINUED
CONTINUED
PLATE VII
15
[PLATE VIM
25
30
y VL
T^_^ —j. w& fctn S? 5ff-r t~^w
HE^ <^=r ^ g^ ^ ^ ^ *^ ^
^^ C4 K ^^t^'S'lg
S^ TT-W 5 ^It-fTT ^ <^ ^^ tte^
PLATE IX
CONTINUED
COU II.
PLATE X
CONTINUED
COL. III.
PLATE XI
CONTIN UED
cot., iv.
PLATE XII
PLATE XIII
6
PLATE XIV
CONTINU ED
COL III.
35
4S?
'^WTFiitfc- ti~S 1^
i*$
S? #*> ^
E^teT ^:&<^ /^
fe=t ^
Tf ^tf
^ t^r
t=» ^
Tf ^^F
O
PLATE XV
COL. I.
CONTINUED
PLATE XVI
PLATE XVII
CONTINUED
PLATE XVIII
PLATE XIX
CONTINUED
REVERSE
PLATE XX
W
15
leu.
20
30
TT Tf
V
on
<
-
PLATE XXI
PLATE XXII
PLATE XXIII
CONTINUED
JO'
« ^
\
12
70
PHOTOGRAPHIC REPRODUCTIONS
PLATE XXIV
No. i, columns i-vi
PLATE XXV
No. i, columns v-x
PLATE XXVI
No. i, columns ix-xv
PLATE XXVII
No. i, columns xiv-xix
PLATE XXVIII
No. i, columns xviii, xix and i-iii
PLATE XXIX
PLATE XXX
No. 3, obverse
PLATE XXXI
No. 3, reverse
PLATE XXXII
No. 4, obverse
PLATE XXXIII
No. 4, reverse
PLATE XXXIV
No. 7, obverse
PLATE XXXV
No. 7, reverse
PLATE XXXVI
No. 8, obverse
PLATE xxxvn
No. 8, reverse
PLATE XXXVIII
_o
PLATE XXXIX
No. 1 1 , obverse
PLATE XL
No. 1 1, reverse
PLATE XLI
CORRECTIONS
PLATE VIII 7
PLATE IX , 77, n Head jft-T /or
PLATE X ,3. Head & fc> V
5 . Read T7 /or ^ .
*5./,earf ^ ^ 1^ /0r
^1. ffearf ,!£>< for
PLATE XVIII, ^./^a- 44 ^ /or
PLATE XXI^ 3, 4 , 5 . Head 5j>
6 . Read )g^f for
/?. ffearf ~Tp for ^TT.
20. t-^^ Mistake of scribe for
^"
I '<•> U
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