Stephen Langdon

“ The obverse of this fine single column tablet contained a hymn in thirty-eight lines to the departed Tammuz. It represents the people wailing for the lord of life who now sleeps in the lower world. Thirteen lines have been completely broken away from the top. The reverse carried a long liturgical song of the cult of this god in which the mother goddess is represented wailing for her ravished lover. ”

“ Gilgamish receives him and they dedicate their arms to heroic endeavor. At this point the epic brings in a new and powerful motif, the renunciation of woman’s love in the presence of a great undertaking. Gilgamish is enamoured of the beautiful virgin goddess Išhara, and Enkidu, fearing the effeminate effects of his friend’s attachment, prevents him forcibly from entering a house. A terrific combat between these heroes ensues,10 in which Enkidu conquers, and in a magnanimous speech he reminds Gilgamish of his higher destiny. ”

“ It is likewise a lament to the sorrowful mother goddess.
The student of Sumero-Babylonian religion will not fail to comment upon one remarkable lacuna in the religious literature of every Sumerian city which has been excavated. Prayers of the private cults are almost entirely nonexistent. Later Babylonian religion is rich in penitential psalms written in Sumerian for use in private devotions. These are known by the rubric eršagģunga, or prayers to appease the heart. Only one has been found in the Nippur collection,22 and none at all have been recovered elsewhere. ”

“ He rapidly learns the customs of men, becomes a shepherd and a mighty hunter. At last he comes to the notice of Gilgamish himself, who is shocked by the newly acquired manner of Enkidu.
“Oh harlot, take away the man,” says the lord of Erech. Once again the faithful woman instructs her heroic lover in the conventions of society, this time teaching him the importance of the family in Babylonian life, and obedience to the ruler. Now the people of Erech assemble about him admiring his [210] godlike appearance. ”

“ Kushu, the evil satyr who receives the sin-bearing scapegoat, hovers over the homes of men. Muḫru, the deity who receives burnt offerings, or incarnation of the fires of sacrifice, dwells at the city-gate. ”

“ When he enters he sees someone, whose name is broken away, eating bread and drinking milk, but the beautiful barbarian understands not. The harlot commands him to eat and drink also:
“It is the conformity of life,
Of the conditions and fate of the Land.” ”

“ That they are of prime importance is universally accepted.
From the point of view of the history of religion I would assign the liturgical texts to the second group in order of importance. Surprisingly few fragments from the long canonical daily prayer services have been found. In fact, about all of the perfected liturgies such as we know the Sumerian temples to have possessed belong to the cults of deified kings. In the [pg 236] entire religious literature of Nippur, not one approximately complete canonical prayer service has survived. ”

“ The contents supply the South Babylonian version of the second book of the epic ša nagba imuru, “He who has seen all things,” commonly referred to as the Epic of Gilgamish. The tablet is said to have been found at Senkere, ancient Larsa near Warka, modern Arabic name for and vulgar descendant of the ancient name Uruk, the Biblical Erech mentioned in Genesis X. 10. This fact makes the new text the more interesting since the legend of Gilgamish is said to have originated at Erech and the hero in fact figures as one of the prehistoric Sumerian rulers of that ancient city. ”

“ Next in importance is a large six column tablet containing a mythological and didactic hymn on the characteristics of the virgin mother goddess.3 A long mythological hymn in four columns4 on the cohabitation of the earth god Enlil and the mother goddess Ninlil and an equally long but more literary hymn to the virgin goddess Innini5 are good examples of this group of tablets in the Nippur collection.6 One of the most interesting examples of didactic composition is a hymn to the deified king Dungi of Ur. ”

“ This fragment, heretofore assigned to the second book, probably belongs to Book III. The tablet of the Assyrian version which carries the portion related on the new tablet has not been found. Man redeemed from barbarism is the major theme of Book II.
The newly recovered section of the epic contains two legends which supplied the glyptic artists of Sumer and Accad with subjects for seals. Obverse III 28–32 describes Enkidu the slayer of lions and panthers. Seals in all periods frequently represent Enkidu in combat with a lion. ”

“ Long liturgical services were evolved in the temples at Nippur as we know from a few fragments of large five column tablets.11 The completed composite liturgies or canonical breviaries as they finally received form throughout Sumer in the Isin period were made by selecting old songs of lament and praise and re-editing them so as to develop theological ideas. Characteristic of these final song services is the titular litany as the penultimate song and a final song as an intercession. A considerable number of such perfected services exist in the Berlin collection. ”

“ In fact one liturgy actually names Ninlil as the goddess of Keš, SBP. 24, 74. On the other hand, a cult document of the Neo-Babylonian period names Kallat Ekur, the bride of Ekur, as the goddess of U-pi-ia or Opis, VS. VI. 213, 21.415 The bride of Ekur is Ninlil. Thus the twin cities Keš and Opis of Sumer with their cult of the earth mother Ninharsag or Nintud were imitated in later times in Akkad and located on the Tigris where Opis survived into Greek times (ωπις) and Keš seems to have become confused in writing with Kiš a famous city near Babylon. ”

“ The struggle between the two heroes, where Enkidu strives to rescue his friend from the fatal charms of Išhara, is probably depicted on seals also. On one of the seals published by Ward, Seal Cylinders of Western Asia, No. 459, a nude female stands beside the struggling heroes.12 This scene not improbably illustrates the effort of Enkidu to rescue his friend from the goddess. In fact the satyr stands between Gilgamish and Išhara (?) ”

“ The reverse of the tablet is even more mystic and subtle. The first section connects various cult substances with parts of the body. White wine and its bottle influence the eyes. White figs pertain to a woman's breasts. Must or mead have power over the limbs as the members of motion. Terms of comparison fail to suggest themselves here and we are completely disconcerted by the fancy of the Babylonian mystagogue. In the next section, which is only partially preserved, we have twelve gods of the magic rituals. ”

“ Lamentation to Innini on the Sorrows of Erech. 13859 (Poebel No. 26) This well preserved single column tablet is published by Poebel in PBS. V 26. The composition reflects the standard theological ideas found in the canonical psalms and liturgies. The mother goddess Innini is represented as a divine mother wailing for the misery of her city and her people. The calamity [pg 273] consists in the pillage of the city and its holy places by a foreign invader, who is repeatedly compared to an ox. ”

“ I behold thee Enkidu; like a god thou art.
12Why with the animals
13wanderest thou on the plain?
14Come! I will lead thee
15into the midst of Erech of the wide places,
16even unto the holy house, dwelling place of Anu.
17Oh Enkidu, arise, I will conduct thee
18unto Eanna dwelling place of Anu,
19where Gilgamish [oppresses] the souls of men (?) ”

“ It is good to sing thy praise.
Liturgical Hymn to Sin. 8097 (No. 7) This liturgical composition consists of two melodies each designated by the rubric sagarram, “It is a sagar.” The entire service is sung to the tigû, a kind of flute. In the first melody of fifteen lines the choir chant the glory of the moon god and his city Ur. The second melody of twenty-four lines is apparently an address of the earth god Enlil to his son the moon god. This melody must remain obscure as long as the recurring liturgical phrase áb-mu-ba-ši-in-dib is unexplained.
[pg 277]
.... ”

“ The redactor indicates the remaining titles by a rubric “ (Recite the title) of a [pg 291] god until they are finished.” The rubric is in Semitic which shows that the redaction was done by Semitic scholars.
The series as it finally issued from the hands of the liturgists in the Isin period was written upon a huge five (?) column tablet, the lower half of which has been published by Zimmern, Altsumerische Kultlieder, No. 11. Each column contained about fifty lines. There are no giš-gí-gal or antiphons after the melodies, ten of which I have been able to restore. ”

“ Here each song has an antiphon which is unusual in precanonical prayer books of the ordinary cults.16 Students of the history of liturgies will be also particularly interested in the unique breviary compiled from eight songs of prostration, a lamentation for the ancient city of Keš with theological references. This song service was popular at Nippur, for remains of at least two copies have been found in the collection. ”

“ Sakkut, a god of light and war, inexplicably protects the pools. Then follow hitherto undefined and unknown Cassite deities and a break in the tablet.
As in the Assyrian duplicate, Zimmern Rt. 27, so also here, the reverse contains a lexicographical commentary on mythological phrases. The name of the god Negun is commented upon here and most timely information is given. Both the phonetic reading of the name and the character of the deity are defined. The colophon at the end has the usual formula attached to cult instructions whose contents are forbidden to the uninitiated.
[pg 336]
1. ”

“ Three meal cakes are Anu, Enlil and Ea.515 (5) The design which is drawn before the bed is the net which overwhelms all evil. (6) The hide of a great bull is Anu. [Here the hide of the bull is the symbol of the heaven god as of Zeus Dolichaîos in Asia Minor.]
(7) The copper gong516 is Enlil. But in our tablet II 13 symbol of Nergal and in CT. 16, 24, 25 apparently of Anu. The term of comparison in any case is noise, bellowing.
(8) The great reed spears which are set up at the head of the [pg 333] sick man are the seven great gods sons of Išhara. ”

“ These daily song services, all of sorrowful sentiment and invariably emphasizing humility and human suffering, are constructed by simply compiling into one breviary a number of ancient songs, selected in such manner that all are addressed to one deity. ”

“ At Keš she was identified with the unmarried and earlier deity Ninharsag.173.The line drawn across the tablet intersects the address of Innini and, if not for some unknown musical purpose, must be regarded as an error.174.For the construction, see Sumerian Grammar, § 91.175.GA = našû, variant of ga (ILA) = našû. The figure of lifting the foot and raising the hand (line 30) to Enlil refers to the attitude of adoration assumed by the mother goddess as she stands before one of the gods and intercedes for mankind. She is frequently depicted on seals in this attitude ”

“ So also in this remarkable liturgy the deified son of the great gods lives among men, becomes their patron and divine companion.
The tablet contained originally about fifty lines in each column, or 200 in all. About one-third of the first column is gone. The first melody contained at least fifty lines and ended somewhere shortly after the first line of Col. II of the obverse. It began by relating how Enlil had ordered the glory of Nippur, and then had become angered against his city, sending upon it desolation at the hands of an invader. When we take up the first lines of Obv. ”

“ How long shall the child-bearing mother, the wild-cow queen, reject her son?
38. a urú-a mu-lu im-me-a-ra306 dumu-ni zí-em-mà-na-ad-du
38. How long in the city shall he of wailing reject his son?
39. a ki-dagar-ra-ám Nippur-ám ib éš-ga-a-ra307
39. How long in the wide land, in Nippur, in the region of the vast abode?
40. a-gal-gal šel-su-su mulu ta-zu mu-un-zu308
40. Flood that drowns the harvests, who comprehends thy form?
41. e-lum a-gal-gal šel-su-su mulu ta-zu mu-un-zu
41. Exalted, flood that drowns the harvests who comprehends thy form? ”

“ The spirit of wrath prosperity from the Land has destroyed
30. uku-e še-ám-šá
30. and the people wail.
31. ud dug Ki-en-gi-da ba-da-an-ḳar uku-e še-ám-šá
31. The spirit of wrath peace from Sumer has taken and the people wail.
32. ud ģul-gál-e á-ba-da-an-ág uku-e še-ám-šá
32. He has sent the evil spirit of wrath and the people wail.
33. ḳin-gal-ud-da ud-da-gub-ba šu-na im-ma-an-sĭg
33. ”

“ Oh Enlil, arabu-bird, thou art he whose name is proclaimed in the world.
4. za-e al-me-en-na
5. d.Mu-ul-lil šag-sud-du e-ne-em zid- da
5. Enlil of unsearchable heart, of faithful word.
6. gú ki-ma-al166 e-ne-em di- di167
6. He that bends the neck, that speaks the word.
7. mu-zu kur-ra mu-un-ma-al-la-šú za-e al-me-en- na
7. Thou art he whose name is proclaimed in the world.
8. mu-zu kur-ra mu-un-ma-al-la-šú
8. At thy name which is proclaimed in the world,
9. dúg-ga-zu kur-ra ám-da-ma-al-la-šú
9. At thy discourse which is proclaimed in the world,
10. ”

“ Into my city of the lifting of the eyes, the home of his own abode, which is his fulness of luxury,
25. [šuruppak] -gim nam-ģar-gud- [e] gál-la-bi
25. Whose design is like Šuruppak, Reverse
1. [... áb-mu-ba-] ši-in-dib
1. [...] I have caused him to be a shepherd (?)
2. [dumu-sag d.En-lil-lá kalama me-a] mu-'u-lu en d.Áš-ìm-ür
2. [First son of Enlil, in the Land he is] ruler, lord Ašimur,
4. [ud-] -dug-ga [ki-gar-ra mu-šú ga] -sá-a
4. [“He that institutes battle” ] as a name I name.
5. d.Áš-ìm- [ür šag] -gi-pad-da-mu
5. Ašimur the ... whom my heart has chosen,
6. ”

“ The great decisions who (but thee) knoweth to teach?
17. kur-gul-gul ud-de-da ba-e-sĭg
17. Thou that shatterest the mountains, by a spirit of wrath thou art filled.
18. kenag d.En-lil-lá kalam-ma im-mi-ni-ri
18. Beloved of Enlil, thou hast founded the Land.
19. á-aga d.Nin-lil ba-gub-bi me-en
19. Thou art she that hast effected the mandate of Ninlil.
20. nin-mu za-pa-ág-zu-šú kur ni-gam-gam-e
20. My lady, at thy cry the lands quake.
21. ní-me-lam-ra141-zu-da nam-lù-găl-lu
21. At the fear of thy splendor let mankind
22. ”