Babylonian and Assyrian Literature Part 47

8 Davkina.

9 Their (work) all day they founded 10 to their stronghold[4] in the night 11 entirely an end he made.

12 In his anger also the secret counsel he poured out 13 to scatter (abroad) his face he set 14 he gave a command to make strange their speech[5]

15 ...[6] their progress he impeded 16 ...[6]the altar

(Column III is so broken only a few words remain, so I have omitted it.)

[Footnote 1: A t.i.tle of Anu.]

[Footnote 2: Lacunae.]

[Footnote 3: All these broken lines relate to council of G.o.ds?]

[Footnote 4: The tower.]

[Footnote 5: "Uttaccira--melic-su-nu," "make hostile their council."]

[Footnote 6: Lacunae.]

COLUMN IV [Footnote: Relates to the destruction of the tower by a storm.]

1 In (that day) 2 he blew and ...[1]

3 For future time the mountain ...[1]

4 Nu-nam-nir[2] went ...[1]

5 Like heaven and earth he spake ...[1]

6 His ways they went ...[1]

7 Violently they fronted against him [3]

8 He saw them and to the earth (descended) 9 When a stop he did not make 10 of the G.o.ds ...[1]

11 Against the G.o.ds they revolted 12 ...[1] violence ...[1]

13 Violently they wept for Babylon[4]

14 very much they wept.

15 And in the midst

(The rest is wanting.)

[Footnote 1: Lacunae.]

[Footnote 2: The G.o.d of "no rule," or lawlessness.]

[Footnote 3: The builders continued to build.]

[Footnote 4: Lamentations of the G.o.ds for the Babylonians.]

AN ACCADIAN PENITENTIAL PSALM

TRANSLATED BY REV. A.H. SAYCE, M.A.

The following psalm for remission of sins is remarkable alike for its deeply spiritual tone and for its antiquity. As it is written in Accadian, its composition must be referred to a date anterior to the seventeenth century B.C., when that language became extinct. An a.s.syrian interlinear translation is attached to most of the lines; some, however, are left untranslated. The tablet is unfortunately broken in the middle, causing a lacuna in the text. Similarities will be noticed between the language of the psalm and that of the Psalms of the Old Testament, and one pa.s.sage reminds us strongly of the words of Christ in St. Matthew xviii. 22.

Seven, it must be remembered, was a sacred number among the Accadians.

Accadian poetry was characterized by a parallelism of ideas and clauses; and as this was imitated, both by the a.s.syrians and by the Jews, the striking resemblance between the form of Accadian and Hebrew poetry can be accounted for.

Some of the lines in the middle of the psalm have been previously translated by Mr. Fox Talbot, in the "Transactions of the Society of Biblical Archaeology," Vol. II, p. 60, and Prof. Schrader in his "_Hollenfahrt der Istar_," pp. 90-95.

A copy of the text is given in the fourth volume of the "Cuneiform Inscriptions of Western Asia," plate 10.

AN ACCADIAN PENITENTIAL PSALM

OBVERSE OF TABLET

1 The heart of my Lord[1] was wroth: to his place may he return.

2 From the man that (sinned) unknowingly to his place may (my) G.o.d return.

3 From him that (sinned) unknowingly to her place may (the) G.o.ddess return.

4 May G.o.d who knoweth (that) he knew not to his place return.

5 May the G.o.ddess[2] who knoweth (that) he knew not to her place return.

6 May the heart of my G.o.d to his place return.

7 May the heart of my G.o.ddess to his place return.

8 May my G.o.d and my G.o.ddess (unto their place) return.

9 May G.o.d (unto his place) return.

10 May the G.o.ddess (unto her place return).

11 The transgression (that I committed my G.o.d) knew it.

12 The transgression (that I committed my G.o.ddess knew it).

13 The holy name (of my G.o.d I profaned?).

14 The holy name (of my G.o.ddess I profaned?).

(The next three lines are obliterated.)

18 The waters of the sea (the waters of my tears) do I drink.

19 That which was forbidden by my G.o.d with my mouth I ate.

20 That which was forbidden by my G.o.ddess in my ignorance I trampled upon.

21 O my Lord, my transgression (is) great, many (are) my sins.

22 O my G.o.d, my transgression (is) great, my sins (are many).

23 O my G.o.ddess, my transgression (is) great, my sins (are many).

24 O my G.o.d that knowest (that) I knew not, my transgression (is) great, my sins (are many).

25 O my G.o.ddess, that knowest (that) I knew not, my transgression (is) great, my sins (are many).

26 The transgression (that) I committed I knew not.

27 The sin (that) I sinned I knew not.

28 The forbidden thing did I eat.

29 The forbidden thing did I trample upon.

30 My Lord in the wrath of his heart has punished me.