BMS 01 (P393771)
Prayer, Neo-Assyrian, Nineveh · c. 911 BCE–612 BCE
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| Designation | BMS 01 |
|---|---|
| ID | P393771 |
| Museum no. | BM — |
| Collection | British Museum, London, UK |
| Language | Akkadian |
| Period | Neo-Assyrian · c. 911 BCE–612 BCE |
| Genre | Prayer |
| Find spot | Nineveh (mod. Kuyunjik) |
| Coordinates | 36.3582, 43.1621 |
English translation
By King, Leonard W. · Via Open Richly Annotated Cuneiform Corpus (ORACC) · CC BY-SA 3.0 (ORACC)
| Line | English |
|---|---|
| Obverse [0:1] o 1o 1–o 1o 1 | O Sin, resplendent luminary, fore[most . . .] |
| Obverse [1:2] o 22–o 22 | O Sin, perpetually renewing one who illumines [. . .] |
| Obverse [2:3] o 33–o 33 | Who provides light for the people [. . .] |
| Obverse [3:4] o 44–o 44 | To the black-headed people, [your] ra[ys] are sent forth. |
| Obverse [4:5] o 55–o 55 | Your shining appearance is bright in the pure heavens. |
| Obverse [5:6] o 66–o 66 | Your torch is magnificent, [your] bur[ning] is like Girra. |
| Obverse [6:7] o 77–o 77 | Your awe-inspiring luminosity fills the wide earth. |
| Obverse [7:8] o 88–o 88 | With pride, the people vie with one another to gaze upon [. . .]. |
| Obverse [8:9] o 99–o 99 | O Anu of the heavens, whose advice no o[ne] can learn, |
| Obverse [9:10] o 1010–o 1010 | Your shining appearance is supreme, like Shamash, [your] son. |
| Obverse [10:11] o 1111–o 1111 | The great gods kneel before you. The decision of the lands is set before [you]. |
| Obverse [11:12] o 1212–o 1212 | On account of the evil of a lunar eclipse, which occurr[ed] in so-and-so month, (on) so-and-so day, |
| Obverse [12:13] o 1313–o 1313 | (And) the evil of portents (and) omens, unpleasant (and) unfavorable, which are present in my house and (throughout) my land, |
| Obverse [13:14] o 1414–o 1414 | The great gods inquire of you, (and) you give advice. |
| Obverse [14:15] o 1515–o 1515 | They are seated in their assembly; they discuss (it) at your feet. |
| Obverse [15:16] o 1616–o 1616 | O resplendent Sin of Ekur, they inquire of you, and you give[e] the oracle of the gods. |
| Obverse [16:17] o 1717–o 1717 | The day of the new moon (is) the day of your oracle, the secret of the great gods. |
| Obverse [17:18] o 1818–o 1818 | The thirtieth day (of the month) (is) your festival, the day for celebrating [your] divinity. |
| Obverse [18:19] o 1919–o 1919 | O Namraṣit, unrivalled in strength, whose advice no o[ne] can learn, |
| Obverse [19:20] o 2020–o 2020 | I offered to you a pure flour-offering of the night. I libated for you first class beer [. . .]. |
| Obverse [20:21] o 2121–o 2121 | I am kneeling (and) I stand. I (hereby) seek yo[u]. |
| Obverse [21:22] o 2222–o 2222 | Establish for [me] a propitious and just oracular utterance. |
| Obverse [22:23] o 2323–o 2323 | My god and my goddess, who have been angry [. . .] for many days, |
| Obverse [23:24] o 2424–o 2424 | Through truth and justice, may they be at peace with me. May my path be favorable, may my way [be straight]. |
| Obverse [24:25] o 2525–o 2525 | I (hereby) send Anzagar, god of dream[s]. |
| Obverse [25:26] o 2626–o 2626 | Let him absolve my sins at night. Let me become healthy, let [me] be purified of my punishment. |
| Obverse [26:27] o 2727–o 2727 | Let me proclaim [your] praises forever! |
| Obverse [27:28] o 2828–o 2828 | [It is] the wording of a lifted-hand prayer to Sin. |
| Obverse [28:29] o 2929–o 2929 | Incantation: O valiant Ishtar, cherished of the godd[esses], |
| Obverse [29:30] o 3030–o 3030 | Torch of heaven and earth, brilliance of the earth. |
| Obverse [30:31] o 3131–o 3131 | Innina, firstb[orn] of Sin, offspring of Nin[gal], |
| Obverse [31:32] o 3232–o 3232 | [Twin] sister to the bearded [. . .] warrior, Shamash, |
| Obverse [32:33] o 3333–o 3333 | [. . .] Anu, you rul[e . . .], |
| Obverse [33:34] o 3434–o 3434 | [. . . En]lil . . . [. . . you lo]ok after the habitatio[ns]. |
| Obverse [34:35] o 3535–o 3535 | [. . .] creator [. . .] Apsu, you hold firm [. . .] |
| Reverse [0:1] r 1'r 1'–r 1'r 1' | [. . . she cause]s to bow down [. . .] |
| Reverse [1:2] r 2'2'–r 2'2' | [O Tash]metu, charming and alluring goddess, lady of [. . .], |
| Reverse [2:3] r 3'3'–r 3'3' | I, so-and-so, son of so-and-so, whose (personal) god (is) so-and-so, (and) whose (personal) goddess (is) so-and-s[o], |
| Reverse [3:4] r 4'4'–r 4'4' | On account of the evil of a lunar eclipse, which occur[ed] in so-and-so month, (on) so-and-so day, |
| Reverse [4:5] r 5'5'–r 5'5' | (And) the evil of portents (and) omens, unpleasant (and) unfavorable, which are present in my house and (throughout) my land, |
| Reverse [5:6] r 6'6'–r 6'6' | I turn to you, I seek you out. Hear my my prayer. |
| Reverse [6:7] r 7'7'–r 7'7' | Intercede (for me) to Nabu, your husband, the lord, the leader, firstborn son of Esagila, |
| Reverse [7:8] r 8'8'–r 8'8' | That he hear my utterance, according to the command of your mouth; that he accept my prayer, that he learn my entreaty. |
| Reverse [8:9] r 9'9'–r 9'9' | By his weighty command, may god and goddess be reconciled with me. |
| Reverse [9:10] r 10'10'–r 10'10' | May the sickness of my body depart; may exhaustion of [my] flesh be removed; |
| Reverse [10:11] r 11'11'–r 11'11' | May the asakku-demon of [my] ligaments be carried away. |
| Reverse [11:12] r 12'12'–r 12'12' | May witchcraft, sorcery, and magic that has beset me (lit. is with me) by released. |
| Reverse [12:13] r 13'13'–r 13'13' | May the oath depart; may the vow be removed. |
| Reverse [13:14] r 14'14'–r 14'14' | May the namtar-demon be driven away; may his breast turn back. According to your word, may good things be established. |
| Reverse [14:15] r 15'15'–r 15'15' | May god and king speak favorably, according to your august command that cannot be changed, |
| Reverse [15:16] r 16'16'–r 16'16' | And your firm assent that cannot be overturned, O Tashmetu, (my) lady! |
| Reverse [16:17] r 17'17'–r 17'17' | It is the wording of a lifted-hand prayer to Tashmetu. |
| Reverse [17:18] r 18'18'–r 18'18' | Incantation: O lord, who guides all people (and) every creature aright. |
| Reverse [18:19] r 19'19'–r 19'19' | <Nth> tablet of Bit Rimki. Palace of Ashurbanipal, king of the world, king of the land of Ashur, |
| Reverse [19:20] r 20'20'–r 20'20' | [who] trusts [i]n Ashur and Ninlil, to whom Nabu and Tashmetu gave wide understanding, |
| Reverse [20:21] r 21'21'–r 21'21' | [who has achi]eved enlightened eyes with regard to the highest level of the scribal art, |
| Reverse [21:22] r 22'22'–r 22'22' | [which (art)] none [of the king]s who came before me had learned, |
| Reverse [22:23] r 23'23'–r 23'23' | [the wisd]om of Nabu, cuneiform signs, as many as there are. I wrote, collated, [and checked] (the present text) on tablets. |
| Reverse [23:24] r 24'24'–r 24'24' | [I deposited] (it) in [my] palace for my reading <and> studying. |
| Reverse [24:25] r 25'25'–r 25'25' | The one who trusts in you will not be put to shame, O king of the gods, Ashur. Whoever carries (this tablet) off or [writes] his name alongside [my] name, |
| Reverse [25:26] r 26'26'–r 26'26' | May Ashur and Ninlil overthr[ow him] in fierce rage. [May his name (and) his seed disappear from the land.] |
Transliteration (ATF)
From Open Richly Annotated Cuneiform Corpus (ORACC) · CC BY-SA 3.0 (ORACC default); per-file JSON license fields say: This data is released under the CC0 license (133618)
| Line | ATF | Machine English (draft) |
|---|---|---|
| o | ||
| 1 | EN₂ {d}3(u) NANNA{⸢ru} šu-pu⸣-u ⸢SAG⸣.[KAL ...] | |
| 2 | {d}3(u) ed-deš-šu-u₂ mu-nam-⸢mir⸣ [...] | |
| 3 | ša-ki-in na-mir-ti a-na UN-⸢MEŠ⸣ [...] | |
| 4 | ana UN-MEŠ ṣal-mat SAG.DU uš-šu-ru ša₂-[ru-ru-ka] | |
| 5 | nam-rat UD.DA-ka ina AN{e} ⸢KUG⸣-[MEŠ] | |
| 6 | šar-hat di-pa-⸢ra⸣-ka GIM {d}GIBIL₆ ⸢hi⸣-[mi-iṭ-ka] | |
| 7 | ma-lu-u₂ nam-ri-ru-ka KI{ta} ⸢DAGAL⸣{[ta]} | |
| 8 | šar-ha UN-MEŠ ug-da-ša₂-ra ana a-ma-ri ka-[x x] | |
| 9 | {d}a-num AN{e} ša₂ la i-lam-ma-du mi₃-lik-šu₂ ma-⸢am⸣-[man] | |
| 10 | šu-tu-rat UD.DA-ka GIM {d}UTU bu-uk-ri-[ka] | |
| 11 | ⸢kam⸣-su ⸢IGI-ka DINGIR-MEŠ GAL-MEŠ⸣ EŠ.BAR KUR.KUR GAR{in} ina IGI-[ka] | |
| 12 | ina HUL AN.GE₆ {d}3(u) ša₂ ina ITI NENNI UD NENNI GAR{⸢na⸣} | |
| 13 | HUL A₂-MEŠ GISKIM-MEŠ HUL-MEŠ NU DUG₃-MEŠ ša₂ ina E₂.GAL-MU u KUR-MU GAL₂{a} | |
| 14 | DINGIR-MEŠ GAL-MEŠ i-šal-lu-ka SUM{in} mil-ka | |
| 15 | uš-bu pu-hur-šu₂-mu uš-ta-mu-u₂ ina KI.TA-⸢ka⸣ | |
| 16 | {d}3(u) šu-pu-u₂ ša₂ E₂.KUR i-šal-⸢lu-ka-ma⸣ ta-mit DINGIR-MEŠ SUM{[in]} | |
| 17 | UD.NA₂.AM₃ U₄{um} ta-mit-ti-⸢ka⸣ pi-riš-ti-ka DINGIR-MEŠ ⸢GAL⸣-[MEŠ] | |
| 18 | U₄.3(u).⸢KAM⸣ i-sin-na-ka U₄{um} ta-šil-ti DINGIR{⸢ti⸣}[ka] | |
| 19 | {d}AŠ.⸢IM₅⸣.BABBAR e-muq la ša₂-na-an ša₂ ⸢la⸣ i-lam-ma-du mi-lik-šu₂ ma-⸢am⸣-[man] | |
| 20 | as-ruq-ka ši₂-⸢riq⸣ GE₆ el-⸢lu⸣ aq-qi₂-ka re-eš-ta-a ši-kar [...] | |
| 21 | kam-sa-ku az-za-az a-⸢še⸣-ʾ <ka> ⸢ka-a⸣-[ša₂] | |
| 22 | INIM.GAR dum-qi₂ u mi₃-ša₂-ri GAR{un} UGU-[MU] | |
| 23 | DINGIR-MU u {d}iš₈-tar₂ ša ⸢iš⸣-tu U₄{um} ma-du-ti is-bu-su [...] | |
| 24 | ina kit-ti u NIG₂.SI.SA₂ lis-li-mu KI-MU ur-hi lid-mi₃-iq pa-da(iš-)ni ⸢li⸣-[šir] | |
| 25 | u₂-ma-ʾ-ir-ma AN.ZA.GAR₃ DINGIR ša₂ MAŠ₂.GE₆-[MEŠ] | |
| 26 | ina šat GE₆ DU₈-MEŠ ar₂-ni-ia₅ lu-uš-lim(me) šer₃-ti lu-ta-⸢lil₂⸣ [ana-ku] | |
| 27 | ana da₃-ra-ti lud-lul da₃-li₂-li₂-[ka] | |
| 28 | KA-INIM-MA ŠU-⸢IL₂⸣-LA₂ {d}ZUEN-[KAM] | |
| 29 | EN₂ qa₂-rit-tu₂ {d}iš-tar ka-nu-ut i-[la-a-ti] | |
| 30 | di-par₂ AN{e} u KI{⸢ti⸣} ša₂-ru-ru UB-[MEŠ] | |
| 31 | {⸢d⸣}in-nin-na ⸢bu-uk⸣-[rat] {d}3(u) i-lit-ti {d}⸢nin⸣-[gal] | |
| 32 | [tu-a]-mat ⸢ṭar₃-ri⸣ [...] ⸢qu⸣-ra-di {d}⸢UTU⸣{[ši]} | |
| 33 | [...] {⸢d⸣}a-nu [...] te-pe-el-[li] | |
| 34 | [x {d}EN].LIL₂ ⸢x⸣ [... ta-ṭe]-⸢em-me⸣ da-⸢ad₃⸣-[mi] | |
| 35 | [...] ⸢ba-an⸣ [...] ⸢ABZU tu-kal-li⸣ [...] | |
| r | ||
| 1' | [... tu-šak]-⸢na-ši⸣ [...] | |
| 2' | {[d}taš]-⸢me⸣-tu₄ DINGIR{at} kuz-bi u da-⸢di be-lit⸣ [...] | |
| 3' | [ana]-⸢ku⸣ NENNI A NENNI ša₂ DINGIR-šu₂ NENNI {d}iš₈-tar₂-šu₂ NENNI-[tu₄] | |
| 4' | [ina] HUL AN.GE₆ {d}3(u) ša₂ ina ITI NENNI UD NENNI GAR{[na]} | |
| 5' | ⸢HUL⸣ A₂-MEŠ GISKIM-⸢MEŠ⸣ HUL-MEŠ NU DUG₃-MEŠ ša₂ ina E₂.GAL-MU u KUR-MU GAL₂{[a]} | |
| 6' | ⸢NIGIN⸣-ki KIN.KIN-ki ši-mi-i A.RA.<ZU>{⸢ti⸣} | |
| 7' | a-na {d}AG ha-ʾ-i-ri-ki EN IGI.DU DUMU reš-ti-i ša₂ e₂-sag-ila₂ a-bu-ti ⸢ṣab⸣-[ti-ma] | |
| 8' | liš-mi sik-ri ina qi₂-bit pi-ki lil-qi₂ un-ni-ni-ia lil-ma-da su-pi-[ia] | |
| 9' | ina sik-ri-šu₂ DUGUD{ti} DINGIR u {d}iš₈-tar₂ SILIM{mu} KI-⸢ia⸣ | |
| 10' | li-in-ni-is-si GIG ša₂ SU-ia li-ṭa-rid ta-ni-hu ša₂ IZI-⸢MEŠ⸣-[ia] | |
| 11' | li-ta-bil AZAG₂ ša₂ SA-MEŠ-[ia] | |
| 12' | lip-pa-aš₂-ru UŠ₁₁.MEŠ UŠ₁₁.MEŠ UŠ₁₁.MEŠ ša IG₂{u₂} UGU-MU | |
| 13' | li-in-ni-is-si ma-mit li-ṭa-rid ni-⸢šu₂⸣ | |
| 14' | lid-dap-pir {d}NAM.TAR li-ne-ʾ GABA{su} ina KA-ki liš-ša₂-kin ba-ni-⸢ti⸣ | |
| 15' | DINGIR u MAN liq-bu-u SIG₅{ti} ina qi₂-bit-ki ṣir-ti ša₂ NU KUR₂{ru₃} | |
| 16' | u an-ni-ki ki-nim ša₂ NU BAL{u} {d}taš-me-tu₄ GAŠAN | |
| 17' | KA-INIM-MA ŠU-IL₂-LA₂ {d}TAŠ-ME-TU₄-KAM | |
| 18' | EN₂ EN muš-te-šir kiš-šat UN-MEŠ gi-mir nab-ni-ti | |
| 19' | ⸢DUB⸣.<x>.KAM E₂ rim-ki E₂.GAL {m}AN-ŠAR₂-DU₃-A LUGAL ⸢ŠU₂⸣ LUGAL KUR AN.ŠAR₂{ki} | |
| 20' | [ša a]-⸢na⸣ AN.ŠAR₂ u₃ {d}⸢nin⸣-lil₂ tak-lu₄ ša {d}AG u₃ {d}taš-me-tu₄ GEŠTU-2(diš) DAGAL-tu₄ iš-ru-ku-uš | |
| 21' | [ša i-hu]-⸢uz⸣-zu IGI-2(diš) na-mir-tu₄ ni-siq ṭup-šar-ru-⸢ti⸣ | |
| 22' | [ša ina LUGAL]-⸢MEŠ⸣{ni} a-lik mah-ri-ia mim-ma šip-ru šu-a-tu la ⸢i-hu-zu⸣ | |
| 23' | [ne₂-me]-⸢eq {d}AG⸣ ti-kip sa-an-tak-⸢ki⸣ ma-la ba-aš₂-mu ina DUB.MEŠ{ni} aš₂-⸢ṭur as-niq⸣ [ab-re-e-ma] | |
| 24' | a-na ta-mar-ti <u> ši-ta-as-si-ia qe₂-reb E₂.⸢GAL⸣-[ia u₂-kin] | |
| 25' | NIR.GAL₂.ZU NU UR LUGAL DINGIR-MEŠ AN.ŠAR₂ man-nu ša TUM₃ u₃ lu-u ⸢MU-šu₂ KI MU⸣-[ia i-šaṭ-ṭa-ru] | |
| 26' | AN.ŠAR₂ u₃ {d}nin-lil₂ ag-giš ez-zi-⸢iš lis⸣-[ki-pu-šu₂-ma MU-šu₂ NUMUN-šu₂ ina KUR li-hal-li-qu] | |
Sources & licences
- Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative · CDLI: reuse of catalogue/transliteration data with citation of CDLI; images restricted (not fetched) · Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI), https://cdli.earth/ ; cite CDLI and the P-number
- Open Richly Annotated Cuneiform Corpus (ORACC) · CC BY-SA 3.0 (ORACC default); per-file JSON license fields say: This data is released under the CC0 license (133618) · ORACC project editions, https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ ; cite the individual project (see texts.extra_json.project)
- electronic Babylonian Library (eBL), LMU Munich · MIT (eBL Zenodo dataset); platform terms unverified · electronic Babylonian Library (eBL), LMU Munich, https://www.ebl.lmu.de/ ; Zenodo dataset (MIT)
Cite the original edition and translator. Page generated by Unread Atlas from the public corpus export of 2026-10-11.