BMS 12 (P394385)
Prayer, Neo-Assyrian, Nineveh · c. 911 BCE–612 BCE
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| Designation | BMS 12 |
|---|---|
| ID | P394385 |
| 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 1'o 1'–o 1'o 1' | [. . . for]midib[le one, [. . .], |
| Obverse [1:2] o 2'2'–o 2'2' | [. . . without ri]val, whose [. . .], |
| Obverse [2:3] o 3'3'–o 3'3' | [. . .], who decides the case, who determines [. . .], |
| Obverse [3:4] o 4'4'–o 4'4' | [Son of Lugalduku]ga, the father, who sired [the great] gods, |
| Obverse [4:5] o 5'5'–o 5'5' | [. . . pl]enty, who makes abu[ndance] abound, |
| Obverse [5:6] o 6'6'–o 6'6' | [. . .] plenty, who makes [. . .] rain down, |
| Obverse [6:7] o 7'7'–o 7'7' | [. . .] seas, who administers the mou[ntain regions], |
| Obverse [7:8] o 8'8'–o 8'8' | [. . . waterco]urses, who makes the riv[ers] flow aright, |
| Obverse [8:9] o 9'9'–o 9'9' | [. . .] cattle, who creates barley and flax, who makes [. . .] flourish, |
| Obverse [9:10] o 10'10'–o 10'10' | [. . .] the one who reviews [the Igigi], |
| Obverse [10:11] o 11'11'–o 11'11' | [. . .] creator of [. . .] the people, |
| Obverse [11:12] o 12'12'–o 12'12' | [. . .] you [. . . are . . . mot]her in the mouth of the people, |
| Obverse [12:13] o 13'13'–o 13'13' | [. . .] their darkness [. . .], |
| Obverse [13:14] o 14'14'–o 14'14' | [. . .] you adminster the[ir justice . . .]. |
| Obverse [14:15] o 15'15'–o 15'15' | [. . . wid]ow, [wre]tched [. . .]. |
| Obverse [15:16] o 16'16'–o 16'16' | [. . . who guid]es th[em]. |
| Obverse [16:17] o 17'17'–o 17'17' | [. . . lau]d [your . . .] command. |
| Obverse [17:18] o 18'18'–o 18'18' | [. . .] you rescue [. . .]. |
| Obverse [18:19] o 19'19'–o 19'19' | [. . .] whose [. . .] has punished him. |
| Obverse [19:20] o 20'20'–o 20'20' | [...], you release the captive. |
| Obverse [20:21] o 21'21'–o 21'21' | [. . .] you raise up [the one] laid out on (his) death[bed] (lit. [in the bed] of fate). |
| Obverse [21:22] o 22'22'–o 22'22' | [You] show the light to [. . .], who is confined [(in) darkness]. |
| Obverse [22:23] o 23'23'–o 23'23' | [. . . I have pre]pared for you a pure ritual assemblage. |
| Obverse [23:24] o 24'24'–o 24'24' | [. . .] at your feet. |
| Obverse [24:25] o 25'25'–o 25'25' | [. . .] my supplication. |
| Obverse [25:26] o 26'26'–o 26'26' | [. . .] whose [goddess] (is) so-and-so. |
| Obverse [26:27] o 27'27'–o 27'27' | [. . .]. I do not know (it). |
| Obverse [27:28] o 28'28'–o 28'28' | [. . . like] a net. |
| Obverse [28:29] o 29'29'–o 29'29' | [. . .] they [make] my limbs [shake]. |
| Obverse [29:30] o 30'30'–o 30'30' | [. . .] my [fles]h [. . .]. |
| Obverse [30:31] o 31'31'–o 31'31' | [. . .] a garment. |
| Obverse [31:32] o 32'32'–o 32'32' | [. . . have been inter]red. |
| Obverse [32:33] o 33'33'–o 33'33' | [. . . have been ta]ken. |
| Obverse [33:34] o 34'34'–o 34'34' | [. . . of me]n. |
| Obverse [34:35] o 35'35'–o 35'35' | [. . .] upon me. |
| Obverse [35:36] o 36'36'–o 36'36' | [. . . malev]olent. |
| Obverse [36:37] o 37'37'–o 37'37' | [. . . cle]ar (lit. true) [. . .]. |
| Obverse [37:38] o 38'38'–o 38'38' | [. . .] my [speaking . . .]. |
| Obverse [38:39] o 39'39'–o 39'39' | [Judge] my [cas]e; render [. . .]. |
| Obverse [39:40] o 40'40'–o 40'40' | [Remo]ve the sickness, the lamentation, the un-[. . .] |
| Obverse [40:41] o 41'41'–o 41'41' | Re[move] the illness set upon me, [. . .] my [body]. |
| Obverse [41:42] o 42'42'–o 42'42' | [. . .] (my personal) god, (my personal) goddess, and humankind. [. . . merc]y [. . .]. |
| Obverse [42:43] o 43'43'–o 43'43' | According to the command of your mouth, may [. . . wit]ch not draw near, |
| Obverse [43:44] o 44'44'–o 44'44' | May witchcraft, sorcery, [. . .] of humankind not draw near to me. |
| Obverse [44:45] o 45'45'–o 45'45' | May the evil of dreams, [. . . eart]h not draw near to me, |
| Obverse [45:46] o 46'46'–o 46'46' | [May] the evil of a sign (in) the city and land [not approach] me. |
| Obverse [46:47] o 47'47'–o 47'47' | Let me be at peace [. . .] from the mouth of evil (and) tongue of evil [. . .]. |
| Obverse [47:48] o 48'48'–o 48'48' | May the anḫullû-plant (amulet) with which I am provi[ded] on my neck, [re]pel [. . .]. |
| Obverse [48:49] o 49'49'–o 49'49' | [May] it [defle]ct the evil curse (and) the [. . .] ominous utterance. |
| Obverse [49:50] o 50'50'–o 50'50' | Like alabaster, [. . .] my light [. . ., may] I [not] have [. . .]. |
| Obverse [50:51] o 51'51'–o 51'51' | Like lapis lazuli, [. . . my] li[fe . . .] |
| Obverse [51:52] o 52'52'–o 52'52' | Like go[ld, . . .]. |
| Reverse [0:1] r 1r 1–r 1r 1 | Like a bead (lit. stone) of mesu-wood, may they remove [. . .]. |
| Reverse [1:2] r 22–r 22 | May an evil, wicked curse [. . .]. |
| Reverse [2:3] r 33–r 33 | [. . .] (my) name and (my) descendant [. . .] before you. |
| Reverse [3:4] r 44–r 44 | May the drugs (lit. plants) and the salve which are set before you wipe away my guilt. |
| Reverse [4:5] r 55–r 55 | May they not allow any evil, anger, divine wrath come near me, (also) sin, sacrilege, and fault. |
| Reverse [5:6] r 66–r 66 | May the lifting of hand(s) (and) the invocation of the great gods release oath (and) curse. |
| Reverse [6:7] r 77–r 77 | At your speaking (lit. mouth), may they remove my hardship. Order good health (for me, saying), "let him pass (along the street) proudly (lit. like a lord)." |
| Reverse [7:8] r 88–r 88 | May I be as pure as the heavens from the evil sorcery of witch and warlock done against me. |
| Reverse [8:9] r 99–r 99 | May I be as clean as the earth from the wicked enchantments. |
| Reverse [9:10] r 1010–r 1010 | May I be illuminated like the midst of the heavens; may the bond of my evils be released. |
| Reverse [10:11] r 1111–r 1111 | May the tamarisk purify me. May the mashtakal-plant release me. |
| Reverse [11:12] r 1212–r 1212 | May palm-heart dispel my sins. |
| Reverse [12:13] r 1313–r 1313 | May the ritual agubbû-vessel of Ea and Asalluḫi grant favor (to me). |
| Reverse [13:14] r 1414–r 1414 | May the censer (and) torch of Girra and Kusu cleanse [m]e. |
| Reverse [14:15] r 1515–r 1515 | According to the command of Ea, [. . .] of the Apsu, father of the gods, Ninshiku, may the lifting of my hands (i.e., my prayer) be answered. |
| Reverse [15:16] r 1616–r 1616 | May [your] hea[rt], O Asalluḫi, exorcist of the great gods, sage of the Igigi, be at rest, |
| Reverse [16:17] r 1717–r 1717 | So that I may continually praise the [w]ord of Ea and serve queen Damkina diligently, |
| Reverse [17:18] r 1818–r 1818 | That I, [your] servant, so-and-so, son of so-and-so, may be he[althy] (and) [wh]ole, (and) that I may laud your divinity (and) sing your praises. |
| Reverse [18:19] r 1919–r 1919 | May my [(personal) god] laud your [great deeds]. May my (personal) goddess speak of your greatness. |
| Reverse [19:20] r 2020–r 2020 | And may I, the exorcist, [your servant], sing your praises. |
| Reverse [20:21] r 2121–r 2121 | It is the wording of [a lifted-hand prayer] to Marduk. |
| Reverse [21:22] r 2222–r 2222 | When the ritual assemblage is completed [. . .], do not change where (lit. the place) [the head] of the sheep is set. |
| Reverse [22:23] r 2323–r 2323 | You pull [hair] from its forehead, [and either o]n a ritually impure person |
| Reverse [23:24] r 2424–r 2424 | [or o]n a person with lepr[osy (lit. one filled with leprosy) you throw (it). When you throw] (it), no one should see. |
| Reverse [24:25] r 2525–r 2525 | [. . . "Ea] commissioned me" |
| Reverse [25:26] r 2626–r 2626 | [. . . The sick man] should go straight [to] his house and not look behind him. |
| Reverse [26:27] r 2727–r 2727 | [. . .] the [er]kulla-[plant], the elikulla-plant |
| Reverse [27:28] r 2828–r 2828 | [. . . . You se]t (it) [. . .]. You anoint (lit. rub) him (with it). |
| Reverse [28:29] r 2929–r 2929 | [. . .] you lift up [. . .] anḫullû-plants, and |
| Reverse [29:30] r 3030–r 3030 | [. . .] thus you shall speak to (them): |
| Reverse [30:31] r 3131–r 3131 | [. . .] of Ea and Asalluḫi, |
| Reverse [31:32] r 3232–r 3232 | [. . .] the contempt, |
| Reverse [32:33] r 3333–r 3333 | [. . .] humankind. |
| Reverse [33:34] r 3434–r 3434 | [. . . . Do not rec]eive conspiracy to murder, |
| Reverse [34:35] r 3535–r 3535 | [. . .] aphasia. |
| Reverse [35:36] r 3636–r 3636 | [. . . . Do not let . . .] come near to me. |
| Reverse [36:37] r 3737–r 3737 | Establish [. . .] |
| Reverse [37:38] r 3838–r 3838 | [. . .] they speak [. . .]. |
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' | [...] rik-su | |
| 2' | [...] an-nu-ti | |
| 3' | [... AN].ḪUL₂.MEŠ | |
| 4' | [... {giš]}MES DU₃-uš | |
| 5' | [... AN.ḪUL₂].⸢MEŠ⸣ ina GU GADA E₃ | |
| 6' | [...] ⸢I₃⸣ {giš}ŠUR.MIN₃ ḪE.ḪE | |
| 7' | [...] ⸢KUR.KUR⸣ [...] ⸢ŠID-šu₂⸣ | |
| 1'' | [... a-li]-⸢li⸣ [...] | |
| 2'' | [... ma]-⸢ḫar⸣ ša₂ ⸢ti⸣-[bu-šu ...] | |
| 3'' | [...] KUD-is EŠ.BAR mu-⸢šim⸣ [...] | |
| 4'' | [... {d}lugal-du₆-ku₃]-⸢ga⸣ a-bi a-lid DINGIR.MEŠ [...] | |
| 5'' | [... ḪE₂].⸢GAL₂⸣ mu-deš-šu-u₂ ḪE₂.[NUN] | |
| 6'' | [... ḪE₂].⸢GAL₂⸣-li mu-ša₂-az-⸢nin⸣ [...] | |
| 7'' | [...] ⸢ta⸣-ma-a-ti ḫa-i-ṭu ⸢ḫur⸣-[sa-a-ni] | |
| 8'' | [... miṭ-ra]-⸢a⸣-ti muš-te-ši-ru ⸢ID₂⸣.[DIDLI] | |
| 9'' | [...] {d}la-ḫar ba-nu-u ŠE.IM u qe₂-e mu-deš-šu₂-u [...] | |
| 10'' | [...] a-ši-ru {d}[NUN.GAL.MEŠ] | |
| 11'' | [...] ba-nu-u₂ te-ne₂-šet [...] | |
| 12'' | [... um]-mu ina KA UN.MEŠ ⸢ta⸣-[ba-aš-ši] | |
| 13'' | [...] ⸢ek⸣-le-si-na [...] | |
| 14'' | [... mi-šar-ši]-⸢na⸣ ta-da-an [...] | |
| 15'' | [... al-mat]-⸢ta⸣ na-as-⸢sa⸣ [...] | |
| 16'' | [... mut-tar]-⸢ru⸣-ši-[na ...] | |
| 17'' | [... iš-tam-ma]-⸢ru zi-kir⸣-[ka ...] | |
| 18'' | [...] tu-še-zeb [...] | |
| 19'' | [...] ⸢ša₂⸣ i-nu-nu-⸢šu⸣ [...] | |
| 20'' | [...] tu-aš-šar ṣab-⸢tu₂⸣ | |
| 21'' | [...] ⸢NAM⸣.TAR ŠUB-u₂ tu-šat-bi | |
| 22'' | [...] ⸢us-su⸣-ru tu-kal-lam ZALAG₂ | |
| 23'' | [... ar]-⸢kus⸣-ka rik-sa KU₃ | |
| 24'' | [...] ina šap-li-ka | |
| 25'' | [...] tes₂-li-ti | |
| 26'' | [... {d}iš₈-tar₂]-⸢šu₂⸣ NENNI-tum | |
| 27'' | [...] ana-ku NU ZU-u | |
| 28'' | [...] ⸢sa⸣-pa-ri | |
| 29'' | [... u₂-tar-ra]-⸢ru⸣ mi-na-ti-ia₅ | |
| 30'' | [... UZU].MEŠ.MU | |
| 31'' | [...] ⸢ṣu⸣-bat | |
| 32'' | [... šu-nu-ul]-lu | |
| 33'' | [... le-qa]-a | |
| 34'' | [... a-me-lut]-⸢ti⸣ | |
| 35'' | [... UGU].MU | |
| 36'' | [... ḫa]-⸢ṭa⸣-a | |
| 37'' | [... kit]-⸢ti⸣ | |
| 38'' | [... qa-ba-a]-a | |
| 39'' | [x-x] x [... pu-ru]-⸢us⸣ | |
| 40'' | ⸢GIG⸣ ZARAḪ ⸢NU⸣ [... nu-us]-si | |
| 41'' | ⸢mu⸣-ru-uṣ šak-na ⸢nu⸣-[uk-kir-ma ...] ⸢SU⸣.MU | |
| 42'' | DINGIR {d}15 u NAM.LU₂.U₁₈.⸢LU⸣ [... re]-⸢e⸣-ma | |
| 43'' | ina qi₂-bit pi-ka a-a TE-⸢a⸣ [... kaš-šap]-tum | |
| 44'' | a-a TE-a kiš-pu ru-ḫu-⸢u₂⸣ [...] ⸢LU₂⸣-tum | |
| 45'' | a-a TE-a ḪUL MAŠ₂.GE₆.MEŠ ⸢A₂⸣.[MEŠ ... KI]-tim | |
| 46'' | ḪUL GISKIM URU u KUR [... KUR]-⸢an⸣-ni | |
| 47'' | ina KA ḪUL EME ḪUL-⸢tim⸣ [... lu]-⸢uš⸣-lim | |
| 48'' | AN.ḪUL₂ ša₂ ina GU₂.MU aš-ša₂-⸢ka⸣-[nu ... u₂]-⸢šas⸣-ni-qa | |
| 49'' | ar₂-rat ḪUL-tim INIM.GAR [... li]-is-kip | |
| 50'' | ki-ma {na₄}GIŠ.NU₁₁.GAL ⸢nu-ri⸣ [...] ⸢ar₂-ši⸣ | |
| 51'' | ki-ma {na₄}ZA.GIN₃ ⸢na⸣-[piš-ti ...] | |
| 52'' | ki-ma ⸢KU₃⸣.[SI₂₂ ...] | |
| r | ||
| 1 | ki-ma NA₄ {giš}MES li-is-su-u₂ [...] | |
| 2 | AŠ₂ ḪUL-tum la ṭa-ab-tum [...] | |
| 3 | ina IGI-ka MU u pe-er-ʾi [...] | |
| 4 | U₂.ḪI.A u nap-šal-tum ša₂ ina IGI-ka kun-nu ⸢lip⸣-su-su ⸢ar₂-ni-ia⸣ | |
| 5 | a-a u₂-qar-ri-bu-u-ni mim-ma lem-nu uz-zu nu-ug-gat DINGIR šet-ta gil₂-lat u ḫi-ṭi-tu₂ | |
| 6 | lip-šu-ru ni-šu₂ ma-mitu ni-iš ŠU{ii} zi-kir DINGIR.MEŠ GAL.MEŠ | |
| 7 | ina pi-ka BAD₄.MU li₂-ne₂-su-u₂ e-tel-li-iš ⸢li⸣-ba-aʾ qi₂-bi TI.LA | |
| 8 | ⸢ki-ma⸣ AN-e lu-lil ina ru-ḫe-e kaš-ša₂-pi u kaš-šap-ti ḪUL.MEŠ ša₂ ep-šu₂-ni | |
| 9 | ki-⸢ma er⸣-ṣe-tum lu-bi-ib ina ru-se-e la ṭa-bu-tum | |
| 10 | ki-ma ⸢qe₂-reb⸣ AN-e lu-ut-ta-mir lip-ta-⸢aṭ⸣-ṭi-ru ki-ṣir ḪUL.MEŠ.MU | |
| 11 | {giš}⸢ŠINIG⸣ KU₃-an-ni {u₂}IN₆.UŠ₂ BUR₂-an-ni | |
| 12 | {giš}ŠA₃.⸢GIŠIMMAR⸣ ar₂-ni-ia₅ lip-ṭur | |
| 13 | {dug}A.GUB₂.⸢BA ša₂⸣ {d}e₂-a u {d}asal-⸢lu₂⸣-ḫi li-ša₂-at-li-ma SIG₅ | |
| 14 | lib-bi-bu-[nin]-⸢ni⸣ NIG₂.NA GI.IZI.LA₂ ša₂ {d}gira₂ u {d}ku₃-su₃ | |
| 15 | ⸢ina⸣ qi₂-bit {d}⸢IDIM⸣ [...] ABZU a-⸢bi⸣ DINGIR.MEŠ {d}nin-ši-ku₃ niš ŠU{ii.}MU li-kun | |
| 16 | ⸢li⸣-nu-uḫ ⸢lib₃⸣-[ba-ka] {d}asal-⸢lu₂⸣-ḫi MAŠ.MAŠ DINGIR.MEŠ GAL.MEŠ ABGAL {d}i₂-gi₃-gi₃ | |
| 17 | [a]-mat {d}IDIM ⸢lu⸣-[ut-ta]-⸢id⸣ u ⸢šar⸣-rat {d}dam-ki-na lu-uš-te-šer | |
| 18 | [ana]-ku ⸢IR₃⸣-[ka] lu-⸢ub⸣-[luṭ lu]-⸢uš⸣-lim-ma lu-uš-tam-mar DINGIR-ut-ka da₃-li₂-li₂-ka lud-lul | |
| 19 | [DINGIR].⸢MU⸣ liš-tam-⸢mar⸣ [qur-di]-⸢ka⸣ {d}15.MU nar-bi-ka liq-bi | |
| 20 | ⸢u₃⸣ ana-ku MAŠ.MAŠ [...] da₃-li₂-li₂-ka lud-lul | |
| 21 | ⸢KA⸣.INIM.MA [...] {d}AMAR.UTU.KAM | |
| 22 | [...] KEŠ₂ it-tu-⸢ḫu⸣ [...] ⸢UDU⸣.NITA₂ KI GAR-nu NU KUR₂-ar₂ | |
| 23 | [...] pu-ti-šu₂ ⸢ZI⸣-[ma ... ana] ⸢UGU⸣ U₂.ZUG₂ | |
| 24 | [... ana] ⸢UGU ša₂ SAḪAR⸣.[ŠUB.BA-a ... ŠUB]-⸢u₂⸣ ma-am-ma NU IGI-mar | |
| 25 | [...] u₂-ma-ʾi-ra-an-ni | |
| 26 | [...] ⸢E₂⸣-šu₂ SI.SA₂-ma ana EGIR-šu₂ NU IGI.BAR | |
| 27 | [... {u₂}er]-kul-la {u₂}el-kul-la | |
| 28 | [... GAR]-an ŠEŠ₂-su | |
| 29 | [...] ⸢AN⸣.ḪUL₂.MEŠ IL₂-ma | |
| 30 | [...] ana UGU UR₅.GIM DU₁₁.GA | |
| 31 | [...] ⸢ša₂⸣ {d}e₂-a u {d}asal-lu₂-ḫi | |
| 32 | [...] ⸢ze⸣-ru-ti | |
| 33 | [...] NAM.LU₂.U₁₈.LU | |
| 34 | [... tam]-⸢ḫur⸣ KU₅-is ZI-tim | |
| 35 | [...] KA.DAB.BE₂.DA | |
| 36 | [...] ⸢tu⸣-ša₂-as-ni-qa a-na ia-a-ši | |
| 37 | [...] šuk-na | |
| 38 | [...] ⸢li⸣-tam-⸢mu⸣-[u₂ ...] | |
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)
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