URGENT DUE IN 4 HOURS

Documents from Mesopotamia

TABLET I

I will tell of the history of Gilgamesh, he who knows all that has happened and has seen all the lands of the world, he who has seen all kinds of wisdom and knows the mysteries and has seen what is hidden. He bringeth news dating farther back than the deluge. He has travelled far-distant roads and became weary, and now he has engraved on standing stones the whole of the story. When the gods fashioned Gilgamesh, to him they gave a perfect form. The glorious sun Shamash bestowed upon him glory; Adad the terrible god of storms bestowed upon him courage. The great gods perfected his magnificence beyond all others, terrible like the great wild bull. Two thirds god they made him; one third man they made him. Of Uruk, its great rampart he built, and the wall of the sacred Eanna temple, the holy sanctuary. Behold the outer walls which gleam with the brilliance of copper; see the inner wall which none might rival. Touch the threshold stone—it is from ancient days. Goest thou into the Eanna temple, yea, the dwelling place of Ishtar, the like of which no subsequent king or living man might equal. Ascend and walk about on the wall of Uruk, inspect the corner-stone, and examine its brick-work, whether its wall is not made of burned brick, and its foundation laid by the Seven Sages. One third for city, one third for garden, one third for field, and a precinct for the temple of Ishtar. These parts and the precinct comprise Uruk. Unveil the tablet box of copper. Unlatch the clasp of its brazen lock. Unbind the fastenings of the hidden opening. Bring forth and read out the lapis lazuli tablet that tells of the great hardships endured by Gilgamesh. Greater than other kings, lofty in stature, a hero born in Uruk, a wild and rampaging bull was he. He leads forth at the front, the leader; he brings up the rear, a trusted companion. He is a great net who protects his men, a thrashing flood-wave capable of devastating even walls of stone. As son of Lugalbanda, Gilgamesh is perfection in his strength, son too of the august cow, Ninsun, the goddess. Gilgamesh is tall, glorious, and terrific. It was he who cut open the passes through the mountains, who dug the wells on the slopes of the mountainsides, and who crossed the ocean itself, the great sea, to meet the sunrise, exploring every part of the whole world for the secret of life. It was he who by his strength alone reached Utnapishtim, the distant, who restored the holy places that the Flood had destroyed, and who for the teeming masses instilled the rites of heaven. Who can rival Gilgamesh? Who might like him say “It is I who am king?” From the moment of his birth his name has forever been Gilgamesh. Two thirds god they made him; one third man they made him. The Great Goddess herself planned the shape of his body; glory, beauty and perfection were bestowed on him by Nudimmud. His foot was a triple cubit in size, his leg half a rod. Six cubits did he cover in each stride. His cheeks were flush with ample beard, and his hair was thick like barley. His beauty was beyond compare, he was the most handsome man on earth. Around the enclosed space that is Uruk he walks, mighty like the wild bull, head raised high. None with weapon might challenge him as rival. His men stand at attention, longing for his orders; but the old men of Uruk grouse that Gilgamesh has left no son to his father, for his arrogance has grown boundless. He

has taken all their children, for is Gilgamesh not the shepherd of his people? Gilgamesh does not leave a daughter to her mother, nor the maiden to the warrior, nor the wife to her husband. Yet Gilgamesh is the magnificent and glorious shepherd of his people. The gods heard the people’s cry, and the gods of heaven beseeched the Lord of Uruk, Anu the god: “His men stand at attention, longing for his orders. Gilgamesh has left no son to his father, for his arrogance has grown boundless. He has taken all their children, for is Gilgamesh not the shepherd of his people? Gilgamesh does not leave a daughter to her mother, nor the maiden to the warrior, nor the wife to her husband.” Anu heard the lament of the gods, and they also cried aloud to Aruru, the goddess, saying, “Aruru, who hast created him, create now a rival to him, for the time when his heart shall be stormy. Maketh them a match for one another in strength that in contending with one another Uruk might have peace.” Upon hearing these words, Aruru conceived a man of Anu in her mind. Aruru washed her hands, she broke off a piece of clay; she cast it on the ground. Thus she created Enkidu the hero. The whole of his body was covered with hair. He was clothed with long hair like a woman. The quality of his hair was luxuriant, like that of the Corn-goddess Nisaba. He knew not the land and the inhabitants thereof; he was clothed with garments as the god of the field. With gazelles he ate herbs, with the beasts he slaked his thirst, with the creatures of the water his heart rejoiced. At the drinking-place Enkidu met a great trapper a first day and then a second and a third day, and on all three the two men came face to face. On seeing Enkidu the trapper grew pale with fear. He took all his animals and retreated to his home. Stiff with fright and numb with terror, his heart beat wildly. Fear filled him to the core, and his face had changed like a man who had journeyed far. The trapper speaketh unto his father. “A man unlike no other cometh down from the mountains. His strength is beyond compare; he is like unto an immortal. He rangeth over all the mountains. Regularly with the beasts he feedeth; regularly his feet are set toward the drinking-place. But I was afraid; I could not approach him. He hath filled up the pit which I digged. He hath destroyed the nets which I spread. He hath caused the cattle and the beasts of the field to escape from my hands, and he doth not let me make war upon them.” His father opened his mouth and spoke thus to the trapper: “My son, in Uruk there liveth a certain Gilgamesh. No man is stronger than he; he is like unto a star from highest heaven. Goest thou unto Uruk and telleth Gilgamesh of the might of this wild man. Asketh him to give unto thee a harlot, Shamhat, and taketh her with thee. And when the beasts come down to the drinking-place, then let her tear off her clothing and disclose her nakedness. Enkidu shall see her, and he shall draw nigh unto her, and the cattle, which grew up on his field, shall forsake him.” Heeding the advice of his father, the trapper traveled unto Uruk. He entered into the city of Uruk. He found Gilgamesh and spake unto him: “A man unlike no other cometh down from the mountains. His strength is beyond compare; he is like unto an immortal. He rangeth over all the mountains. Regularly with the beasts he feedeth; regularly his feet are set toward the drinking-place. But I was afraid; I could not approach him. He hath filled up the pit which I digged. He hath destroyed the nets which I spread. He hath caused the cattle and the beasts of the field to escape from my hands, and he doth not let me

make war upon them.” Gilgamesh replied unto the trapper: “Goest thou, trapper, and retrieve the harlot, Shamhat, and taketh her with thee. And when the beasts come down to the drinking-place, then let her tear off her clothing and disclose her nakedness. Enkidu shall see her, and he shall draw nigh unto her, and the cattle, which grew up on his field, shall forsake him.” The trapper departed, and took with him the harlot Shamhat. They took the straight road, and on the third day they reached the appointed place. Then the trapper and the harlot placed themselves in hiding. For one day, for two days, they lurked by the drinking-place. With the beasts Enkidu slaked his thirst; with the creatures of the waters his heart rejoiced. Then Enkidu, offspring of the mountains who with the gazelles eats herbs, with the beasts he slaked his thirst, with the creatures of the water his heart rejoiced. As Enkidu came near, the trapper caught sight of him, and he exclaimed:—“That is he, Shamhat! Loosen thy girdle, uncover thy nakedness that he may receive thy favours. Be not faint- hearted, lay hold upon his soul. He shall see thee, and shall draw nigh unto thee. Open thy garment, and he shall lie in thine arms. Give him pleasure after the manner of women. His cattle, which grew up in his field, shall forsake him while he holdeth thee in the embraces of love.” Shamhat loosened her garment. She uncovered her nakedness. She was not faint-hearted, and she laid hold upon his soul. She opened her garment, and he lay in her arms. She gave him pleasure after the manner of women, and he held her in the embraces of love. For six days and six nights Enkidu succumbed to her charms and had intercourse with Shamhat. After he had satisfied himself with her abundance, he turned his countenance toward his cattle. His gazelles lay, and looked at Enkidu, and the beasts of the field turned away from him. This startled Enkidu and his body grew faint; his knees became stiff, as his cattle departed, and he became less agile than ever before. And as he hearkened, he made a resolve. He turned again, in love enthralled, to the feet of the harlot, and gazed up into the face of the ensnarer. And while the ensnarer spoke, his ears listened attentively; and the siren spoke to Enkidu and said: Lofty thou art, Enkidu, thou shalt be like a god; why, then, doest thou lie down with the beasts of the field? Come, I will take thee to strong-walled Uruk; to the glorious house, the dwelling of Anu and Ishtar, the palace of Gilgamesh, (the hero) who is perfect in strength,surpassing, like a mountain bull, men in power.” While she spoke thus to him, he hearkened unto her wise speech, and his heart yearned for a friend. And Enkidu spoke unto her, the ensnarer: “Come then, Shamhat, take me, and lead me to the glorious dwelling, the sacred seat of Anu and Ishtar, to the palace of Gilgamesh, (the hero) who is perfect in strength, surpassing, like as a mountain bull, men in power. I will challenge him, and I shall exclaim in Uruk that I am the mighty one! Let me enter, and I shall upend the order of things, and I shall show that the mightiest is he who was born in the wilderness.” Saith Shamhat unto Enkidu: “Let us therefore go unto Gilgamesh, that he might gazeth upon thy visage. I shall lead thee unto Gilgamesh, for I knoweth where he shall be. Gaze at Uruk, Enkidu, and see the people display themselves in their finery and rejoice each day in some holiday revel, as the lyre and the drum cease not their endless sound. Here harlots stand eternal vigil in their beauty, ripe in their bodies, merry in their countenance, and forever ready to take to sheets forever spread on the couches of the night. Enkidu, thou knowest not how to live like unto a man. To thee I shall show Gilgamesh, effusive in

his emotion. Behold his face: it glows with heroic courage. Strength he possesses, magnificent is his whole body. His power is stronger than thine. He rests not nor tires, neither by day nor by night. O Enkidu, change thy wrong thoughts. Shamash loves Gilgamesh; Anu, Bel, and Ea are whispering (wisdom) into his ear. Ere thou earnest down from the mountain Gilgamesh beheld thee in a dream in Uruk.” Gilgamesh came, to understand the dream, and said to his mother: “My mother, I dreamed a dream in my nightly vision; the stars of heaven, like Anu’s host, fell upon me. I bore it and it grew heavy upon me, I became weak and its weight I could not endure. The land of Uruk gathered about it. The heroes kissed its feet. It was raised up before me. They stood me up. I bore it and carried it to thee.” The mother of Gilgamesh, who knows all things, spoke to Gilgamesh: “Someone, O Gilgamesh, who like thee in the field was born and whom the mountain has reared, thou wilt see him and like a woman thou wilt rejoice. Heroes will kiss his feet. Thou wilt spare him and wilt endeavor to lead him to me.” He slept and saw another dream, which he reported to his mother: “My mother, I have seen another dream. My likeness I have seen in the streets of Uruk of the plazas. An axe was brandished, and they gathered about him; and the axe made him angry. I saw him and I rejoiced, I loved him as a woman, I embraced him. I took him and regarded him as my brother.” The mother of Gilgamesh, who knows all things, spoke to Gilgamesh: “O Gilgamesh, the man whom thou sawest, whom thou didst embrace like a woman (means) that he is to be associated with thee.” Gilgamesh understood the dream. As Enkidu was sitting before the woman, her loins he embraced, her vagina he opened. Enkidu forgot the place where he was born. Six days and seven nights Enkidu continued to cohabit with the harlot.

TABLET II

As Enkidu was sitting before the woman, her loins he embraced, her vagina he opened. Enkidu forgot the place where he was born. Six days and seven nights Enkidu continued to cohabit with the harlot. The harlot opened her mouth and spoke to Enkidu: “I gaze upon thee, O Enkidu, like a god art thou! Why with the cattle dost thou roam across the field? Come, let me lead thee into Uruk of the plazas, to the holy house, the dwelling of Anu. O, Enkidu arise, let me conduct thee to Eanna, the dwelling of Anu, the place where Gilgamesh is, perfect in vitality. And thou like a wife wilt embrace him. Thou wilt love him like thyself. Come, arise from the ground and find a place for yourself.” He heard her word and accepted her speech. The counsel of the woman entered his heart. She stripped off a garment, clothed him with one. Another garment she kept on herself. She took hold of his hand. Like a god she brought him to the fertile meadow, the place of the sheepfolds. In that place they received food; and the shepherds spoke of Enkidu, whose birthplace was the mountain, with the gazelles he was accustomed to eat herbs, with the cattle to drink water, with the water beings he was happy. Milk of the cattle he was accustomed to suck. Bread they placed before him. He broke it off and

looked and gazed. Enkidu had not known to eat food. To drink ale he had not been taught. The harlot opened her mouth and spoke to Enkidu: “Eat food, O Enkidu, the provender of life! Drink ale, the custom of the land!” Enkidu ate food till he was satiated. Ale he drank, seven goblets. His spirit was loosened, he became hilarious. His heart became glad and his face shone. The barber removed the hair on his body. He was anointed with oil. He became manlike. He put on a garment, and he was like a man. He took his weapon; lions he attacked, so that the night shepherds could rest. He plunged the dagger; lions he overcame. The great shepherds lay down; Enkidu was their protector. The strong man, the unique hero, remained awake. A particular man had been invited to a wedding. To Uruk he ventured, to the wedding he would go. Enkidu was making love to Shamhat when he lifted up his eyes and saw the man. He spoke to the harlot: “O, Shamhat, lure on the man. Why has he come to me? Let me learn his reason.” The woman called to the man, who approached to him and he beheld him. “Where dost thou venture? Why is the course of thy activity so burdensome?” Then he opened his mouth and spoke to Enkidu: “I have been asked to a wedding, for to contract marriage is the destiny of men, and I shall lard the wedding table with delicious foods for the nuptial feast. For the King of Uruk of the plazas, open the veil, perform the marriage act! For Gilgamesh, the King of Uruk of the plazas, open the veil, perform the marriage act! He shall first couple with the bride- to-be before the bridegroom. By the decree pronounced by a god, from the cutting of his umbilical cord such is his fate.” At the speech of the man, Enkidu’s face grew pale. (About nine lines missing.) Enkidu went in front, and the harlot behind him. He entered into Uruk of the plazas. The people gathered about him. As he stood in the streets of Uruk of the plazas, the men gathered, saying in regard to him: “Like the form of Gilgamesh he is formed; though shorter in stature, and thicker in bone. In sooth it must be he who was born in the highlands, and milk of cattle he was accustomed to suck.” In Uruk were held the customary festivals of sacrifice. The young men rejoiced, and they set up a champion: To the hero of fine appearance, to Gilgamesh, like a god, he became a rival to him. For Ishtar a couch was stretched, and Gilgamesh lay down, and afterwards in the night he met the maiden bride. Enkidu approached and stood in the streets. He blocked the path of Gilgamesh during the exhibit of his power. All the land of Uruk surrounded Gilgamesh; all the people were gathered around him. A crowd assembled to watch him, and all the men had gathered to see. They bowed down and kissed his feet.

For Ishtar a couch was stretched, and Gilgamesh, like unto a god, was made substitute. Against him Enkidu proceeded, his hair luxuriant. He started to go towards him. They met in the plaza of the district. Enkidu blocked the gate to the wedding-house with his foot, not permitting Gilgamesh to enter. They seized each other, like oxen. They fought. The threshold they demolished; the wall they impaired. Gilgamesh and Enkidu seized each other. Like oxen they fought. The threshold they demolished; the wall they impaired. Gilgamesh bent his foot to the ground, and his wrath was appeased. His breast was quieted. When his breast was quieted, Enkidu to him spoke, to Gilgamesh: “As a unique one, thy mother bore thee. The wild cow of the stall, Ninsun, has exalted thy head above men. Kingship over men Enlil has decreed for thee. Enkidu said unto Gilgamesh, “Why do you desire to do this thing that is exceedingly difficult? Why dost thou desire to do this thing that is very difficult? Why dost thou desire to go down to the forest?” They kissed one another and so became bonded in friendship.

The Hymn of Enlil.

This Sumerian Hymn to the god Enlil dates to the third millennium BC. It is preserved on a stone tablet. Before you begin, look up who Enlil was. What attributes are given to him? Where is he worshipped? How?

1-9. Enlil's commands are by far the loftiest, his {words} {(1 ms. has instead:) commands} are holy, his utterances are immutable! The fate he decides is everlasting, his glance makes the mountains anxious, his ...... reaches (?) into the interior of the mountains. All the gods of the earth bow down to Father Enlil, who sits comfortably on the holy dais, the lofty {dais} {(some mss. have instead:) engur}, to Nunamnir, whose lordship and princeship are most perfect. The Anuna gods {enter before him} {(1 ms. has instead:) stand before him} and obey his instructions faithfully.

10-17. The mighty lord, the greatest in heaven and earth, the knowledgeable judge, the wise one of wide-ranging wisdom, has taken his seat in the Dur-an-ki, and made the Ki-ur, the great place, resplendent with majesty. He has taken up residence in Nibru, the lofty bond (?) between heaven and earth. The front of the city is laden with terrible fearsomeness and radiance, its back is such that even the mightiest god dare not attack, and its interior is the blade of a sharp dagger, a blade of catastrophe. For the rebel lands it is a snare, a trap set with a net.

18-25. It cuts short the life of those who speak too mightily. It permits no evil word to be spoken in judgment (?). ......, deception, inimical speech, hostility, impropriety, ill-treatment, wickedness, wrongdoing, looking askance (?), violence, slandering, arrogance, licentious speech (?), egotism and boasting are abominations not tolerated within the city.

26-34. The borders of Nibru form a great net, within which the hurin eagle spreads wide its talons. The evil or wicked man does not escape its grasp. In this city endowed with steadfastness, for which righteousness and justice have been made a lasting possession, and which is clothed (?) in pure clothing on the quay, the younger brother honours the older brother and treats him with human dignity; people pay attention to a father's word and reap the benefits; the child behaves humbly and modestly towards his mother and attains a ripe old age.

35-43. In the city, the holy settlement of Enlil, in Nibru, the beloved shrine of father Great Mountain, he has made the dais of abundance, the E-kur, the shining temple, rise from the soil; he has made it grow on pure land as high as a towering mountain. Its prince, the Great Mountain, Father Enlil, has taken his seat on the dais of the E-kur, the lofty shrine. No god can cause harm to the temple's divine powers. Its holy hand-washing rites are everlasting like the earth. Its divine powers are the divine powers of the abzu: no one can look upon them.

44-55. Its interior is a wide sea which knows no horizon. In its ...... glistening as a banner (?), the bonds and ancient divine powers are made perfect. Its words are prayers, its incantations are supplications. Its word is a favourable omen ......, its rites are most precious. At the festivals, there is plenty of fat and cream; they are full of abundance. Its divine plans bring joy and rejoicing, its verdicts are great. Daily there is a great festival, and at the end of the day there is an abundant harvest. The temple of Enlil is a mountain of abundance; to reach out, to look with greedy eyes, to seize are abominations in it.

56-64. The lagar priests of this temple whose lord has grown together with it are expert in blessing; its gudug priests of the abzu are suited for {(1 ms. adds:) your} lustration rites; its nuec priests are perfect in

the holy prayers. Its great farmer is the good shepherd of the Land, who was born vigorous on a propitious day. The farmer, suited for the broad fields, comes with rich offerings; he does not ...... into the shining E-kur.

65-73. Enlil, when you marked out the holy settlements, you also built Nibru, your own city. You (?) ...... the Ki-ur, the mountain, your pure place. You founded it in the Dur-an-ki, in the middle of the four quarters of the earth. Its soil is the life of the Land, and the life of all the foreign countries. Its brickwork is red gold, its foundation is lapis lazuli. You {made it glisten on high} {(1 ms. has instead:) raised its glistening top} in Sumer as if it were the horns of a wild bull. It makes all the foreign countries tremble with fear. At its great festivals, the people pass their time in abundance.

74-83. Enlil, holy Urac is favoured with beauty for you; you are greatly suited for the abzu, the holy {throne} {(1 ms. has instead:) engur}; you refresh yourself in the deep underworld, the holy chamber. Your presence spreads awesomeness over the E-kur, the shining temple, the lofty dwelling. Its fearsomeness and radiance reach up to heaven, its shadow stretches over all the foreign lands, and its crenellation reaches up to the midst of heaven. All lords and sovereigns regularly supply holy offerings there, approaching Enlil with prayers and supplications.

84-92. Enlil, if you look upon the shepherd favourably, if you elevate the one truly called in the Land, then the foreign countries are in his hands, the foreign countries are at his feet! Even the most distant foreign countries submit to him. He will then cause enormous incomes and heavy tributes, as if they were cool water, to reach the treasury. In the great courtyard he will supply offerings regularly. Into the E-kur, the shining temple, he will bring (?) .......

93-99. Enlil, faithful shepherd of the teeming multitudes, herdsman, leader of all living creatures, has manifested his rank of great prince, {adorning himself with} {(1 ms. has instead:) putting on} the holy crown. As the Wind of the Mountain (?) occupied the dais, he spanned the sky as the rainbow. Like a floating cloud, he moved alone (?).

100-108. He alone is the prince of heaven, the dragon of the earth. The lofty god of the Anuna himself determines the fates. No god can look upon him. His great minister and {commander} {(1 ms. has instead:) chief barber} Nuska learns his commands and his intentions from him, consults with him and then executes his far-reaching instructions on his behalf. He prays to him with holy prayers (?) and divine powers (?).

109-123. Without the Great Mountain Enlil, no city would be built, no settlement would be founded; no cow-pen would be built, no sheepfold would be established; no king would be elevated, no lord would be given birth; no high priest or priestess would perform extispicy; soldiers would have no generals or captains; no carp-filled waters would dredge (?) the rivers at their peak; the carp would not ...... come straight up (?) from the sea, they would not dart about. The sea would not produce all its heavy treasure, no freshwater fish would lay eggs in the reedbeds, no bird of the sky would build nests in the spacious land; in the sky the thick clouds would not open their mouths; on the fields, dappled grain would not fill the arable lands, vegetation would not grow lushly on the plain; in the gardens, the {spreading trees} {(1 ms. has instead:) forests} of the mountain would not yield fruits.

124-130. Without the Great Mountain Enlil, Nintur would not kill, she would not strike dead; no cow would drop its calf in the cattle-pen, no ewe would bring forth a ...... lamb in its sheepfold; the living

creatures which multiply by themselves would not {lie down in their ......} {(1 ms. has instead:) sit within ......}; the four-legged animals would not propagate, they would not mate.

131-138. Enlil, your ingenuity takes one's breath away! By its nature it is like entangled threads which cannot be unravelled, crossed threads which the eye cannot follow. Your divinity can be relied on. You are your own counsellor and adviser, you are a lord on your own. Who can comprehend your actions? No divine powers are as resplendent as yours. No god can look you in the face.

139-155. You, Enlil, are lord, god, king. You are a judge who makes decisions about heaven and earth. Your lofty word is as heavy as heaven, and there is no one who can lift it. The Anuna gods ...... at your word. Your word is weighty in heaven, a foundation on the earth. In the heavens, it is a great ......, reaching up to the sky. On the earth it is a foundation which cannot be destroyed. When it relates to the heavens, it brings abundance: abundance will pour from the heavens. When it relates to the earth, it brings prosperity: the earth will produce prosperity. Your word means flax, your word means grain. Your word means the early flooding, the life of the lands. It makes the living creatures, the animals (?) which copulate and breathe joyfully in the greenery. You, Enlil, the good shepherd, know their ways (?). ...... the sparkling stars.

156-166. You married Ninlil, the holy consort, whose words are of the heart, her of noble countenance in a holy ba garment, her of beautiful shape and limbs, the trustworthy lady of your choice. Covered with allure, the lady who knows what is fitting for the E-kur, whose words of advice are perfect, whose words bring comfort like fine oil for the heart, who {shares} {(1 ms. has instead:) sits on} the holy throne, the pure throne with you, she takes counsel and discusses matters with you. You decide the fates together at the place facing the sunrise. Ninlil, the lady of heaven and earth, the lady of all the lands, is honoured in the praise of the Great Mountain.

167-171. Prominent one whose words are well established, whose command and support are things which are immutable, whose utterances take precedence, whose plans are firm words, Great Mountain, Father Enlil, your praise is sublime!

Hymns to Ninsina.

Ninsina is the goddess Ninsun in the epic of Gilgamesh. Following are two hymns, also from the 3rd millennium BC.

Ninsina B

1-15. Softened with the finest oils, softened with the finest oils -- for her let the finest oils be brought! So that she can be softened with the finest oils, let flowing oil be brought for her. For my beautiful ......, who is luxuriance, for my lady Ninsirsir, Ama-ugu-kuku, for my lady sitting in wine, for Ninisina sitting in wine, to make the fire blaze in the sky; for my lady bathing like a swallow, let cedar oil and cypress oil, and cedar oil, the aromatic which is beloved of the gods, and cimgig oil, and ...... oil, and holy cow's butter and dairy cow's milk, and ghee brought from the holy cattle-pen and milk brought from (?) the sheepfold, oils wafting up into the heart of heaven like aromatic resins, and ligidba plant oil and white cedar oil -- let them all glisten on her!

16-24. May she dribble with aromatic cedar resin upon her throat, with white cedar oil on her breasts, with oil on her eyes! Let the finest oils be sprinkled for her! May her neck be made to dribble with aromatic cedar resin! May the finest oils be sprinkled for her on her combed pubic hair and the hair of her head! May the finest oils besprinkle the lustrous nape of her neck as it turns! May the finest oils wash her hands and feet and her rich and fruitful parts! May her limbs and her perfect features lie in the oil! May the woman drip with oil as a cow that has been stood in the water!

Ninsina E

1-6. I will praise the greatness of the ...... who was engendered vigorous by great An -- holy Ninisina, who brought youthful power from the womb, who was brought up sitting on the holy knees of Urac; who was copiously given divine powers of ladyship, and who is girded with fearsomeness and awesome radiance: Ninisina.

7-12. I will praise the greatness of ...... my Ninisina, who was engendered vigorous -- holy Ninisina, who brought ladyship from the womb, who was brought up sitting on the holy knees of Urac; who was copiously given divine powers of ladyship, and who is girded with fearsomeness and awesome radiance: Ninisina.

13-20. The lord wise in all matters, the Great Mountain, Father Enlil, the foremost among the Anuna gods, looked favourably on her who offered him salutations in all humility. The respected god ...... the office of accountant ...... lapis lazuli ...... who provides the great gods with food, ...... Ninisina, ...... the rank of lady ...... her greatness.

21-28. The lord wise in all matters, the Great Mountain, Father Enlil, the foremost among the Anuna gods, looked favourably on Ninisina offering him salutations in humility. The respected god ...... the office of accountant ...... lapis lazuli ...... who provides the great gods with food, ...... Ninisina, ...... the office of ladyship ...... her greatness.

The Instructions of Curuppag.

Do a little bit of research: who is Curuppag (Shuruppak)? This is going to be worth contrasting with the Chinese oracles in next week’s packet.

1-13. In those days, in those far remote days, in those nights, in those faraway nights, in those years, in those far remote years, at that time the wise one who knew how to speak in elaborate words lived in the Land; Curuppag, the wise one, who knew how to speak with elaborate words lived in the Land. Curuppag gave instructions to his son; Curuppag, the son of Ubara-Tutu, gave instructions to his son Zi-ud-sura: My son, let me give you instructions: you should pay attention! Zi-ud-sura, let me speak a word to you: you should pay attention! Do not neglect my instructions! Do not transgress the words I speak! The instructions of an old man are precious; you should comply with them!

14. You should not buy a donkey which brays; it will split (?) your midriff (?).

15-18. You should not locate a field on a road; ....... You should not plough a field at {(1 ms. adds:) a road or} a path; ....... You should not make a well in your field: people will cause damage on it for you. You should not place your house next to a public square: there is always a crowd (?) there.

[…]

39-41. You should not eat stolen food with {anyone} {(1 ms. has instead:) a thief}. You should not sink (?) your hand into blood. After you have apportioned the bones, you will be made to restore the ox, you will be made to restore the sheep.

42-43. You should not speak improperly; later it will lay a trap for you.

44-46. You should not scatter your sheep into unknown pastures. You should not hire someone's ox for an uncertain ....... A safe ...... means a safe journey.

47. You should not travel during the night: it can hide both good and evil.

[…]

53. You should not drive away a debtor: he will be hostile towards you.

54-57. You should not establish a home with an arrogant man: he will make your life like that of a slave girl. You will not be able to travel through any human dwelling without be being shouted at: "There you go! There you go!"

[…]

67. You should not boast in {beer halls} {(1 ms. has instead:) breweries} like a deceitful man: {(1 ms. adds:) then your words will be trusted.}