MYSTICAL AND MYTHOLOGICAL EXPLANATORY WORKS OF ASSYRIAN AND BABYLONIAN SCHOLARS BY ALASDAIR LIVINGSTONE CLARENDON PRESS • OXFORD Oxford University Press, Walton Street, Oxford OX2 6DP Oxford New York Toronto Delhi Bombay Calcutta Madras Karachi Petaling Jaya Singapore Hong Kong Tokyo Nairobi Dar es Salaam Cape Totm ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Melbourne Auckland and associated companies in Beirut Berlin Ibadan Nicosia This book is the revised form of a Ph.D. thesis accepted by the Oxford is a trademark of Oxford University Press University of Birmingham in June, 1980. I wish to express my gratitude and indebtedness to Prof. W.G. Lambert for supervising Published in the United States by Oxford University Press, New York the preparation of the original thesis. Prof. Lambert suggested the topic and followed the progress of my research with unfailing interest © Alasdair Livingstone ig86 and encouragement, and the present work could not have been First Published ig86 achieved without his guidance. He also generously allowed several of Reprinted ig8y his tablet copies to be included as additional plates. Prof. J. Bottero, All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, who read the thesis as “external examiner" for the University of stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in anyf orm or by any means, Birmingham, was generous in his helpful remarks and constructive electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of Oxford University Press criticism. Later, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to consult Prof. D.O. Edzard and Prof. K. Deller on specific points. Dr. I. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data Finkel kindly drew my attention to an important unpublished Livingstone, Alasdair Mystical and mythological explanatory works of manuscript fragment (BM 44179). Assyrian and Babylonian scholars. I would like to thank the Keeper of Western Asiatic Antiquities in I. Mythology, Sumerian—History—Sources 2. Mythfdogy, Assyro-Babylonian—History—Sources the British Museum for permission to publish or collate certain I. Title tablets in his care, and the Director of the Vorderasiatisches Museum 2gg'.2i BL1615 for permission to make collations. Acknowledgement must be made ISBN o-ig-8is462-j to the Department of Education and Science for financial support Printed in Great Britain by during the preparation of the thesis, and to the Deutscher Antony Rowe Ltd., Chippenham Akademischer Austauschdienst for financial support during the period of its revision. I am grateful to the Delegates of the Oxford University Press for undertaking publication of the book, and to the Oxford University Computing Service for making laser composition facilities available for its production. Special thanks are due to Mr. S.V. Cope for his skillful laser composition, and to the Managers of the C.H.W. Johns Fund, Cambridge University, for a subvention to offset computer costs. Finally, it is a pleasure to have the opportunity to record here also my gratitude to my first teacher of Assyriology, Mr. J.V. Kinnier Wilson. TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction Conventions 5 List of Tablets edited and discussed 6 Publications cited by initials, short titles, tablet signatures 10 PART ONE. MYSTICAL EXPLANATORY WORKS Chapter One. Expositions of Mystical Mathematics and Philology 17 i.NAM.gis.l^ur.an.ki.a 17 Provenance and Date of Origin 18 Transliterations and Translations 20 Commentary on BM 47860 35 Commentary on K 21644- 38 Commentary on K 2670 44 Commentary on K 170 + 44 General Considerations 49 The Weapon Name Exposition: Transliterations and Translations 54 The Weapon Name Exposition 58 BM 3403s 11. 8—13 61 BM 34035 W- 28-32 62 Gordon, Smith College Tablets no 64 BM 37055 68 Chapter Two. Groups of Deities and Parts of the World 71 Ancient Studies of Deities and Phenomena 72 Deities and Phenomena and Cosmological Thought 78 The Creation of the Cosmic Regions by Marduk, according to Enuma Elis 79 Transliterations and Translations of some sections from VAT 8917 82 Commentary on VAT 8917 obv. 30 —rey. 3 86 Commentary on VAT 8917 rev. 10— 15 88 Commentary on VAT 8917 rev. 4 — 6 90 ------------------ . - -...................- -.................... ................................ VIII CONTENTS CONTENTS ix Chapter Three. The God Description Texts: A Mystical Chapter Five. Other Babylonian Explanatory Works on Rituals 171 Representation of a Deity 92 Rituals for Curing a Sick Man 171 Transliterations and Translations 94 The Subject of the Work 171 Style 98 Transliterations and Translations 172 Philological Matters 98 Commentary on Textual Matters 174 The Body Expressing Syncretism lOl Rationale 174 Classification of Items and Parts of the Body 103 The Compendium CBS 6060 and dupls. 175 Transliterations and Translations 176 PART TWO. MYTHOLOGICAL EXPLANATORY WORKKSS Philological Commentary 180 The Subjects 180 Chapter Pour. Works in Standard Babylonian Explaining State Rituals in Terms of Myths The Deities 180 The Connection between the Subjects and the Deities 181 Transliterated and Translated Texts 116 VAT 10099 and dupls. 116 The Placing of Bricks for Deities in Rituals 187 K 3476 120 Ritual for Covering a Kettledrum used in Cult 187 Sections from VAT 8917 124 Transliterations and Translations 190 VAT 9947 126 Philological Matters 196 The Editions 130 The Ritual Texts 200 The Works, Date and Provenance 130 Commentary on O 175 obv. 201 Philological Matters 131 Commentary on O 175 rev. 203 Style 135 Chapter Six. Works in Neo-Assyrian Explaining Rituals in The Rituals, the Myths and How They Fit Together 13b Terms of Theology and Mythology 205 VAT 10099 and dupls. 136 The Manuscripts 205 K3476 142 The Composite Edition 206 VAT 8917 145 Composite Text 208 VAT 9947 148 Language, Provenance and Date 222 Summary of Myths of Conflict 151 Extent of Duplication 222 Resume of Victors and Vanquished 153 Commentary on the Composite Edition 223 Myths of Conflict 153 General Discussion 230 Evidence Relating to Cult Battles in Akltu Festivals and Individual Versions 236 Elsewhere 156 Discussion of VAT 10099 and dupls., paragraphs 8 — 21 158 Appendix I. Miscellanea 255 Previous Interpretations of the Ritual and Myth Explanatory Appendix II. Colophons 259 Works 164 Notes 263 Historical Implications 165 Cult Drama or Not? 167 Plates 271 The Present Works and Mystical Speculation 168 The Meaning of the Ritual and Myth Explanatory Works 169 1 i INTRODUCTION Among the cuneiform writings which have survived from the ancient Mesopotamian civilisation are to be found certain works in which Babylonian and Assyrian scholars themselves used their own intellectual tradition to explain parts of their culture. These works have been neglected and sometimes regarded as esoteric,* although much has been written on various aspects of ancient thought.* The purpose here will be to present and elucidate a group of ancient works of this type. It does not seem to be the case that "esoteric” texts constitute a category in ancient Mesopotamian literature. The presence or absence of such terms as mudu muda likallim Id mudu aj tmur, ‘Let the learned instruct the learned, the ignorant may not see!’ or piriStu ia Haiti rabutiy ‘Secret of the great gods!* in the colophons of tablets is no criterion, since texts which can hardly be regarded as esoteric sometimes bear them.3 These comments may simply indicate a scholarly pride in the value of literature and knowledge. While one need not doubt that certain texts or doctrines were only understood or held by a select few, it seems probable that many texts which appear "esoteric” to a modem reader were readily understood by ancient scholars. With these considerations in mind, it is clear that a means of orientation according to subject matter is required. In arranging and selecting the material to be presented and discussed, the writer was much influenced by a lecture by Prof. W.G. Lambert, published in 1968.4 In this lecture, Lambert drew attention to evidence testifying to the existence of a Babylonian school of myth and ritual, and made a number of observations. He distinguished two groups of material, a "simple group” and a "sophisticated group”. He showed that the scholars responsible for the second group were concerned with explaining rituals by reference to myths, and that the myths and rituals which they connected together were in many cases, properly speaking, unrelated. Finally, he observed that one feature all the material has in common is a supposition that events conceived of as having happened once in primeval times repeat themselves at intervals in the normal functioning of the world. 2 INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION Taking Lambert’s “sophisticated group” and other related works certain hermeneutic methods used in Biblical exegesis, especially as the main focus of attention, the following method of presentation that known as gematria.^ Texts which exemplify this type of and study has been adopted. Ail the examples of the “sophisticated speculation are presented in Chapter One. The second principle, group” known to the writer are given in Part Two. It has been analogy, rested on the assumption that if a particular deity, object, or supposed— and the supposition has been productive of ritual act had a certain significance, then any other deity, object, or act understanding—that this material is best approached through study should somehow be attributed an analogous significance. One can see of the context of speculation in which it occurs, and Part One is this principle at work in the elaboration of the material discussed in intended to supply this context. A result of this division is that the Chapters Two and Three. The concept of symbolism was used in texts in Part One are mainly mystical in content, while those in Part explaining the significance of certain items used in rituals, and in Two are more mythological in character. The justification for providing a mythological interpretation of ritual acts. It emerges regarding the material in Part One as relevant to the material in Part clearly in the explanatory works presented in Chapters Four to Six. Two is threefold. Firstly, the religious outlook expressed appears to Mythology, and its relations to ritual, has been the subject of a be similar and the ways of thinking and of connecting ideas to be the great deal of discussion and speculation in recent times. The field has same. Secondly, there are similarities in certain points of detail. been reviewed by G.S. Kirk, who brought into consideration some of Thirdly, some of the works in Part One occur on the same tablets as the Mesopotamian evidence, as well as Greek and other sources, and works in Part Two, or are closely related to ones which do.5 modem interpretations.7 He distinguished five comprehensive Most of the works presented are not commentaries (that is works theories, which summarize the main views of myth put forward. Max which cite and explain parts of other works) but explanatory works Muller could be regarded as representing a school of thought which existing in their own right and independently of other texts. The only believed all myths to be in origin nature myths. Andrew Lang certain exception is a short commentary (Gordon, Smith College stressed the aetiological aspect. The anthropologist Bruno Tablets I lo), presented in Chapter One. Malinowski regarded myths as “charters” for customs, institutions In their format, the explanatory works exhibit characteristics and beliefs. Mircea Eliade saw all myths as having the purpose of typical of many other genres of Babylonian scholarly literature. It evoking, or actually re-establishing a creative era. The “myth and was usual for almost every type of information to be summarized and ritual” school, the ideas of which were developed by W. Robertson recorded by listing pairs of associated items, arranged in columns. Smith, J.G. Fraser, S.H. Hooke, and others, viewed all myths as This technique acquired specialised conventions appropriate to the being closely associated with rituals, and deriving from them. pfarticular subject matter involved. The principle of expressing The student of Babylonian mythology will see a certain validity in information by simple juxtaposition is so universal in the literature each of these views. Mythology was deeply rooted in the culture, and that it is sometimes necessary to raise the question of the extent to served many purposes from simple story telling to folk aetiology and which the actual thinking of the ancient scholars was influenced by complex applications in cult. From a Babylonian point of view, which this aspect of their practical methodology. assumed deities to have reality and power, any ritual act in which Taking into account this basic principle, the explanatory works deities took part was in a sense a myth. One cannot help but observe, show that the Babylonian scholars made use of three main intellectual though, that the ancient scholars responsible for the mythological techniques in elaborating their religious and cultural theories: explanations of rituals presented in the second Part of this book I^ilological and numerical association, analogy, and symbolism. In resemble modern interpreters in striving for a unified explanation of the first of these, equations between Sumerian and Akkadian words rituals in terms of myths, and in presenting an interpretation which is or cuneiform signs were manipulated in a manner which seemed at best an over-simplificatibn. superficially to be justified by traditional lexical lists, or by numerical However, the most significant interest of the explanatory works is permutations, but which had in fact lost sight of the true semantics of that they show that the Babylonian and Assyrian scholars had their the material used. This variety of speculation can be compared with 4 INTRODUCTION own theories of myth and ritual, and that they were concerned to explain and comment on aspects of their culture. CONVENTIONS The abbreviations used, and the presentation of the ancient texts, conform to standard Assyriological practice. A list of abbreviations and short titles of works cited is given on pp. 10 — 3. Those tablets the entire texts of which are presented here are referred to by their museum numbers. A list of these, with places of publication, is given on pp.6 —9. In the transliterations, exclamation marks indicate readings which differ from those in the best published copies, but have been verified by coUation. Question marks indicated readings which are uncertain, but probable. The attention of non-specialists might be drawn here to the following abbreviations: SB Standard Babylonian OA Old Assyrian OB Old Babylonian MA Middle Assyrian MB Middle Babylonian NA Neo-Assyrian NB Neo-Babylonian LA Late Assyrian LB Late Babylonian OAkk Old Akkadian LIST OF TABLETS DISCUSSED p.176 p.i86 LIST OF TABLETS p.260 (colophon) BM 34035 (= Sp I 131) elsewhere: ZA 6 241—4 (copy) EDITED AND DISCUSSED here: p.255 (11.1-8) p.6i (11.8-13) The tablets are listed here in the order in which they occur in the p.172 (II.13-23) present work. The place of presentation of each tablet in this book is p.255 (11.23-7) indicated, as well as its place or places of publication elsewhere. p.62 (11.28 — 32) BM 47860 elsewhere: unpublished p.256 (II.33-7) here: see Plate I P-73 (11-38- 9) p.20 p.163 (II.39-41) K 2164 + 2195 + 3510 elsewhere: Babyl 6 pi. i — 2 (copy) p.96 (II.41 — 2) Babyl 6 pp.8— 10 (edition) p.256 (11.43-53) here: p.22 p.259 (colophon) K 2670 elsewhere: III 2 22 (copy) Gordon, Smith College elsewhere: Gordon, Smith College here: p.28 Tablets^ no Tablets^ no (copy) K 170 4- Rm 520 elsewhere: CT 25 50 (copy of K 170) here: P-64 CT 46 54 (copy of Rm 520) BM 37055 elsewhere: unpublished here: P.30 here: see Plate VII K 4245 •+• K 17990 elsewhere: BBR II 27 (copy and p.68 edition of K 4245) VAT 8917 elsewhere: KAR 307 here: see Plate II TuL n.7 P-54 here: p.94 (obv.i —18) p.176 p.233 (obv.19 —23) p.259 (colophon) p.124 (obv.24 —9) BM 47463 elsewhere: unpublished p.82 (obv.30 —rev.3) here: see Plate III —V p.82 (rev.4 —6) p.54 (rev.i 8 —rev.ii 16) p.234 (rev.7-8) p.96 (obv.ii 31 —s) p.257 (rev.9) p.176 (obv.i 5—ii 35) p.82 (rev. 10 —5) p.i86 (rev.i 1—7) p.151 (rev. 16) p.259 (colophon) p.124 (rev. 17 —9) BM 41361 4-44179 elsewhere: unpublished p.124 (rev.20 —5) here: see Plate VI p.260 (colophon) p.176 VAT 9946 elsewhere: LKA 72 (copy) CBS 6060 elsewhere: PBS lo/iv n.i2 (copy and TuL n.io (edition) edition) Orient 15 iff. (edition) here: P-54 here: p.94 (rev.9-17) p.96 p.i 16 (obv.i —22; rev.i —8; J Cft UlSiJUSSED LIST OF TABLETS DISCUSSED rev. 18 —9) here: p.236 p.261 (colophon) p.261 (colophon of VAT VAT 10099 elsewhere: LKA 71 (copy) 9555) Orient 15 iff. (edition) p.262 (colophon of ND here: p.ii6 812(a)) P-258 K 6330 + 6359 + 9*38 elsewhere: y R A S 1931 (copies p.261 (colophon) dupl. Rm 275 and edition of K. 6330 and K. 6359) IM 3252 elsewhere: Sumer 13 pi.25 (copy) Langdon, Epic of Creation, TIM 9 59 (copy) 212ff. (copies of K 9138 and Orient 15 iff. (edition) Rm 275; edition) here: p.ii6 ZA 51 i53ff. (edition) K 3476 elsewhere: CT 15 43-4 (copy) here: p.242 Pallis, Akitu Festival^ pis. elsewhere: ZA 52, facing p.224 (photo­ V —VII (copy) BM 134503 graph) Zimmem, Neujahrsfest I ZA 52 226fF. (edition) izjff. (edition) here: p.246 Assyrische Tempel, T 89 — elsewhere: ZA 60 127ff. (copy and 93 (edition) BM 134504 + S edition) here: p.i20 (obv.) here: p.248 p.257 (rev.I—8) elsewhere: unpublished p.261 (colophon) K 7979 here: see Plate VII VAT 9947 elsewhere: LKA 73 (copy) p.250 TuL n.8 (edition) Assyrische Tempel, T 29 — 32 (edition) here: p.126 p.261 (colophon) O 175 elsewhere: RA 16 i44ff. (copy and edition) here: p.190 VAT 9555 dupls. VAT elsewhere: KAR 143 (copy of VAT 9538 and ND 812(a) 9555) KAR 219 (copy of VAT 9538) ZA 50 i32ff. (edition of VAT 9555 dupl. VAT 9538) GPA n.268 and pi.87 (edition and copy of ND 812(a)) PUBLICATIONS CITED 11 CH R.F. Harper, edition of Code of Hammurabi, cuneiform text Clay, PN A. T. Clay, Personal Names from Cuneiform Inscriptions of the Cassite Period (= YOR i) PUBLICATIONS CITED BY INITIALS, CT Cuneiform Texts from Babylonian Tablets in the British Museum SHORT TITLES OF WORKS CBS tablets in the University Museum, Philadelphia Der kultische B. Landsberger, Der kultische Kalender der Babylonier und FORMING PART OF A SERIES, Kalender Assyrer {LSS 6/1—2) TABLET SIGNATURES Diri lexical series diri DIR siaku — {w)atru DT tablets in the British Museum, London Enuma elil epic, cuneiform text established by W.G. Lambert Erra epic, edition of L. Cagni, L*epopea di Erra A lexical series a A = n&qu\ see MSL 14 Essarhaddon R. Borger, Die Inschriften von Asarhaddons, Kbnigs von Assyrien A AT J,A. Craig, Astrological-Astronomical texts (= AB 14) {— AfO ^iheft 9^ AB Assyriologische Bibliothek Farber, litar and W. Farber, Beschtoorungsrituale an Iltar und Dumuzi AbB F.R. Kraus, Altbabylonische Briefe in Umschriftund Vbersetzung Dumuzi ABL R.F. Harper, Assyrian and Babylonian Letters Festschrift Near Eastern Studies in Honour of W.F. Albright, ed. by H. ABRT J.A. Craig, Assyrian and Babylonian Religious Texts (= AB Albr^ht Goedicke XIII) FTS S. N. Kramer, From the Tablets of Sumer ACh C. Virolleaud, L’Astrologie Chaldeenne GAG W. yon Soden, Grundriss der akkadischen Grammatik (AnOr 33) AfK Archiv fur Keilschriftforschung Gilg epic, edition of R.C. Thompson, The Epic of Gilgame! AfO Archiv fur Orientforschung Gordon, Smith C. H. Gordon, Smith College TcAlets {Smith College Studies in AGH 'E, Ebeling, Die akkadische Gebetserie “Handerhebung”; cf. College Tablets History, V0I.38) UFBG GPA j.N. Pos^[ate, The Govemor^s Palace Archive ; AHw W. von Soden, Akkadisches Handworterbuch Gudea text, TCL 8 Ay A American Journal of Archaeology HBA E. Weidner, Handbuch der babylonischen Astronomic AMT R.C. Thompson, Assyrian Medical Texts Hem R. Labat, Hemerologies et Menologies An theological series An =■ Anum, cited from CT Hh lexical series HAR.ra hdmllu; see MSL 5 — 11 ANET J.B. Pritchard, Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old HKl R. Borger, Handbuch der Keilschriftliteratur Testament Id lexical series A — idu Angim epic Angim dimma, edition of J. Cooper, The Return of Ninurta IM tablets in the Iraq Museum, Baghdad to Nippur ( = AnOr 52) inbu series inbu bel arhi; see Der kultische Kalender AnOr Analecta Orientalia iqqur epu! series; see CC , AnSt Anatolian Studies Iraq journal, Iraq AO tablets in the Louvre, Paris Izbu edition of E. Leichty, The Omen Series Summa Izbu {TCL 4) AO ATS Alter Orient und altes Testament, Sonderreihe JAOS Journal of the American Oriental Society \as Assyriological Studies, Chicago yes Journal of Cuneiform Studies \Assyrische Tempel B. Menzel, Assyrische Tempel (= Studia Pohl, Series Major JNES Journal of Near Eastern Studies lO/I-II) JRAS Jourrtal of the Royal Asiatic Society \ Atraffasis epic, edition of W.G. Lambert and A.R. Millard, Atra-fiasis yss Journal of Semitic Studies I Babyl Babyloniaca JThS Journal of Theological Studies BAM F. Kocher, Die babylonisch-assyrische Medizin in Texten K tablets in the British Museum, London BASOR Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research Kagal lexical series Ka.gal = abullu BBR H. Zimmem, Beitrdge zur Kenntnis der babylonischen Religion KAJ Keilschrifttexte aus AiSur, juristischen Inhalts BE Babylonian Expedition of the University of Pennsylvania KAR Keilschrifttexte aus AiSur, religidsen Inhalts BiOr Bibliotheca Orientalis KAV Keilschrifttexte aus AiSur, verschiedenen Inhalts BM tablets in the British Museum, London LAK Liste der archaischen Keilschriftzeichen ( = WVDOG 40 (1922)) BRM Babylonian Records in the Library of J. Pierpont Morgan Langdon, Epic of S. Langdon, The Babylonian Epic of Creation BSGW Berichte der Sachsischen Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften Creation BWL W.G. Lambert, Babylonian Wisdom Literature LAS S. Parpola, Letters of Assyrian Scholars {AOATS) CA G. van Driel, The Cult of Ashir LKA E. Ebeling, Literarische Keilschrifttexte aus AiSur CAD Chicago Assyrian Dictionary LKU A. Falkenstein, Literarische Kelischrifttexte aus Uruk CB R. Labat, Un calendrier babylonien des travaux, des signes, et des LSS Leipziger Senutistische Studien mois