Reading akkadian PRayeRs & Hymns An Introduction

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READING AKKADIAN PRAYERS AND HYMNS: AN INTRODUCTION
one of two major temple structures, the other one being the temple of Inana.
Both temples were extensively rebuilt during the Seleucid and Parthian periods.
In Mesopotamian astronomical tradition, “the path of Anu” (ḫarrān šūt
Anim) lay between the “paths” of Enlil and Ea (see page 411 for more on the
celestial “paths”). With respect to iconography, Anu’s divine symbol is the
horned cap. His divine number was 60, the highest among the gods.
THE PRAYER:
This prayer to Anu follows the standard tripartite construction of a shuilla.
The hymnic introduction (lines 1–8a) consists of four parts. The first three parts
are organized in sets of parallel lines, following Sumerian hymnic style (see
Mayer, UFBG, 40). In each case, the second line begins with the vocative “O
Anu” then repeats the first line verbatim. The first of the four parts impresses
upon the deity his worthiness to be called upon. Anu is “magnificent” and is
associated with holy purification rites. The second part appeals to Anu’s status in
the cosmic realm. The third and fourth parts of the hymnic introduction shift
from appealing to the deity’s generic value as the hearer of prayers to the deity’s
specific merit for hearing this particular prayer. Not only is Anu the magnificent
god of the heavens, but, more importantly to the supplicant, Anu is the deity
who can remove the afflictions from this persecuted human.
The petition section (lines 8b–13) consists of a series of five requests, followed
by the imperative “have mercy!” There is a sort of rhythmic cadence in
this section as the prayer moves from the beneficence of the deity to the transgressions
of the person; from the ferocity of the supplicant’s personal gods, to
the compassion of the magnificent Anu. The petition demonstrates the precarious
nature in which anguished people of the ancient world found themselves
with respect to their health and the whims of the gods.
The prayer concludes (lines 14–16) with a section of promissory praise.
Should Anu successfully intervene on behalf of the supplicant, this person will
reward the deity with riches and honor.
Aside from the use of parallelism in the first section, the prayer employs a
number of recurring words. For example, bēlu occurs once in each of the first six
lines and once in line 15. Pašāru occurs in participial form three times in the
hymnic introduction and twice as a precative in the petition section. In that
same section, lemnētu and ḫaṭâtu appear three times each. These recurring words
are significant in that they not only influence the themes of their respective sections,
but they also serve to unify the prayer as a cohesive composition.
In the Bīt salāʾ mê purification ritual series this prayer to Anu initiates the
ninth section (pirsu) of the series, which consists of prayers to multiple deities,
including Nusku, Sin, Gula and Shamash. The ritual itself was named for the
location in which it was performed, the Bīt salāʾ mê, “House of Water Sprin-