Reading akkadian PRayeRs & Hymns An Introduction

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READING AKKADIAN PRAYERS AND HYMNS: AN INTRODUCTION
help, greeting the one petitioned via a conventional gesture and formal address
that recognizes the superior’s higher position in relation to the supplicant. In this
manner, the supplicant hopes to establish a favorable relationship with the one
petitioned and thereby obtain a positive answer to their request. It is interesting
that we do not see the hand-lifting gesture or lengthy formal address in either
the dingirshadibba-prayers to personal gods or biblical laments of the individual.
For reflections on this latter point, see page 442.
In the prayer’s first line of petitions (line 14) the supplicant says, “raise my
head, call (my) name!” (ulli rēšīya ibi šumu). These two idioms have equivalents
in BH. Before we make any comparisons, however, we should recognize that “to
raise the head” and “to call a name” have more than one meaning in both Akkadian
and BH (see CAD N/2, 107–8 and HALOT, 1164–65 for the former and
CAD N/1, 33–37 and HALOT, 1129 for the latter). The sense of rēša ullû in our
Akkadian prayer is something like “to take notice with favorable intention.” The
same sense for the BH cognate phrase שׁאֹ ר אשׂנ occurs in 2 Kgs 25:27 ( Jer
52:31), where Jehoichan is shown mercy by the Babylonian king Evil-merodach,
and Gen 40:13, where Joseph informs the Pharaoh’s chief cupbearer that the
Pharaoh will restore him to his former position. 5 Šuma nabû in our prayer has
the sense of summoning or appointing a person for a particular position or
standing. The same meaning is found in the BH idiom ם ֵשׁ בּ ְ ארק. See, for example,
Exod 31:2, 35:30, Josh 21:9 (where it is used as a means to allocate land; see
also 1 Chron 6:50), Isa 40:26, 43:1, 45:3, 4, and Isa 49:1, where the idiom is
broken up across the line’s poetic parallelism. These idioms demonstrate once
again the significant cultural (including religious) continuity between ancient
Israel and ancient Mesopotamia despite their many differences.
5 Note, however, that the idiom “to raise the head” is also used later in the narrative (Gen 40:19,
31) in other senses, rather literally, as in “the Pharaoh will raise your head from upon you”
(ךָי ֶל ָע ֵמ; v. 19), and in the idiomatic sense, “to summon” (v. 31).
TRANSLATION:
1. Incantation: O wise king, discerning creator,
2. August leader, worthy one of E-abzu,
3. Enlilbanda, wise honored one,
4. Hero of Eridu, sage of the Igigi,
5. Lord of E-engura, protection of E-unir,
6. The one who brings the flood of abundance, who makes the rivers rejoice,
7. Among the waters and reed thickets you bountifully bestow abundance,
8. Among the meadows you create the sustenance of the people.
9. Anu and Ellil are rejoicing joyfully on account of you.
10. The Anunnakki-gods greet you in their shrines.
11. The people of the earth praise your honored command.
12. To the great gods you give counsel.
13. O Ea, on account of your incantation of life the moribund need not die.