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, the gatekeeper of the Kalkal gate, the gatekeeper of the Enpi gate, the gatekeeper of Neš-ili-mati, the gatekeeper of Ninurta of the storehouse: |
The assistant priest, the scribe of the House of God, the steward, the priest of Šerua, the chief gatekeeper, the chief chanter. |
The priest of Bel-tarbaṣi, the warden of the House, the warden of the šahūru anteroom, the chief chanter of the House of Aššur, the cupbearer, the |
Written according to the original and collated. Hand of Kiṣir-Aššur, exorcist of the House of Aššur. |
Aššur-Aššur, Aššur-Enlil, Ninurta, Nusku, Nergal, the Weapon, Aššur-Judges, Enlil, Aššur-Adad, Ninurta-images, |
, the Weapons, the Wild Bulls, the Lahmus-image, the Fathers, the Dais of Destinies, the Lady of Akkad, Sunsittu, Mušabšitu, Sablu, the Judges, Alania, |
Aššur-Enlil; Mašmaš; Aššur-Adad in front of Aššur-dugul; Aššur-Adad in front of Aššur-Conqueror; Enlil-Anu; Ea-šarru; Sîn, Adad, Šamaš; Ištar, the Queen of Heaven of Kar-Tukulti-Ninurta, Šerua; the Great Gods; Tašmetu, Ninurta, Nusku; Kippat-mati, Kippat-mati-image, Kutatati; Enlil, Dagan, Aššur-Tiara, Sun-image, Aššur-Lahmus, Aššur-Judges, Kittu, Sîn, Šamaš, Aššur-Conqueror; Ea, Kittu and Mišaru, Dibar; Ninurta and Aššur, Aššur-Šakkan-Tišpak, Aššur-Judges; Lubelim, Gimagan, Il-pada; |
the Couch, Sun-of-the-Lands, the Rivers and Usumû, the Images, Kunuš-kadru; the Elaborate Door, the images of cities; the Lamassus, Deposed Gods, Sons-of-Truth, Tišpak-images, Cities, Rivers, Kubus, Golden Doors, Anzûs and Neš-ili-mati; |
Ea-šarru and Damkina; the gods of Subartu, the Mountains and Rivers; Aššur-Judges, Counselor, the Sons-of-Truth, Truth, Justice, |
The Image, Išhara, Gašranu, Ešertu, Bel-labria, Laban, Nabû, Gubaba, Abakuwa, the Roving Išum, Maliku, Anunitu, Ulaya, Isinutu: |
Adad, Šala, Taramuwa, Nisaba, Adad-Lightning, Niphu-image, Girru-Lightning, Light-image, Erišu, Hurmišu, the Ziggurats: |
Siginna; the Upper Lamassu and the Lower Lamassu; Daughter of Adad and Apladad; the gate of Aššur and the brazier of Aššur; the gate of Šamaš and the brazier of Šamaš; the gate of Ištar and the brazier of Ištar; the gate of the people and the brazier of the people |
, the land of Uraš, the land of Zabban, the Upper Zab and the Lower Zab; the city, the city wall, the mortar, the brick |
, the Lady of Paranzi, the Seven Gods and Narudi — may heaven and earth, the manifest gods, all the gods who dwell in daises accept with you, may they listen with you! Bless the city of Aššur, bless the land of Aššur, bless Sennacherib, our lord! |
Give Sennacherib, our lord, long days, everlasting years, a strong weapon, a long reign, and supremacy over kings! |
May these partakers have corn, silver, oil, wool, and salt of Bariku for their food, and good oil for their lamp! |
the Gate of Mandanu, the Gate of Ninurta, Belet-balaṭi, Gula, Babu, Kurmitu, Adad of Enuha and his quay, Imgur-Enlil, Nemed-Enlil, Mar-biti, the Bison-man, the Anzû-birds, Na’paru, the stands, daises, streets and gates: |
Adad of Enuha, Adad, Šala, Šabasiya, Gubaba, the Seven Gods, and Narudi, Eziranu, Palil, the Queen of Heaven, Tammuz: |
When you are to provide for the House of God (lit. ‘gods’) of Nineveh, when you are to strew salt, you say: "Aššur-Ištar, Sîn, Šamaš, and Marduk, king of the gods, accept life!" |
When you are to swing the purification device over the table, you say: "The hand is released." You repeat it and swing it in the middle of the dais, saying: "The centre of the house is released." You go and say in the area of the censers, without coming close: "The centre of the house is seized." You return and swing the purification device on the censer, saying: "May Fire purify!" |
When you are to put combustibles on the censer, you give incense thrice, and say: "Ištar accept, Ištar listen!" |
On the 21st day: "Lord, respected one of heaven and earth," a lamentation. "Important one, go about!," an eršemma-lamentation to Aššur in Ešarra after the sheep offering. " |
," a lamentation. "You should not desert me!," an eršemma-lamentation to Aššur after the sheep offering. |
On the 22nd day: "Lord, respected one of heaven and earth," a lamentation. "Important one, go about!," an eršemma-lamentation to Aššur in Ešarra. After it Aššur rises. "It touches the earth like a storm," a lamentation. "Wise lord, planner," an eršemma-lamentation to Aššur in the house of Dagan. Arousing of the house. |
On the 23rd day: "You are a great hero, elevated to glory," a lamentation. "You are magnificent in heaven," an eršemma-lamentation to Aššur in the house of Dagan after the sheep offerings. "Come out like the sun," a lamentation. "Lord of the holy dais," an eršemma-lamentation to Aššur in the house of Dagan. Arousing of the house. |
On the 24th day: "Honoured one, existing outside," a lamentation. "You should not desert me!," an eršemma-lamentation to Aššur in the house of Dagan after the sheep offering. "The wild bull in his fold," a lamentation. "The hero from Apsû," an eršemma-lamentation to Aššur in the house of Dagan. Arousing of the house. |
, lord of heaven and earth," a psalm with uplifted hands to Aššur. "Queen of all the lands," a psalm with uplifted hands to Mullissu. |
On the 1st day of Adar XII: "Defiled Apsû," a lamentation. "Important one, go about!," an eršemma-lamentation to Aššur after the sheep offering. |
On the 2nd day: "She of the ruined city" of Ištar, a lamentation. "Amber of heaven that shines like fire," an eršemma-lamentation to Mullissu after the sheep offering. |
On the 3rd day: "Lord, respected one of heaven and earth," a lamentation. "Important one, go about!," an eršemma-lamentation to Aššur in the house of Dagan. Assembly of the gods. |
On the 5th day: "Come out like the sun," a lamentation. "Let me soothe his heart," an eršemma-lamentation to Aššur after the sheep offering. "Look graciously at your city," an eršahunga-psalm. You have the king recite it to the accompaniment of a bronze kettledrum. |
," a lamentation. "From the house soothing the heart," a psalm with uplifted hands to Aššur. "August Lady, queen of heaven and earth," a psalm with uplifted hands to Mullissu. |
In Nisan I, on the 2nd day, Aššur rises and sits down in the Akitu House. You set up a fire-brick and sing, " |
" After it, "Defiled Apsû," a lamentation; "Important one, go about!," an eršemma-lamentation to Aššur in the Akitu House after the sheep offering. |
On the 11th day, Aššur rises and sits down on his seat in Ešarra. You set up a fire-brick and sing, "Lord, at your entering your house." "You are Lord," a psalm with uplifted hands to Aššur. "Queen of all lands," a psalm with uplifted hands to Mullissu. |
"For how long, O Lord, how long have you delayed the vengeance?," an eršahunga-psalm to Enlil. "O Lord, may your heart, though kindled with fire, spare your city for my sake," an eršahunga-psalm to Enlil. "Let me pray to the Lord for the house," an eršahunga-psalm to ditto. "O Lord, assuage your anger towards your city, have mercy on it," an eršahunga-psalm to ditto. "How long, O Lord, how long? Let him say ‘Enough!’ for me," an eršahunga-psalm to ditto. |
, let me pray to heaven," an eršahunga-psalm to Sîn. "I lift up my hands and shed tears for him," an eršahunga-psalm to ditto. |
The bride washes the feet. She walks around the bed three times, kisses the feet, goes and sits down. She burns cedar and quenches it with wine. She lays the heart of a ram in tappinnu-flour and places it in the middle of the image. |
They wash the feet. She carries a torch of sweet reed, walks around the bed three times, then kisses the feet. She burns cedar and quenches it with wine. She lays the heart of a ram in tappinnu-flour and places it in the middle of the image. |
Having extinguished the fire, they prepare a rib cut, a right shoulder cut, nine and a half litres of sēpu-bread, a kamanu-cake made with zīzu-onion, a bowl of flour, a bowl of parched grain wherein a river has been drawn, a boat made of flour, and a sword made of wheat flour. They make a pit and pour oil and honey into it. |
They seal everything with the blood of the mourner’s nose. They set up a table before the Great Antu, a table before Gilgamesh and a table before the boatmen. They present water and oil, they set a flagon of beer and a flagon of wine before the Great Antu and Gilgamesh, and make dripping libations from them. |
Having finished his ritual, the king retires to the sideroom and removes the jewellery. He comes out and prostrates himself before Ištar. They lay down the |
The priest goes, brings the sīru into the presence of Ištar, places two Anzû-birds between his shoulders, and draws the curtain which is before the Equ house. The temple scribe and the priest of Aššur accompany the sīru into the presence of Ištar. The sīru recites a litany before Ištar of |
The temple scribe and the priest of Aššur give the sīru beer to drink from a lion’s head rhyton. The priest of Aššur takes the hand of the sīru. The chief singer and the singers come and go seven times back and forth before the sīru. The king sees the sīru, sets off, prays humbly |
He places cuts of meat and combustibles on the censers and throws in incense thrice. He burns honey and oil and performs his libations. The king appears to the public. |
He goes and loads the brazier, returns and provides hot cooked meat. He comes back and increases the heat of the brazier. He swings the purification device, performs libations on the brazier, and sacrifices two bulls. From one of them, they push its heart back inside it for the soup, from the other he provides cooked meat. |
He goes to the area of the censer, fills the vat, places a kamanu-cake on the table and makes it dance. He strews salt and swings the purification device. He goes ahead, swings the purification device on the censer, gives incense thrice, and opens the vat in race. The singer intones, "Ištar, queen of heaven." When he reaches the refrain, he swings the purification device on the censer, gives incense thrice and finishes the libations of the vat. He pours honey, oil, beer, wine, and milk. |
The king appears and steps on the stand. They put the bladder in the king’s hand. The singer intones, "To the Amorite goddess." When the |
The king appears and steps on the stand. When the song reaches its end, he swings the purification device on the censer, |
Tukulti-Ninurta I, king of Assyria, performed and instituted the following rites for the Lady-of-the-River, his god. |
You erect a tent, place its opening before Šamaš, and place a chair at the side of the tent. You lay clean red wool upon it, and place a bowl of sweet oil, aromatics, juniper, and a tuft of red wool on it. |
You place an eating-bowl before the Lady-of-the-River and before the Igigi gods, perform a flour/incense-offering, pour beer and wine, and sing, " |
You place an eating-bowl before the bed and before the Anunnaki, perform a flour/incense-offering, pour beer and wine, and sing, " |
" You place an eating-bowl, pour beer and wine, and sing: "Lead me, Great Lords, let us build your holy city." |
You make a flour/incense-offering before the divine judges, perform a sheep offering, pour oil, honey, beer and wine, and sing: "O Anunnaki, lead me, Great Lords, let us build your holy city." |
You offer fatty tissue and roast meat before Sîn, pour oil, honey, beer and wine, grasp a singer’s eating-bowl and the agannu pots in the palm of your hand, feed the adakurru |
You offer seven cuts of fatty tissue and seven cuts of roast meat before the divine judges, make a flour/incense-offering, pour oil, honey, beer and wine. |
, place a libation bowl of water on it, place a ‘heart’ and a ‘wrist’ in his hands, and bind his hands with a tuft of red wool. |
You sing: "Awesome mistress of gods, queen of Apsû." You throw hand-water to DN, the ‘heart’ and‘wrist,’ and say: |
"May the heart of your god, the heart of your fate, the hand of your god and the hand of your goddess be disengaged for you!" You say thus, he performs his rinsings, and his evil will be released. You sweep the room, swing the purification device, take his hand and make him rise. His seed will solidify. He performs his rinsings and his evil will be removed. |
You offer fatty tissue and slices of cooked meat before Belet-ili, make a flour/incense-offering, pour oil, honey, beer and wine, and sing: "Mighty |
He performs this ritual twice in its entirety before the Lady-of-the-River and his seed will be all right. |
You set up a table before the chair. You place three litres of grain on the table, half of it groats, half of it ‘cut’ grain. You bring finest flour, oil, honey, beer and wine before it, place a censer before it, and an eating-bowl of dates, figs and virgin oil on the table. |
The singer smears his hands and sits down on a brick to the left of the sacrificer. The singer intones, "Dispeller of darkness," and says: "You will trample on the evil one." |
The singer washes his hands, offers water to Šamaš, takes the hand of the master of the banquet, says "Is is a gift," and releases him. |
If he is a nobleman, he burns a turtledove as a burnt offering. If he is a commoner, he burns the heart of a ram. |
s before the king. At the Anzû Gate water for the purification cone is placed in the king’s hands and the gods are hung around the king’s neck. |
The king enters and prostrates himself before Aššur. He places loaves of bread before Aššur. He swings the purification device over the censer, gives incense twice, and pours out a libation bowl. |
He ascends the dais and sets the table. He places bread, plates with spicy grains, budê-confection and all sorts of fruit on the table. They fill up the cauldrons, the pithoi and the pots, and put a napkin on the king’s shoulder. |
The king offers hand-water to Aššur, strews salt, and says as follows: "Aššur and Mullissu, Adad and Mašmaš, accept life!" He strews salt on the tables to the right and left. |
He swings the purification device over the table and says: "The hand is released." He swings it at the centre of the house and says: "The centre of the house is released." He swings it at the area of the censers and says: "The house is seized." He swings it over the censer and says: "May Fire purify!" He gives incense, saying: "Aššur accept, Aššur listen!" |
The king occupies the stand. Two ox-calves are brought in. The king places a horn of an ox-calf, muscles of sheep and combustibles on the censers. He treats the gods. |
He burns oil and honey. He ascends the dais, displays mēzu-wine and boiled wine, and pours them into the censers. He heaps up the cauldrons and the pithoi. |
, bring forth the sarrānus, and remain standing before the gods. They perform hitpu-offerings and place the sarrānus before the gods. The singer intones, "The hero got angry, enraged was the beautiful prince." |
The sarrānus turn their faces towards the enemy. They hum and dance. The kurgarrûs sing, "Battle is my game," the assinnus exchange laments and |
The king strings the bow before Šamaš and puts it on the ground. They lift it from the ground and string it. They take an arrow from the chariot of Mašmaš and wrap its point with wool. The knight of the gods places it in the king’s hand. The king hangs (var. lifts) a lyre on his shoulder, receives the arrow, spins it around thrice and kisses it. He gives it to the knight, who puts it into the hands of the ‘left-house-man’ of Mašmaš. He nocks it on the bow. |
The ‘left-house-man’ of Adad, the overseer of the palace, and the deputy ride with Belat-dunani. They nock their arrows but do not shoot. The tables and the hitpu-offerings are cleared off. |
Seizing the chariots and turning around, the ‘left-house-man’ of Mašmaš says: "Arrow of Aššur, go!" They shoot the arrow into the enemy, circumambulate it thrice, and pick up the arrow thrice. |
Having defeated his enemy, he puts on the jewellery and hangs the lyre on his shoulder. He goes before the gods. Sheep offerings are performed. He kisses the ground, does triumphal entry into the camp, enters the qirsu-enclosure and begins the dinner. The king rejoices. |
Tukulti-Ninurta I, king of Assyria, performed and instituted the following rites for Sîn, his god. |
You place two libation vessels and two libation bowls to the left of the censer, and place a container of brushwood behind the censer. |
one mina of iron, one mina of lead, one mina of gold, one mina of silver, one mina of copper, one mina of tin, one mina of anzahhu, |
You place an eating-bowl before the Igigi and before the bed, make a flour/incense-offering, pour beer and wine, and sing, " |
You place an eating-bowl before the Anunnaki gods, pour beer and wine, and sing, "Lead me, Great Lords." |
You make a flour/incense-offering before Sîn, throw in finest flour twice, pour a libation bowl of wine, |
perform a sheep offering, pour oil, honey, beer and wine, and sing: "O Lord and King, luminary of the pure heavens." |
You make a flour/incense-offering before DN, perform a sheep offering, pour oil, honey, beer and wine, and sing, "You are most befitting, great wife, glorious Ištar, you made |
You offer fatty tissue and roast meat before Anu, make a flour/incense-offering, pour oil, honey, beer and wine, and sing: "Anu, father of the gods, creator of everything, awesome." |
, perform an incense/flour offering, pour beer and wine, and sing: "O Nanna, you love the bright heavens |
You offer cooked meat before Belet-ili, perform an incense/flour offering, pour oil, honey, wine and beer, and sing: "Mighty |
Tukulti-Ninurta I, king of Assyria, performed and instituted the following the rites for the Lady-of-the-Mountain, his god (lit. ‘gods’). |
You set up a table before Šamaš, and place a censer, firewood and licorice behind the table. You place two libation vessels and two libation bowls to the left of the censer, and a pot of wine, a pot of beer, an amphora of beer and one of wine behind the censer. |
, three seahs of sēpu-bread, three seahs of thin bread, three seahs of kukku-cake, ‘heart’-bread and ‘wrist‘-bread, siltu and dulīqāti-groats, |
one mina of iron, one mina of lead, one mina of gold, one mina of silver, one mina of copper, one mina of tin, one mina of anzahhu, one mina of dark-blue wool, one mina of blue wool, one mina of red wool |
You pour a libation bowl of wine and a libation bowl of water before DN and sing: "Ištar, you are the Great One, offspring of Heaven." |
You place an eating-bowl before the Igigi gods, make a flour/incense-offering, pour beer and wine, and sing: "Lead me, O Great Lords." |
You place an eating-bowl before the Nunnaki gods, make a flour/incense-offering, pour beer and wine, and sing: "A bath |
" You make a flour/incense-offering before Anunnaki, place an eating-bowl, pour beer and wine, and sing, " |
You make a flour/incense-offering before Sîn, throw in finest flour twice, pour a libation bowl of wine, perform a sheep offering, pour oil, honey, beer and wine, and sing: "O Lord and King, luminary of the pure heavens." |
You make a flour/incense-offering before DN, perform a sheep offering, pour oil, honey, beer and wine, and sing: "You are most befitting, great wife, glorious Ištar, you have made |