Babylonian and Assyrian Literature Part 38

(The original text of this will be found in 4 R 14 l. 6 which is a lithographic copy of the tablet K, 44. A part of it was translated some years ago from a photograph of that tablet; see No. 430 of my Glossary.

Very few a.s.syrian odes are so simple and intelligible as this is: unfortunately most of them are mystical and hard of interpretation.)

1 O Fire, great Lord, who art the most exalted in the world, 2 n.o.ble Son of heaven, who art the most exalted in the world, 3 O Fire, with thy bright flame 4 in the dark house thou dost cause light.

5 Of all things that can be named, Thou dost form the fabric!

6 Of bronze and of lead, Thou art the melter!

7 Of silver and of gold, Thou art the refiner!

8 Of ... Thou art the purifier!

9 Of the wicked man in the night time Thou dost repel the a.s.sault!

10 But the man who serves his G.o.d, Thou wilt give him light for his actions!

a.s.sYRIAN TALISMANS AND EXORCISMS TRANSLATED BY H.F. TALBOT, F.R.S.

DEMONIACAL POSSESSION AND EXORCISM

Diseases were attributed to the influence of Evil Spirits. Exorcisms were used to drive away those tormentors: and this seems to have been the sole remedy employed, for I believe that no mention has been found of medicine.

This is a very frequent subject of the tablets. [Footnote: Taken from 2 R pl. 18.] One of them says of a sick man:

1 "May the G.o.ddess ...

2 wife of the G.o.d ...

3 turn his face in another direction; 4 that the evil spirit may come out of him 5 and be thrust aside, and that Good Spirits and Good Powers 6 may dwell in his body!"

Sometimes divine images were brought into the chamber, and written texts taken from holy books were placed on the walls and bound around the sick man's brows. If these failed recourse was had to the influence of the _mamit_, which the evil powers were unable to resist. On a tablet 2 R p.

17 the following is found, written in the Accadian language only, the a.s.syrian version being broken off:

1 Take a white cloth: In it place the _mamit_, 2 in the sick man's right hand.

3 And take a black cloth: 4 wrap it round his left hand.

5 Then all the evil spirits.[1]

6 and the sins which he has committed 7 shall quit their hold of him, 8 and shall never return.[2]

[Footnote 1: A long list of them is given.]

[Footnote 2: "Trans. Soc. Bib. Arch.," vol. ii. p. 56.]

The symbolism of the black cloth in the left hand seems evident. The dying man repudiates all his former evil deeds. And he puts his trust in holiness, symbolized by the white cloth in his right hand. Then follow some obscure lines about the spirits--

Their heads shall remove from his head: their hands shall let go his hands: their feet shall depart from his feet:

which perhaps may be explained thus--we learn, from another tablet, that the various cla.s.ses of evil spirits troubled different parts of the body.

Some injured the head, some the hands and feet, etc., etc. Therefore the pa.s.sage before us may mean: "The spirits whose power is over the hand, shall loose their hands from his," etc. But I can offer no decided opinion on such obscure points of their superst.i.tion.

INHERITED OR IMPUTED SINS

These were supposed to pursue a sick man and torment him. [Footnote: See "Cuneiform Inscriptions of Western Asia," vol. iv. p. 7.]

1 The _mamit_ for him reveal! The _mamit_ for him unfold![1]

2 Against the evil spirit, disturber of his body!

3 Whether it be the sin of his father: 4 or whether it be the sin of his mother: 5 or whether it be the sin of his elder brother: 6 or whether it be the sin of someone who is unknown![2]

[Footnote 1: A holy object, the nature of which has not been ascertained.]

[Footnote 2: "Trans. Soc. Bib. Arch.," vol. ii, p. 58.]

MAGIC KNOTS

Justin Martyr, speaking of the Jewish exorcists, says "They use magic ties or knots." A similar usage prevailed among the Babylonians. [Footnote 7: Ibid., p. 54.] The G.o.d Marduk wishes to soothe the last moments of a dying man. His father Hea says: Go my son!

1 Take a woman's linen kerchief 2 bind it round thy right hand! loose it from the left hand!

3 Knot it with seven knots: do so twice: 4 Sprinkle it with bright _wine_: 5 bind it round the head of the sick man: 6 bind it round his hands and feet, like manacles and fetters.

7 Sit down on his bed: 8 sprinkle holy water over him.

9 He shall hear the voice of Hea, 10 Davkina[1] shall protect him!

11 And Marduk, Eldest Son of heaven, shall find him a happy habitation![2]

[Footnote 1: One of the princ.i.p.al G.o.ddesses, the wife of the G.o.d Hea.]

[Footnote 2: "Trans. Soc. Bib. Arch.," vol. ii. p. 84.]

TALISMANS

To cure diseases they seem to have relied wholly on charms and incantations.

The first step was to guard the entrance to the sick man's chamber.

A tablet says:

"That nothing evil may enter, place at the door the G.o.d (...) and the G.o.d (...)."

That is to say, their images. I believe these were little figures of the G.o.ds, brought by the priests, perhaps a sort of Teraphim.

The following line is more explicit: "Place the guardian statues of Hea and Marduk at the door, on the right hand and on the left." But they added to this another kind of protection:

1 Right and left of the threshold of the door, spread out holy texts and sentences.