Babylonian and Assyrian Literature Part 40

[Footnote 7: That is, the sorcerer's.]

[Footnote 8: The sorcerer.]

[Footnote 9: The sorcerer.]

COLUMN II

1 On the festival of the G.o.d, the king unconquerable, 2 may the man (by) the enchantment, (with) _eldest_ son (and) wife, 3 (by) sickness, the loss of the bliss of prosperity, of joy (and) of gladness, 4 (by) the sickness which exists in a man's skin, a man's flesh (and) a man's entrails, 5 like this signet be brought near and 6 on that day may the consuming fire-G.o.d consume; 7 may the enchantment go forth and to (its) dwelling-place betake itself.

8 Like this vineyard he shall be cut off, and the sorcerer 9 the consuming fire-G.o.d shall consume.

10 Despite the _holidays_ of a _plague_ that returns not, 11 despite the shrine of the G.o.d, the king unconquerable, 12 may the man, (by) the enchantment, (with) _eldest_ son (and) wife, 13 (by) sickness, the loss of the bliss of prosperity, of joy (and) of gladness, 14 (by) the sickness which exists in a man's skin, a man's flesh, a man's _entrails_, 15 like this garden-stuff be rooted out, and 16 on that day may the consuming fire-G.o.d consume.

17 May the enchantment go forth and to (its) dwelling-place betake itself.

18 Like this weed he shall be gathered for sale, and the sorcerer 19 the consuming fire-G.o.d shall consume.

20 Before him, despite his blessedness that is not, 21 despite the canopy of a covering that departs not, 22 may the man (by) the enchantment, (with) _eldest_ son (and) wife, 23 (by) sickness, the loss of the bliss of prosperity, of joy (and) of gladness, 24 (by) the sickness which exists in a man's skin, a man's flesh, a man's _entrails_, 25 like this weed be plucked, and 26 on that day may the consuming fire-G.o.d consume.

27 May the enchantment go forth and to (its) dwelling-place betake itself.

28 Like this thread he shall be stretched, and the sorcerer 29 the consuming fire-G.o.d shall consume.

30 Despite his adoration that is not, 31 despite the clothing of the G.o.d, the King unconquerable, 32 may the man, (through) the enchantment, (with) _eldest_ son (and) wife, 33 (by) sickness, the loss of the bliss of prosperity, of joy (and) of gladness, 34 (by) the sickness which exists in a man's skin, a man's flesh, a man's _entrails_, 35 like this thread be stretched, and 36 on that day may the consuming fire-G.o.d consume.

37 May the enchantment go forth and to (its) dwelling-place betake itself.

38 Like this goat's-hair cloth he shall be stretched, and the sorcerer 39 the consuming fire-G.o.d shall consume.

40 Despite the goat's-hair that is not, 41 despite the canopy of the covering (that departs not), 42 may the man (through) the enchantment, (with) _eldest_ son (and) wife, 43 (by) sickness, the loss of the bliss of prosperity, of joy (and) of gladness, 44 (by) the sickness which exists in a man's skin, a man's flesh, a man's _entrails_, 45 like this goat's-hair cloth be stretched, and 46 on that day the man may the consuming fire-G.o.d consume.

47 May the enchantment go forth and to (its) dwelling-place betake itself.

48 Like these _boards_ he shall be stretched, and the sorcerer 49 the consuming fire-G.o.d shall consume.

50 O son of the macebearer, despite produce unproduced, 51 despite the clothing of the G.o.d, the King unconquerable, 52 may the man (by) the enchantment, (with) _eldest_ son and wife, 53 (by) sickness, the loss of prosperity, of joy (and) of gladness, 54 (by) the sickness which exists in a man's skin, a man's flesh, a man's _entrails_, 55 like these _boards_ be stretched, and 56 on that day may the consuming fire-G.o.d consume.

57 May the enchantment go forth and to (its) dwelling-place betake itself.

COLUMN III

(The first part of Column III is mutilated. It becomes legible in the middle of a list of magical _formulae_.)

30 The chiefest talisman, the mighty talisman, the engraved talisman, the talisman is the binder, with enchantment.

31 The repet.i.tion of the enchantment (is) baneful to man.

32 The curses of the G.o.ds.

33 ... the binder with enchantment.

34 (With enchantment) his hands (and) his feet he binds.

35 Merodach, the son of Hea, the prince, with his holy hands cuts the knots.

36 May the enchantment cause this talisman to the desert among the wild beasts to go forth.

37 May the baneful enchantment seize upon others.

38 May this man rest (and) open (his eyes).

39 To the blessed hand of his G.o.d may he be committed.

40 Conclusion of the _formulae_ for averting sorcery.

41 For the raising of the mighty foundation thus have I burned up straight, 42 like fire have I burned up (and) have delivered the oracle.[10]

[Footnote 10: Or, "have laid the witchcraft."]

COLUMN IV

1 The n.o.ble _cupbearer_ of Hea, the scribe of Merodach (am) I.

2 Like fire have I blazed (and) I rejoice;[1]

3 (like) fire have I burned (and) I grow; 4 the corn I purify and make heavy.

5 Like fire have I blazed (and) will rejoice; 6 (like) fire have I burned (and) will grow; 7 the corn will I purify and make heavy.

8 O nadir (and) zenith, the light of G.o.d and man, 9 may the store he collected be delivered.

10 May the store of (his) heart whoever he be, ye his G.o.d and his G.o.ddess, be delivered.

11 May his gate be _kept fast_. On that day 12 may they enrich him, may they deliver him.

13 May the rejoicing[2] of the warrior fire-G.o.d 14 rejoice with thee. May lands and rivers 15 rejoice with thee. May Tigris and (Euphrates) 16 rejoice with thee. May the seas and (the ocean) 17 rejoice with thee. May the forest, the daughter of the G.o.ds, 18 rejoice with thee. May all the production (of the earth) 19 rejoice with thee. May the hearts of my G.o.d and my G.o.ddess, well-feasted, 20 rejoice with thee. May the hearts of the G.o.d and the G.o.ddess of the city, well-feasted, (rejoice with thee).

21 On that day from the curse may my heart, O my G.o.d and my G.o.ddess, be delivered, 22 and may the enchantment go forth from my body.

23 When the doom _comes upon_ thee, 24 and from the fulfilment thou protectest thyself, 25 the doom when fulfilled cut thou off.

26 (The tablet) beginning: ...

_Colophon_.

Tablet (copied from) the old (tablets of Chaldea).

Country of (a.s.sur-bani-pal) King of (a.s.syria).

[Footnote 1: Or, "rest."]

[Footnote 2: The words translated "rejoicing" and "rejoice" properly signify "rest" and that may be their meaning here.]

INSCRIPTION OF TIGLATH PILESER I, KING OF a.s.sYRIA

TRANSLATED BY SIR H. RAWLINSON, K.C.B., D.C.L., ETC.

This inscription of Tiglath Pileser I is found on an octagonal prism and on some other clay fragments discovered at Kalah-Shergat and at present in the British Museum. The text is published in the "Cuneiform Inscriptions of Western Asia," Vol. I, pp. ix-xvi. Four translations of this inscription, made simultaneously in 1857 by Sir H. Rawlinson, Mr. Fox Talbot, Dr. Hincks, and Dr. Oppert, were published in that year under the t.i.tle of "Inscription of Tiglath Pileser I, King of a.s.syria, B.C. 1150."

Dr. Oppert has also given a revised translation in his "_Histoire de l'Empire de Chaldee et d'a.s.syrie,_" 8vo, Versailles, 1865, extracted from the "_Annales de la Philosophie chretienne_" of the same year, 5e Series, p. 44 and foll. The translations simultaneously published were submitted to the Asiatic Society in that year as a test of the advance made in a.s.syrian interpretations and the close approximation made by scholars in their interpretation of a.s.syrian texts. The notes contain some of the different readings of the other a.s.syrian scholars at that time and give a few of the princ.i.p.al varieties of reading some of the words. It was generally considered a very triumphant demonstration of the sound basis on which the then comparatively recent a.s.syrian researches were placed and a confutation of certain opinions then prevalent, that no certain or accurate advance had been made in the decipherment of a.s.syrian inscriptions. On the whole for its extent and historical information relating to the early history of a.s.syria this inscription is one of the most important of the series showing the gradual advance and rise of a.s.syria, while as one of the first interpreted it presents considerable literary interest in respect to the details of the progress of a.s.syrian interpretation. It is also nearly the oldest a.s.syrian text of any length which has been hitherto discovered and is very interesting from its account of the construction of the temples and palaces made by the King in the early part of his reign. S.B.

INSCRIPTION OF TIGLATH PILESER I