Chapter VIIASSYRIAN ANTIPHONAL HYMNS

Protector of the sacrificial gifts of all the Igigi,[9]Messenger of Anu, who brings Bel’s commands to fulfilment.

Protector of the sacrificial gifts of all the Igigi,[9]

Messenger of Anu, who brings Bel’s commands to fulfilment.

Founder of the cities, renewer of the sanctuaries,[10]

a title quite appropriate for an earthly king but seemingly rather incongruous when applied to a god.

It is Nusku, leader and counsellor of the great gods,[11]Ninib is

Ninib, mighty god, warrior, prince of the Annunaki, commander of the Igigi.[12]

It may be said here that we probably owe to the court style the ever recurring adjectives: “strong,” “mighty,” “powerful,” “perfect,” “unique,” “glorious,” “noble,” “exalted,” and such nouns as “ruler,” “governor,” “judge,” “lord,” “prince,” “king,” which have been transferred from the earthly sovereigns to the gods they worshipped. Here too it may be pointed out that it is altogether in harmony with court style that the god’s prowess as a warrior, or wisdom as a counsellor, or ethical virtues as a ruler should be expressed in his titles, even as such qualities have been expressed in the titles of earthly kings.

Not all hymns, however, of class I are, strictly speaking, temple hymns. The Assyrian deities were not limited to their temples and the cities over which their sway extended. They were also identified with natural forces and the heavenly bodies, the sun, the moon and the stars. The Babylonians and Assyrians were impressed by the glory of the rising and the setting sun, the beauty of the waxing and waning moon; by the brilliancy of the evening star and the planets and by the grandeur of the thunder-storm. Certain phenomena also had their deep significance. An eclipse of the moon might well bode disaster for king and court and land. The rising of the sun was the auspicious moment for the banishing of all the demons and all the powers of darkness.

Accordingly we have a group of hymns which do not belong so much to the temple as to the great out-of-doors. In other words they are nature hymns. They have such invocations as the following:

O lord, chief of the gods, who alone is exalted on earth and in heaven.[13]

or thus:

O Sin, O Nannar, mighty one,[14]Sin who art unique, thou that brightenestThat giveth light unto the nations,

O Sin, O Nannar, mighty one,[14]

Sin who art unique, thou that brightenest

That giveth light unto the nations,

or this:

Sarpanitum, shining star, dwelling in Endul,[15]Strongest of the goddesses, whose clothing is the light;Who crossest the heavens, who passest over the earth,Sarpanitum whose station is lofty.

Sarpanitum, shining star, dwelling in Endul,[15]

Strongest of the goddesses, whose clothing is the light;

Who crossest the heavens, who passest over the earth,

Sarpanitum whose station is lofty.

or this:

Lord, illuminator of the darkness, opener of the face of heaven[16]

or this:

To Nusku mighty lord (lofty) judge,[17]Shining Light, illuminator of the night, god ...

To Nusku mighty lord (lofty) judge,[17]

Shining Light, illuminator of the night, god ...

The following first lines of a hymn are neither invocation nor ascription, yet how naturally does an appeal made to the sun-god for freeing of the king from the ban resting upon him, at the moment of the scattering of darkness before the rising sun, begin with such an hymnal introduction, as this:

O Shamash, when out of the great mountain thou comest forth,[18]Out of the great mountain, the mountain of the springs, thou comest forth,When out of the mountain, the place of destinies, thou comest forth,Where heaven and earth meet together out of the heaven’s foundations,—

O Shamash, when out of the great mountain thou comest forth,[18]

Out of the great mountain, the mountain of the springs, thou comest forth,

When out of the mountain, the place of destinies, thou comest forth,

Where heaven and earth meet together out of the heaven’s foundations,—

So far we have been dealing with the first portion of the hymnal introduction, namely the invocation. We have seen that the court style would prescribe that the god be addressed by his proper title, which includes his lineage and his sovereignty over temple and city, or his exalted place in nature, or both. Naturally however when the sway of the god extended far beyond temple and city to all lands, to heaven and earth, it was not so necessary to salute the god as lord of city and temple. And similarly when the god was exalted to a supreme position among the gods, the matter of pedigree became secondary. Perhaps this explains the shortening of the invocation in certain hymns to a single line:

(Holy) Ishtar, heroine among goddesses,[19]Thy seat ... in the midst of the bright heavens,

(Holy) Ishtar, heroine among goddesses,[19]

Thy seat ... in the midst of the bright heavens,

or even to a single word

Lord, warlike art thou, perfect in understanding thro’ thyself,[20]Ninib, warlike art thou, perfect in understanding thro’ thyself,

Lord, warlike art thou, perfect in understanding thro’ thyself,[20]

Ninib, warlike art thou, perfect in understanding thro’ thyself,

Shamash, when out of the great mountain thou comest forth[21]

Shamash, from the foundation of the heavens thou shinest forth[22]

On the other hand, it was easy to expand indefinitely the invocation from its natural length of four to six lines, until the invocation became itself hymnal praise of the god. So with Sin No. 5 where the hymnal invocation to Sin covers 23 lines.

Following the invocation in the hymnal introductions of Assyrian prayers is the ascription of praise, just as modern prayers frequently begin with the elements of invocation and ascription. The ascription of praise may be quite similar in content, but while the invocation assumes certain attributes of the deity as already recognized and known by everyone and as having become official titles of the deity, the ascription definitely assigns virtues or attributes to the deity. The invocation consists of phrases and adjectival clauses: it makes no statement. It is simply an extended nominative of address. The ascription consists of independent sentences, asserting certain attributes of the deity. It is altogether natural that the humble worshipper, approaching the god, should assign to that god greatness and wisdom and authority and might, for this not only pleases the god, but also tends to awaken sympathy for the helpless and suffering suppliant, and reminds the deity of his responsibility for the worshippers.

More particularly it is also to be expected that the worshipper assigns those special virtues or powers to the deity, to which he is about to make his appeal. Man posits in God that which corresponds to his own need. Accordingly, correspondence between the ascriptions and the petitions show the unity of the whole composition and indicate that it is a prayer. Frequently the suppliant is a sick person, and so naturally reference is made to the power of the deity to heal:

Shamash, to give life to the dead, to loosen the captive is in thy hand.[23]

Where thou dost regard, the dead live, the sick arise,The afflicted is saved from his affliction, beholding thy face.[24]

Where thou dost regard, the dead live, the sick arise,

The afflicted is saved from his affliction, beholding thy face.[24]

The cause of his misfortune, the Babylonian seeks not in naturalcauses, but in the displeasures of the deity, and this displeasure may be due to sin. To Ninib he prays:

Free me from sin, remit the transgression,[25]Take the shame away, remove the sin

Free me from sin, remit the transgression,[25]

Take the shame away, remove the sin

and this petition is made to the god of whom he says in the ascription:

From him who sin possessesthou dost remove the sin,[26]The man with whom his god is angrythou art quick to favor.

From him who sin possessesthou dost remove the sin,[26]

The man with whom his god is angrythou art quick to favor.

If, however, the worshipper feels that he has been unjustly treated, then he appeals to the justice of God:

The law of all men thou directest.Eternally just in Heaven art thou.The just wisdom of the lands art thou.The pious man thou knowest,the evil man thou knowest[27]

The law of all men thou directest.

Eternally just in Heaven art thou.

The just wisdom of the lands art thou.

The pious man thou knowest,the evil man thou knowest[27]

Shamash honors the head of the just man;Shamash rends the evil man like a thong;Shamash, the support of Anu and Bel, art thou;Shamash, lofty judge of heaven and earth art thou.

Shamash honors the head of the just man;

Shamash rends the evil man like a thong;

Shamash, the support of Anu and Bel, art thou;

Shamash, lofty judge of heaven and earth art thou.

Here follows the plea for the healing of the king.

As healing of sickness was a magical performance, magical powers are attributed to the gods, in the hymnal introduction. Thus:

Heaven and earth are thine;The space of heaven and earth is thine;[28]The magic of life is thine;The spittle of life is thine;The pure incantation of the ocean is thine.

Heaven and earth are thine;

The space of heaven and earth is thine;[28]

The magic of life is thine;

The spittle of life is thine;

The pure incantation of the ocean is thine.

In a Nusku magical text No. 3 Nusku is addressed as:

Mighty in battle, whose attack is powerful,Nusku, who burns up and conquers the fire

Mighty in battle, whose attack is powerful,

Nusku, who burns up and conquers the fire

and there follows in the petition:

Burn the sorcerer and the sorceress;May the life of my sorcerer and my sorceress be destroyed.

Burn the sorcerer and the sorceress;

May the life of my sorcerer and my sorceress be destroyed.

In Sin No. 4 the suppliant is one with whom his god and goddess were angry, upon whom destruction and ruin had come, whose heart was darkened and soul troubled. It is appropriate that he should say to his god,

The fallen one whom thou seizest thou raisest up;A judgment of right and justice thou judgest.The fallen one whom thou seizest thou raisest up;A judgment of right and justice thou judgest.He who has sin thou forgivest quickly the sin;Him against whom his god is angry thou regardest with favor.

The fallen one whom thou seizest thou raisest up;

A judgment of right and justice thou judgest.

The fallen one whom thou seizest thou raisest up;

A judgment of right and justice thou judgest.

He who has sin thou forgivest quickly the sin;

Him against whom his god is angry thou regardest with favor.

In Marduk No. 12 the petition:

To thy city Babylon show favor

corresponds to the ascription:

Bel, thy dwelling is Babylon, Borsippa thy crown.

It has been seen in the case of the invocations that they vary in length from a single word to twenty-three lines, and it is fairly obvious that the increasing length of the invocation gives it more and more of hymnal character. There is a similar variation in the length of the ascriptions. There are some of a single line:

Thy name is altogether good in the mouth of the people.[29]

Thy name is (spread) in the mouth of men, O protecting God,[30]Among all gods thy deity is praised.

Thy name is (spread) in the mouth of men, O protecting God,[30]

Among all gods thy deity is praised.

In other hymnal introductions the ascription is three, six, eight, eleven, and more lines in length. As the ascription increases in length, and as the lament and petition of the prayer likewise diminish in length, and as the ascription of praise changes in character, no longer corresponding to the petitions of the suppliant, we get the evolution of the hymn.

In the well-known prayer to Ishtar (No. 7), the hymnal introduction consists of thirty-seven lines. In it occur such rhetorical questions as:

Where is thy name not heard,where not thy decrees?Where are thy images not made,where are thy temples not founded?Where art thou not great,where art thou not exalted?Anu, Enlil and Ea have exalted thee;among the gods have they increased thy dominion.

Where is thy name not heard,where not thy decrees?

Where are thy images not made,where are thy temples not founded?

Where art thou not great,where art thou not exalted?

Anu, Enlil and Ea have exalted thee;among the gods have they increased thy dominion.

Yet the last lines of this same hymn are particularly suitable to a prayer of lamentation and petition:

Where thou dost regard, the dead live, the sick arise;The afflicted is saved from his affliction, beholding thy face

Where thou dost regard, the dead live, the sick arise;

The afflicted is saved from his affliction, beholding thy face

and this same hymn to Ishtar opens with the words:

I pray unto thee, lady of ladies, goddess of goddesses,

Furthermore, in the hymnal portion is imbedded a lament of four lines, with the refrain:

How long wilt thou tarry?

Therefore this psalm, although containing hymnal material of exceptional beauty, is a single composition, a prayer with a hymnal introduction. On the other hand, Marduk No. 4 has sixteen lines extolling the exploits of the war god, when the text breaks off. The breaking of the text makes a decision difficult, but as there is no indication in any of the ascriptions of praise that a prayer is to follow, one would be inclined to pronounce it a fragment of a hymn rather than of a prayer.

Marduk No. 1 is actually followed by a prayer of an individual, but since the hymnal portion consists of thirty-eight lines describing in large measure mythical feats of the god, one is almost justified in regarding this hymnal portion as an independent hymn.

On the border line between prayer and hymn is Sarpanitum No. 1. The petition is a very general one, asking favor for the worshipper, the king and the sons of Babylon:

To the servant who graciously calls upon thy name, be gracious;For the king who fears thee determine a good fate;To the sons of Babylon give generously.

To the servant who graciously calls upon thy name, be gracious;

For the king who fears thee determine a good fate;

To the sons of Babylon give generously.

It would seem that this petition might be little more than a pious conclusion, or even a postscript to the hymn. If this be true, then themain purpose of the psalm is that of praise, and one must class it among the hymns, remembering however that it is an evolution from the hymnal introduction of the prayer.

Very similar is the case of Sin No. 5. In this psalm are twenty-three lines of invocation, fifteen lines of ascription, and eleven lines of petition. Moreover the portion which we have called ascription opens with a couplet of question and answer:

Who is exalted in heaven,thou alone art exalted;Who is exalted on earth,thou alone art exalted.

Who is exalted in heaven,thou alone art exalted;

Who is exalted on earth,thou alone art exalted.

This couplet is followed by eight lines in praise of the word of Sin, expressed however in the second person, not the third. Unfortunately, the translation of four of the remaining lines is so uncertain that no conclusion can be drawn from them as to the nature of the whole psalm. However, the petition at the close is a general one in behalf of temple and city, and the calling upon the various gods of the pantheon to placate Sin is a recognition of the supreme place of that deity. Here again then, as in the case of the hymn to Sarpanitum, we have a hymn, standing at the end of the line of development of the hymnal introductions.

We have left of the hymns of Class I, two hymns which have no petition at the close. The first of these, however, the hymn to Enlil, may be regarded as introductory to the offering of sacrifices. Nevertheless it is practically an independent hymn and sung, as the conclusion shows, by a congregation:

Father Enlil, with song majestically we come. The hymn to Shamash (No. 7) is unique among the Assyrian hymns, because of its length, being four hundred and twenty-four lines. The style is uniform throughout. In the beginning of the poem line four is a repetition of line two, and line three simply adds the name Shamash to line one. As in other hymns so here the god’s name is held back from the first line in order that it may be inserted with greater emphasis in the second line. Here too there are repeated invocations to the god, that is we have an invocation and ascription of praise, then a second invocation and ascription of praise. Throughout the poem nearly every line is complete by itself and there is no strophic arrangement. Norare there rhetorical questions, nor questions and answers, to relieve the monotony. Portions of it read like wisdom literature:

He who receives not a bribe, who has regard for the weak,Shall be well pleasing to Shamash, he shall prolong his life,The judge, the arbitrer who gives righteous judgment,Shall complete a palace, a princely abode for his dwelling place.He who gives money at usury, what does he profit?He cheats himself of gain, he empties his purse.

He who receives not a bribe, who has regard for the weak,

Shall be well pleasing to Shamash, he shall prolong his life,

The judge, the arbitrer who gives righteous judgment,

Shall complete a palace, a princely abode for his dwelling place.

He who gives money at usury, what does he profit?

He cheats himself of gain, he empties his purse.

These two features, the great length of the hymn and the presence of these wisdom passages would seem to indicate a late and somewhatblasédevelopment of the hymn. Not great enthusiasm for the deity, but sober reflection and the pious wish to say everything possible about the deity controlled the writer. The complete absence of any magical element, whether of ceremonies or prayers, shows that there must have been a considerable hymnal literature of which unfortunately we are not in possession.

We have seen that the great majority of Assyrian hymns are addressed in the second person to deity, which is the usage of prayer; that the temple is the home of these hymns but that a few of them might be called Nature hymns; that they may be divided into two portions, the invocation and the ascription of praise; that they are written in the court style, employing the honorific titles of royalty and nobility; that with very few exceptions they are followed by petitions for divine help, and that the ascriptions of praise are frequently so worded as to be little else than introductory to such petitions; that, as the hymnal portion is lengthened, and as the lament and petition are shortened until they disappear entirely, we have the evolution of the hymn; that it begins with something approaching flattery of the god, as introductory to the appeal for aid, and develops into a genuine expression of adoration for deity.

The invocation of the Assyrian hymn corresponds in a loose way to the call to praise of the Hebrew hymn, and the Ascription of praise corresponds much more closely to the body of the Hebrew hymn. It exalts the deity as being great in the midst of the gods, as bearing a glorious name, as possessor of temples and cities, and as ruler over wide areas, as the creator and preserver of the physical universe, and as being himself wise, and powerful, and merciful, a king and judgeamong gods and men. Closer attention will be given to the content of the Assyrian hymn when comparing that content with the content of the Hebrew hymns of praise.

It ought to be observed that in many instances the Assyrian hymnal introduction to prayer is clearly attested to be the vehicle of individual rather than congregational worship. In certain hymns we have examples of god addressing god in hymnal language, and in connection with other hymns there are directions for the priest to repeat himself both hymnal introduction and the petition which follows it. Moreover in the petition which follows the hymnal introduction a space is frequently left for the insertion of the name of the suppliant. Still more important is the fact that in the hymnal introductions themselves the first personal pronoun frequently occurs:

I pray unto thee, lady of ladies, goddess of goddesses.[31]

I reverence thy name, Marduk, powerful one of the gods,[32]Regent of heaven and earth.

I reverence thy name, Marduk, powerful one of the gods,[32]

Regent of heaven and earth.

Lord, leader of the Igigi, I am obedient to thy word.[33]

Strong one, glorious one, begotten of NunammirWho art clothed with sublimity, powerful one I will praise thy name.[34]

Strong one, glorious one, begotten of Nunammir

Who art clothed with sublimity, powerful one I will praise thy name.[34]

On the other hand there is but one example of the actual use of the first person plural in the hymnal introductions:

Father Enlil with song majestically we come,The presents of the ground are offered to thee as sacrifice.[35]

Father Enlil with song majestically we come,

The presents of the ground are offered to thee as sacrifice.[35]

It is not contended that the hymnal introductions are strongly individual in character, showing the marks of individual originality and genius; on the contrary they are on the whole rather stereotyped and monotonous in their sameness: neither is it urged that the god of these hymnal introductions seems to be in any very marked way the god of the individual human being, but that the hymnal prayer does provide a way for the individual to approach deity in the sanctuary, and that worship was accordingly individual as well as social.

For very many of the Assyrian Hymnal Introductions there is no clear and certain way of determining whether the hymn is congregational or individual, although the general character of the titles and attributes ascribed to deity suggests in many instances the social rather than the individual hymn. However we do have two examples of the processional hymn. Above we quoted the first two lines of a twenty-five line Sumerian processional hymn to Enlil. In this case the worshippers are advancing into the sanctuary bringing with them their sacrificial gifts:

O lord of Sumer figs to thy dwelling we bring.

We have another splendid example of a processional hymn in the hymn to Marduk, No. 13. It is a hymn of thirty-seven lines, of which the first thirty lines welcome the god to his temple, while the last seven lines implore his favor for the cities of Nippur and Sippar and especially for Babylon and his temple Esagila:

Thy city Nippurcast not awaylet her cry to thee: O lord peace.Sipparcast not awaylet her cry to thee: O lord peace.Babylon the city of thy peacecast not awaylet her cry to thee: O lord peace.Look graciously upon thy houselook graciously upon thy citylet them cry to thee: O lord peace.

Thy city Nippurcast not awaylet her cry to thee: O lord peace.

Sipparcast not awaylet her cry to thee: O lord peace.

Babylon the city of thy peacecast not awaylet her cry to thee: O lord peace.

Look graciously upon thy houselook graciously upon thy citylet them cry to thee: O lord peace.

This hymn was sung while the great god, Marduk was being conducted in triumphant procession to his temple:

Return lord, on thine entrance into thy house, may thy house rejoice in thee.

In the first thirty lines this pious wish is repeated with a succession of titles for the deity. Then not only the city, but the great Gods one by one greet Marduk, wishing him on his entrance into his house peace. But processional hymns were also sung when the god was carried forth from the temple:

Arise, come out, O Belthe king expects thee.Arise, come out, our Belitthe king expects thee.Bel comes out from Babylonthe lands bow before him.Sarpanitum comes outfragrant incense is burned.Tashmitum comes outfrankincense full of cypresses is burned.

Arise, come out, O Belthe king expects thee.

Arise, come out, our Belitthe king expects thee.

Bel comes out from Babylonthe lands bow before him.

Sarpanitum comes outfragrant incense is burned.

Tashmitum comes outfrankincense full of cypresses is burned.

It has been mentioned that a common motif for praise was the possession of sanctuaries. It is of interest that out of such hymnal lines as the following developed the independent hymn in praise of the sanctuary:

Thy house Izidais a house incomparable;[36]Thy city Borsippais a city incomparable.

Thy house Izidais a house incomparable;[36]

Thy city Borsippais a city incomparable.

In Ekur, the house of festivals,is thy name exalted.[37]

In Ekur, the temple of holiness,exalted are his decrees.[38]

In Marduk No. 7 and Bel No. 1 we have two fragments of hymns which apparently were devoted entirely to the praise of the sanctuary, as these two hymns are not addressed in the second person to deity, the discussion of them is postponed for a later section.

It is also of interest that hymnal lines in praise of the divine word tended to develop into the independent hymn in praise of the word. Such lines are:

Thy word, when it extends to the seathe sea is frightened;[39]Thy word, when it extends to the marshthe marsh laments.

Thy word, when it extends to the seathe sea is frightened;[39]

Thy word, when it extends to the marshthe marsh laments.

Thy word, when it is proclaimed in heaven,the Igigi prostrate themselves.[40]Thy word, when it is proclaimed on earth,the Annunaki kiss the ground.Thy word, when it sounds on high like a stormwind,makes food and drink to abound.Thy word, when it sounds over the earth,vegetation springs up.Thy word, it makes fat stall and stable,it multiplies living creatures.Thy word, it causes truth and righteousness to ariseso that men speak the truth.Thy word, it is like the distant heaven,the hidden underworld, which no man can see.Thy word, who can know it,who can compare (anything) with it.

Thy word, when it is proclaimed in heaven,the Igigi prostrate themselves.[40]

Thy word, when it is proclaimed on earth,the Annunaki kiss the ground.

Thy word, when it sounds on high like a stormwind,makes food and drink to abound.

Thy word, when it sounds over the earth,vegetation springs up.

Thy word, it makes fat stall and stable,it multiplies living creatures.

Thy word, it causes truth and righteousness to ariseso that men speak the truth.

Thy word, it is like the distant heaven,the hidden underworld, which no man can see.

Thy word, who can know it,who can compare (anything) with it.

Before concluding this chapter on Assyrian hymnal introductions to prayers, it is well to give one complete example of such a hymn, the home of which was the sanctuary:

Strong son, first born of Bel,[41]Great perfect offspring of Isara,Who art clothed with might, who art full of fury,Storm god, whose onslaught is irresistible,Mighty is thy place among the great gods,In Ekur, the house of festivals, is thy head exalted.Bel thy father has granted theeThat the law of all the gods thy hand should hold;Thou renderest the judgment of mankind;Thou leadest him that is without a leader, the man that is in need;Thou graspest the hand of the weak, thou raisest up him that is bowed down;The body of the man that to the lower world has been brought down thou dost restore.From him who sin possesses the sin thou dost remove;The man with whom his guardian god is angry, thou art quick to favor.Ninib, prince among the gods, a warrior art thou.[There follows a petition for the forgiveness of sins.]

Strong son, first born of Bel,[41]

Great perfect offspring of Isara,

Who art clothed with might, who art full of fury,

Storm god, whose onslaught is irresistible,

Mighty is thy place among the great gods,

In Ekur, the house of festivals, is thy head exalted.

Bel thy father has granted thee

That the law of all the gods thy hand should hold;

Thou renderest the judgment of mankind;

Thou leadest him that is without a leader, the man that is in need;

Thou graspest the hand of the weak, thou raisest up him that is bowed down;

The body of the man that to the lower world has been brought down thou dost restore.

From him who sin possesses the sin thou dost remove;

The man with whom his guardian god is angry, thou art quick to favor.

Ninib, prince among the gods, a warrior art thou.

[There follows a petition for the forgiveness of sins.]

The following hymn, which belongs not so much to the sanctuary as to Nature, is of peculiar interest because of the light it throws uponPsalm 19:40-6. Here indeed the Sun god not only runs his course but is in very truth a bridegroom, and has his tent, and, refreshed by the banquet he has enjoyed, is strong to run his race:

Shamash, at thy entrance into the midst of heaven,[42]May the door of the pure heaven greet thee,May the gate of heaven bless thee;May justice, thy beloved messenger, direct thy way;In Ebarra the seat of thy sovereignty, let thy sublimity shine,May Ea, thy beloved wife, come before thee with joy,May thy heart be at rest,May for thy divinity a banquet be prepared.Shamash, warrior hero, be praised.Lord of Ebarra, may thy course be guided aright,Walk the straight path, go upon the course permanently fixed for you.Shamash, judge of the world, determiner of its decisions art thou.

Shamash, at thy entrance into the midst of heaven,[42]

May the door of the pure heaven greet thee,

May the gate of heaven bless thee;

May justice, thy beloved messenger, direct thy way;

In Ebarra the seat of thy sovereignty, let thy sublimity shine,

May Ea, thy beloved wife, come before thee with joy,

May thy heart be at rest,

May for thy divinity a banquet be prepared.

Shamash, warrior hero, be praised.

Lord of Ebarra, may thy course be guided aright,

Walk the straight path, go upon the course permanently fixed for you.

Shamash, judge of the world, determiner of its decisions art thou.

The following delightful fragment of a hymn to Shamash seems to belong even more to Nature’s out of doors than the preceding hymn:

[Beginning of tablet broken.]Lord, illuminator of the darkness, opener of the face of [heaven][43]Merciful God, who raisest up the lowly, who protectest the weak,For thy light wait the great godsThe Annunaki all of them gaze upon thy faceThe mortals all together as a single individual thou leadest.Expectant with raised head they look for the light of the sun;When thou appearest they exult and rejoice;Thou art their light unto the ends of the distant heaven.Of the wide earth the object of attention art thou;There gaze upon thee with joy numerous peoples.[Text breaks off.]

[Beginning of tablet broken.]

Lord, illuminator of the darkness, opener of the face of [heaven][43]

Merciful God, who raisest up the lowly, who protectest the weak,

For thy light wait the great gods

The Annunaki all of them gaze upon thy face

The mortals all together as a single individual thou leadest.

Expectant with raised head they look for the light of the sun;

When thou appearest they exult and rejoice;

Thou art their light unto the ends of the distant heaven.

Of the wide earth the object of attention art thou;

There gaze upon thee with joy numerous peoples.

[Text breaks off.]

Corresponding to this hymn to the Sun God, the following hymn to the Moon God, Sin, is likewise very beautiful:

O Sin, O Nannar, mighty one,[44]Sin who art unique, thou that brightenest,That givest light unto the nations,That unto the human race art favorable,Bright is thy light in heaven,Brilliant is thy flame like the fire god.Thy brightness fills the broad earth;The mortals rejoice, they grow strong who see thee.O Anu of the heavens whose purpose no man understands,Overwhelming is thy light like Shamash thy first born;Before thy face the great gods bow down, the fate of the world is determined by thee.

O Sin, O Nannar, mighty one,[44]

Sin who art unique, thou that brightenest,

That givest light unto the nations,

That unto the human race art favorable,

Bright is thy light in heaven,

Brilliant is thy flame like the fire god.

Thy brightness fills the broad earth;

The mortals rejoice, they grow strong who see thee.

O Anu of the heavens whose purpose no man understands,

Overwhelming is thy light like Shamash thy first born;

Before thy face the great gods bow down, the fate of the world is determined by thee.

There is also among the Assyrian hymns addressed in the second person to deity a group of hymns, which are distinguished by refrains, frequent repetitions of a phrase or clause, or marked parallelisms of lines. It is, however, in most cases very difficult to know whether the hymn is actually antiphonal or not.

Nergal No. 4 is a hymn fragment of ten lines. For the first eight lines, the second half of each line is the refrain: “Destroyer of the hostile land,” while the first half of each line gives a separate title of the god. Thus:

Warrior raging flood ...,destroyer of the hostile land;Warrior, lord of the underworld,destroyer of the hostile land;God that comest forth from Shitlam,destroyer of the hostile land;Great steer, mighty lord,destroyer of the hostile land.

Warrior raging flood ...,destroyer of the hostile land;

Warrior, lord of the underworld,destroyer of the hostile land;

God that comest forth from Shitlam,destroyer of the hostile land;

Great steer, mighty lord,destroyer of the hostile land.

One would be inclined to suggest that a priest chanted the first half line and a choir the refrain. The difficulty is that elsewhere we have such refrains where an individual is the speaker.

In a hymn to Ramman (No. 3) Enlil thus addressed his son Ramman:

Thou, O my son, thou storm with all seeing eyes,Thou storm god with vision from on high;Ramman, thou storm,Thou storm god with vision from on high;Thou storm who like the seven demons flieth,Thou storm god with vision from on high.Storm, may thy sonorous voice give forth its utterance,Thou storm god with vision from on high.The lightning thy messenger send forth,Thou storm god with vision from on high.

Thou, O my son, thou storm with all seeing eyes,

Thou storm god with vision from on high;

Ramman, thou storm,

Thou storm god with vision from on high;

Thou storm who like the seven demons flieth,

Thou storm god with vision from on high.

Storm, may thy sonorous voice give forth its utterance,

Thou storm god with vision from on high.

The lightning thy messenger send forth,

Thou storm god with vision from on high.

The next five lines, still continuing the message of Enlil to his son, has the refrain: “Who can strive with thee.”

My son, go forth, go up, who that cometh can strive with thee?If the foe do harm, the father is over thee, who can strive with thee?With the small hail stones thou art skillful, who can strive with thee?With the great hail stones thou art skillful, who can strive with thee?Let thy small and great stones be upon him, who can strive with thee?

My son, go forth, go up, who that cometh can strive with thee?

If the foe do harm, the father is over thee, who can strive with thee?

With the small hail stones thou art skillful, who can strive with thee?

With the great hail stones thou art skillful, who can strive with thee?

Let thy small and great stones be upon him, who can strive with thee?

Since these two refrains are both in a passage spoken by an individual, it must be concluded that in this hymn at any rate the refrain is used, not for antiphonal rendering, but for impressiveness, perhaps for magical power.

In the light of the above fact, it is altogether possible that the refrain occurring eight times in the invocation to Sin (Sin No. 5) may have been recited by the priest, and not by the choir in antiphonal response to the priest. The refrain differs from the preceding examples in that the titles of deities which lend variety to the lines are imbedded in the middle of the refrain:

Father Nannar, lord Anshar,chief of the gods;Father Nannar, lord great Anu,chief of the gods;Father Nannar, lord Sin,chief of the gods;Father Nannar, lord of Ur,chief of the gods;Father Nannar, lord of Egishirgal,chief of the gods;Father Nannar, lord of the tiara, brilliant one,chief of the gods;Father Nannar, whose rule is perfect,chief of the gods;Father Nannar, who dost go forth in the robe of majesty,chief of the gods.

Father Nannar, lord Anshar,chief of the gods;

Father Nannar, lord great Anu,chief of the gods;

Father Nannar, lord Sin,chief of the gods;

Father Nannar, lord of Ur,chief of the gods;

Father Nannar, lord of Egishirgal,chief of the gods;

Father Nannar, lord of the tiara, brilliant one,chief of the gods;

Father Nannar, whose rule is perfect,chief of the gods;

Father Nannar, who dost go forth in the robe of majesty,chief of the gods.

A fragment of a hymn to Nebo (Nebo No. 2) has in a passage of five lines yet a different use of the refrain. The refrain which makes up the second half of each line is varied in three lines by the introduction of a new word from the first half line:

O lord, thy mightis a might incomparable;O Nebo, thy mightis a might incomparable;Thy house Ezidais a house incomparable;Thy city Borsippais a city incomparable;Thy district of Babylonis a district incomparable.

O lord, thy mightis a might incomparable;

O Nebo, thy mightis a might incomparable;

Thy house Ezidais a house incomparable;

Thy city Borsippais a city incomparable;

Thy district of Babylonis a district incomparable.

The carrying forward in the refrain of the important word of the first half line does suggest very forcibly that an individual chanted the first half line, and a choir the second half line. The same arrangement would hold for the couplet that follows the above lines, the second line of the couplet being a response to the first.

Thy weapon is a dragonfrom whose mouth no poison flows;Thy weapon is a dragonfrom whose mouth no blood sprays.

Thy weapon is a dragonfrom whose mouth no poison flows;

Thy weapon is a dragonfrom whose mouth no blood sprays.

But mere arrangement in couplets and close parallelisms seems insufficient to prove the presence of responses, for in a hymn to Nebo (Nebo No. 4) it is Nusku who speaks, though the couplet would suggest a response:

Lord, warlike art thou,perfect in understanding through thyself,Ninib, warlike art thou,perfect in understanding through thyself.

Lord, warlike art thou,perfect in understanding through thyself,

Ninib, warlike art thou,perfect in understanding through thyself.

Likewise the priest, we are informed, speaks in the following couplet:

Bel, to whom in his strength there is no equal,Bel, gracious king, lord of the lands.(Marduk No. 12.)

Bel, to whom in his strength there is no equal,

Bel, gracious king, lord of the lands.

(Marduk No. 12.)

So also the hymnal introduction of the two following couplets is to the prayer of an individual:

Thou treadest in the high heavens,lofty is thy place;Thou art great in Hadesthere is none like thee.

Thou treadest in the high heavens,lofty is thy place;

Thou art great in Hadesthere is none like thee.

With Ea in the multitude of the godsis thy counsel preëminentWith Sin in the heavensthou see’st through everything.(Nergal No. 1.)

With Ea in the multitude of the godsis thy counsel preëminent

With Sin in the heavensthou see’st through everything.

(Nergal No. 1.)

There are two long hymns to Nergal (Nergal No. 5 and No. 6) in which the antiphonal response seems to be a certainty. In Nergal No. 5 the response, coming in the second line, consists of the words: “God Nergal” followed by an additional word or phrase borrowed from the preceding line.

Warrior whose terribleness ...God Nergal, Warrior;Prince of the shining face and flaming mouth ...God Nergal, Prince of the Shining Face;Legitimate son, favorite of Bel,Great Guardian ...God Nergal, Legitimate Son;Chief of the great godsClothed in grandeur and splendor ...God Nergal, Chief;Mighty one over the AnnunakiWhose splendor is terrifying ...God Nergal, Mighty OneLord of the raised head,Lofty one, favorite of Ekur ...God Nergal, Lord of the Raised HeadHigh one of the great godsWhose judgment and decision ...God Nergal, High OneLofty giantWho spittest out poison ...God Nergal, Lofty GiantOf gigantic size with terrible limbs, raging demons to right and left of him,God Nergal, of Gigantic SizeOf tremendous power, whose blow is effective, crouches a demon at his side,God Nergal, of Tremendous Power;Great sword god, at the noise of whose feet the barred house opens,God Nergal, Great Sword GodLord who goeth about by night, to whom bolted doors open of themselves,God Nergal, Lord Who Goeth by Night;Warrior his whip cracks and men cry: “The noise of his weapon”God Nergal, Warrior His Whip Cracks;Perfect one, whose strength is overwhelming ...God Nergal, Perfect One;Combatter of the enemy of Ekur, the foe of Duranki thou combattest,God Nergal, Combatter of the Enemy;Frightful one, raging fire god ...God Nergal, Frightful One;Storm flood which overwhelms the disobedient land ...God Nergal, Storm Flood which Overwhelms.[Tablet breaks off.]

Warrior whose terribleness ...

God Nergal, Warrior;

Prince of the shining face and flaming mouth ...

God Nergal, Prince of the Shining Face;

Legitimate son, favorite of Bel,Great Guardian ...

God Nergal, Legitimate Son;

Chief of the great godsClothed in grandeur and splendor ...

God Nergal, Chief;

Mighty one over the AnnunakiWhose splendor is terrifying ...

God Nergal, Mighty One

Lord of the raised head,Lofty one, favorite of Ekur ...

God Nergal, Lord of the Raised Head

High one of the great godsWhose judgment and decision ...

God Nergal, High One

Lofty giantWho spittest out poison ...

God Nergal, Lofty Giant

Of gigantic size with terrible limbs, raging demons to right and left of him,

God Nergal, of Gigantic Size

Of tremendous power, whose blow is effective, crouches a demon at his side,

God Nergal, of Tremendous Power;

Great sword god, at the noise of whose feet the barred house opens,

God Nergal, Great Sword God

Lord who goeth about by night, to whom bolted doors open of themselves,

God Nergal, Lord Who Goeth by Night;

Warrior his whip cracks and men cry: “The noise of his weapon”

God Nergal, Warrior His Whip Cracks;

Perfect one, whose strength is overwhelming ...

God Nergal, Perfect One;

Combatter of the enemy of Ekur, the foe of Duranki thou combattest,

God Nergal, Combatter of the Enemy;

Frightful one, raging fire god ...

God Nergal, Frightful One;

Storm flood which overwhelms the disobedient land ...

God Nergal, Storm Flood which Overwhelms.

[Tablet breaks off.]

Since the second line of each of the twenty-five couplets above begins with the words: “God Nergal” and, then adds the first word or phrase of the preceding line, it may be called a refrain with variations. Moreover it would seem probable that a priest chanted the longer first line, and a choir the second line in response.

Nergal No. 6 opens with an introductory couplet:

Flood watering the harvestknows any one thy name?Powerful one, flood watering the harvestknows any one thy name?

Flood watering the harvestknows any one thy name?

Powerful one, flood watering the harvestknows any one thy name?

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