Prayer to Shamash for Ashurbanipal (A)

http://jewishchristianlit.com/Texts/ANEhymns/pr$m$.html

 

This text is in reality a hymn of praise to the god Shamash, to which has been appended a prayer for the well-being of Ashurbanipal, king of Assyria, 668-633 BC. This composition has a feature in its final lines which is unusual for hymns and prayers, but which is reminiscent of numerous royal inscriptions from very early times in Mesopotamia; a blessing is pronounced on whoever makes proper use of the piece, and a corresponding curse is added for its misuse. Duplicate copies of the text are preserved on two tablets found in the German excavations at Ashur.

 

(Texts: All Artifacts, Color Coding, & Writings in Bold Type With Italics Inside Parenthesis, are Added by Editor R. Brown, not the Authors, Translators, or Publishers!)

(gods in blue….mixed-breed demigods in teal)

 

O light of the great gods, light of the earth, illuminator (Sun God) of the world-regions,

… exalted judge, the honored one of the upper and lower regions,

… Thou dost look into all the lands with thy light.

As one who does not cease from revelation, daily thou dost determine the decisions of heaven and earth.

Thy [rising] is a flaming fire (Sun God); all the stars in heaven are covered over.

Thou art uniquely brilliant; no one among the gods is equal with thee.

3aa - Nanna & his symbol (Nannar, symbolized as Moon Crescent God, giant alien resided in Ur, city of Biblical Abraham)

With Sin (Nannar), thy (Utu’s) father, thou dost hold court; thou dost deliver ordinances.

Anu and (son) Enlil (Anu>Enlil>Nannar>Utu) without thy consent establish no decision.

6-anu-above-enlil-enki

            (Apkulla / pilot, Enki, King Anu in his sky-disc, Tree of Life, Enlil, & winged eagle-headed Apkulla / pilot, minor god)

Ea (Enki, God over Waters), the determiner of judgment in the midst of the Deep, depends upon thee.

3k-ninsun-her-son-gudea-ningishzidda-enki

 (Ninsun, her son-king Gudea, Ningishzidda with his entwined serpents symbol on his shoulders, & seated Enki “looks upon thy face”)

[literally “looks upon thy face“]

The attention of all the gods is turned to thy bright rising.

They inhale incense; they receive pure bread-offerings.

The incantation priests [bow down] under thee in order to cause signs of evil to pass away.

7a-animal-offering-to-shamash

 (semi-divine high-priest atop Nannar‘s temple in Ur, Ninsun, her semi-divine son-king with dinner, & Utu with rock cutter saw)

The oracel priests [stand before] thee in order to make the hands worthy to bring oracles.

       (Ashurbanipal university statue, Ashur’s giant semi-divine descendant-king of Assyria, ruled according to orders given by gods)

[I am] thy [servant], Ashurbanipal, the exercising of whose kingship thou didst command in a vision,

[The worshiper of] thy bright divinity, who makes glorious the appurtenances of thy divinity,

[The proclaimer of] thy greatness, who glorifies thy praise to widespread peoples.

 

Judge his case; turn his fate to prosperity.

[Keep] him in splendor; daily let him walk safely.

           (giant semi-divine King Ashurbanipal taking it easy)

[Forever] may he rule over thy people whom thou hast given him in righteousness.

[In the house] which he made, and within which he caused thee to dwell in joy,

May he rejoice in his heart, in his disposition may he be happy, may he be satisfied in living.

 

Whoever shall sing this psalm, (and) name the name of Ashurbanipal,

In abundance and righteousness may he rule over the people of Enlil.

Whoever shall learn this text (and) glorify the judge of the gods,

2g - unknown king & Utu-Shamash (semi-divine king kneels before giant god Utu / Shamash)

May Shamash enrich his …; may he make pleasing his command over the people.

Whoever shall cause this song to cease, (and) shall not glorify Shamash, the light of the great gods,

21f-assurbanipal-could-read-the-ancient-scripts  (Ashurbanipal, taught many languages by the gods, intelligent, & able to read the ancient texts)

Or shall change the name of Ashurbanipal, the exercise of whose kingship

Shamash in a vision commanded, and then shall name another royal name,

 

May his playing on the harp be displeasing to the people (copied by Roman Emperor Nero);

may his song of rejoicing be a thorn and a thistle.