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قراءة كتاب Sumerian Hymns from Cuneiform Texts in the British Museum
تنويه: تعرض هنا نبذة من اول ١٠ صفحات فقط من الكتاب الالكتروني، لقراءة الكتاب كاملا اضغط على الزر “اشتر الآن"
Sumerian Hymns from Cuneiform Texts in the British Museum
god Bêl and the god Ea. The hierarchy of heaven consisted of the god Nannar, the god Šamaš and the god Ištar; that is, the moon-god, the sun-god and the star-god. The reason for placing Nannar above Šamaš was that Nannar was the god of the ruling city, while Šamaš was the city god of the dependent state, though the sun which Šamaš represents is stronger than the moon which Nannar represents, and we should expect Šamaš, therefore, to receive the first place. The god of the city of Larsa was Šamaš. The god of the city of Ur was Nannar. When Larsa became subject to Ur, the god of Larsa; viz., Šamaš, became the child of the god of Ur; that is, of Nannar. The relation of the night to the calendar also shows that the rank of Nannar was superior to that of Šamaš. The day began at evening; not with the morning. The sun too was the son of the night; that is, it issued forth from the night, in the morning. Kings, thinking of this fact, that the sun was born of the night, often addressed Šamaš as the offspring of the god Sin. The rising of the moon in the night to send forth its light into the darkness also impressed the Babylonian with the power of the moon. The waxing and waning of the moon left the same impression on the Babylonian mind. The regularity of the phases of the moon and its effect upon the tides as well showed the moon to be an agent in marking time. Finally, the place of the moon among the stars also gave him the appearance of having royal sway.
Nannar’s national influence was much like that of Bêl. Geographically, he represented southern Babylonia, while Bêl was the chief deity of northern Babylonia. When Marduk became the patron god of Babylon, Bêl and Nannar still held their positions as patron gods, but in subordination to Marduk. Besides, they did not lose their influence as supreme deities, each in his peculiar sphere, Bêl as the god of the earth and Nannar as the god of the moon. Bêl was ruler of the earth while Nannar was, by his light, a producer in the earth. Bêl was the providential director of life on earth, Nannar was the originator of life on earth, as he formed the child in the womb. Both were superhuman in power and wisdom. Thus Ḥammurabi: “My words are mighty. If a man pay no attention to my words, may Bêl, the lord who determines destinies, whose command cannot be altered, who has enlarged my dominion, drive him out from his dwelling. May Sin, the lord of heaven, my divine creator, whose scimetar shines among the gods, take away from him the crown and throne of sovereignty.”[23]
No god in the mind of the Babylonian had reached the position of combining in himself all the qualities of divinity. So it did not seem inconsistent to the Babylonian to worship two gods like Bêl and Nannar, or more gods. There was a tolerance of all gods; each was considered as acting in his own circle, and these circles did not necessarily exclude the one the other. One god might be more important than another, according to the importance of the circle in which his virtue was effective, or according to the importance of the political power the circle of whose sway was under the special tutelage of some particular god. Babylonian worship cannot be said to be polytheistic in the grosser form, nor had it reached the higher ideal that lies in monotheism. It may properly be considered a henotheistic worship in which there is a pantheon of gods whose local and universal claims did not cause the gods or their devotees to war the one on the other.
There is a truly great bilingual hymn addressed to Nannar. According to the colophon it was transcribed by the chief penman of Ašurbânipal from an old copy. My impression is that it is an enlargement of the hymn to Nannar of which this Thesis gives a transliteration, translation and commentary. For this reason I herewith append the following translation:
“O lord, highest of the gods, alone in heaven and earth exalted!
O father Nannar, lord of Anšar, highest of the gods!
O father Nannar, lord Anu the great, highest of the gods!
O father Nannar, lord Sin, highest of the gods!
O father Nannar, lord of Ur, highest of the gods!
O father Nannar, lord of E-gišširgal, highest of the gods!
O father Nannar, lord of the shining crown, highest of the gods!
O father Nannar, of most perfect royalty, highest of the gods!
O father Nannar, in royal robes marching, highest of the gods!
O strong young bullock, with great horns, of perfect physical strength, with hazel-colored pointed beard of luxurious growth and perfect fulness!
O fruit, whose stalk growing of itself reacheth a tall form, beautiful to look upon, whose perfection never satiateth!
O mother, the producer of life, thou who settest up for the creatures of life a lofty dwelling!
O merciful and gracious father, thou who holdest in hand the life of all the land!
O lord, thy divinity, like the distant heavens and the broad sea, inspireth reverence!
O creator of the lands, founding the temple and giving it a name!
O namer of royalty, determiner of the future for distant days!
O mighty prince, whose distant thought no god can declare!
O thou whose knee bendeth not, opener of the road for the gods thy brothers!
O thou who goest forth from the foundation of heaven to the height of heaven, opening the door of heaven, creating light for all men!
O father, begetter of all, who lookest upon the creatures of life, who thinkest of them!
O lord, who fixest the destiny of heaven and earth, whose command no one changeth!
O thou who holdest the fire and the water, who turnest the life of creation, what god reacheth thy fulness!
Who in heaven is high? Thou alone art high.
Who on earth is high? Thou alone art high.
As for thee, when thy word is spoken in heaven, the Igigi bow down the face.
As for thee, when thy word is spoken on earth, the Anunaki kiss the ground.
As for thee, when thy word like the wind resoundeth on high, food and drink abound.
As for thee, when thy word is established in the land, it causeth vegetation to grow.
As for thee, thy word maketh fat the herd and flock and increaseth the creatures of life.
As for thee, thy word secureth truth and righteousness and causeth men to speak righteousness.
As for thee, thy word extendeth to heaven, it covereth the earth, no one can comprehend it.
As for thee, thy word, who can understand it, who can approach it!
O lord, in heaven supreme, on earth the leader, among the gods thy brothers without a rival.
O king of kings, the lofty one, whose command no one approacheth, whose divinity no god can liken.
Where thy eye looketh thou showest favor, where thy hand toucheth thou securest salvation.
O lord, the shining one, who directeth truth and righteousness in heaven and earth and causeth them to go forth.
Look graciously on thy temple, look graciously on thy city.
Look graciously on Ur, look graciously on E-gišširgal,
Thy beloved consort, the gracious mother, calleth to thee: O lord give rest!
The hero Šamaš calleth to thee: O lord give rest!
The Igigi call to thee: O lord give rest!