Zu-buru-dabbeda

Ancient Akkadian text

Zu-buru-dabbeda, inscribed zú-buru5-dib-bé-da, is the most complete exemplar of a small body of similarly themed texts from ancient Mesopotamia.[1] Composed in Akkadian, it is a compendium of incantations against field pests such as locusts, grasshoppers, insect larvae, weevils and other vermin, the creatures known as the "great dogs of Ninkilim". Authorship credited to a certain Papsukkal-ša-iqbû-ul-inni, a scholar and cleric of Babylon and Borsippa.

The text

Listed in the Exorcist's Manual,[i 1] recovered from Nineveh, Aššur, Babylon, Sippar and Uruk and the catalogue of apotropaic and prophylactic rituals known as Namburbi from Nineveh, it was inscribed on perhaps four tablets. It is one of the many texts only recovered from the Library of Ashurbanipal. The text provides a series of invocations to various deities, entreating them to deflect various subjects of the god Ninkilim:[2]

Accept, O East Wind that averts [storm-damage!] Eat the tasty food, drink [the sweet liquid!] Get rid of the great dogs of [Ninkilim,] locusts whose mouths are a Deluge, [a tempest,] mice whose mouths are a Deluge, [a tempest!] Come [around] to this plot of farmland and lead them [away . . . !] Seize them by the hand, [take them away! Take them off ] to the latch of the heavens! Roast them, [ . . . them!] By command of Marduk, [lord of exorcism,] by command of Adad, [king of plenty,] by command of Ninurta, foremost one of E-kur![i 2]

There is a sequence of šuilla-prayers and incantations ("ka.inim.ma") to a variety of gods and the four winds, in a formulaic structure. The latter part of the series introduces rituals, one of which involves the fumigation of the infested field with a censer of juniper. In a letter[i 3] to Sargon II by his governor of Assur, Ṭab-ṣilli-Ešarra, he quotes the king's instructions to carry out just such a ritual fumigation.[3] The final ritual includes a pause of seven days, a sacrificial white lamb, a bonfire heaped with a variety of offerings, and careful treatment of the charred remains. The tablet includes a plea that "An ignorant scholar, who does not know the wise arts and is not skilled in wisdom, must not see (it)!" It then concludes with a list of equipment needed to perform the rituals.[2]

Inscriptions

  1. ^ VAT 8275 (KAR 44) and duplicates, obverse 22.
  2. ^ Tablet K 3270+, 16–28.
  3. ^ Tablet ABL 1015.

References

  1. ^ A. R. George (1999). "The Dogs of Ninkilim: Magic against field pests in ancient Mesopotamia". Landwirtschaft im alten Mesopotamien – Ausgewählte Vorträge der XLI. Rencontre Assyriologique Internationale, Berlin 4.–8.7. 1994. pp. 291–99.
  2. ^ a b A. R. George and Junko Taniguchi (2010). "The Dogs of Ninkilim, part two: Babylonian rituals to counter field pests" (PDF). Iraq. LXXII: 79–148. doi:10.1017/S0021088900000607. S2CID 190713244.
  3. ^ K. Radnor (2003). "Ritual locust control in SAA 1 103". NABU (3): 74–76.
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The Exorcists Manual (KAR 44) Museum number: VAT 8275
1–3
  • Here is the complete list of the titles of the works of Magic that have been established for teaching and reference:
  • The God Kulla
  • Mîs-pî (Washing of the mouth)
  • Nišûtu ēní (enthronement of a priest)
  • Amāt Apsî (Formulae of the Apsu) †
  • Ginutaqū (Touching of the reed) †
  • Šuluḫḫē ilī (Ablution rites of the Gods) †
4–5
  • Ki’utuku (conjurations by Šamaš)
  • Šu’illaku (conjurations by the Lifted Hand)
  • Dingir-šà-dib-ba (The Irate Gods)
  • Népeš Du’uzu (Conjuratory operations for the month of Du'uzu) †
  • Sakkû šarrūti (Royal rituals) †
6–7
8–10
11–12
13–14
  • Ki’utuku (conjurations by Šamaš, of the Gods and Men)
  • Ušburrudû
  • Namerimburrudû
  • Šibiṭ šāri (Blast of wind) †
  • The Demoness Lamaštu
  • Conjurations against All Evil (Namburbi)
  • Maqlû (Combustion)
  • Šurpu (Cremation)
  • To change bad dreams into good †
  • Ša-zi-ga (The Lifting of the Heart)
15–16
  • Erîtu rakistu (Pregnant Woman Impeached) †
  • Sinništu šupšuqatu (Woman in difficulty) †
  • Ṣeḫru nûhu (To calm a baby)
  • Muruṣ îni (Eye-ache)
  • Muruṣ šinnî (Toothache)
  • Būšānu-disease (Frozen mouth)
17–18
  • Muruṣ libbi (Stomach ache)
  • Muruṣ ḫašî (Lung-disease)
  • Šipāt murṣi kalama (Incantation against all sorts of illness)
  • Dam appi parâsu (To cut off the nose-bleed)
  • Âra parâsu (Vomiting) †
  • Nišḫa parâsu (Diarrhea)
19–20
  • Šinni ṣīri bulluṭu (To curse a snake-bite)
  • Zuqaqīpa bulluṭu (To heal scorpion-bites)
  • To heal Samānu (red disease)
  • Šēp lemutti (to expel ‘foot of evil’)
  • Di’u, šibṭu, mutānu šutuqi (To avert di'u plague and epidemic)
  • Niqê šumḫuri (To cause offerings to be received)
21–22
  • Namburbi ritual of the city, house, field and canal
  • Daily offerings to Nisaba
  • U4-dè-ra-ra dib-bé-da (To avert torrential rain) †
  • Zu-buru-dabbeda (To avert ʺlocust toothʺ)
  • To ...... to the desert †
23–24
  • Edin-na dib-bé-da (To pass without danger through the desert)
  • gi lú-kúr nu-te-ge26-e-dè (To prevent the arrow of the enemy from touching the client)
  • Ki-šú al-dib (To keep his army fighting)
  • To purify the stables of the cattle large and small, as well as the horses †
25–26
  • Divinations according to falling stars, the flight of birds, the behavior of oxen and cattle, ominous sounds, flour, dice and of all the Gods
  • Abnu šikinšu (The Stone which looks like this)
  • Šammu šikinšu (The Plant which looks like this)
  • Ṭuppī-abnāti (Stone Tablets)
  • Ṭuppī-šammī (Plant Tablets)
  • Tablets of Necklaces and Pendants †
27–28
  • The following are the titles of Esagil-kin-apli's magical works.
  • All the prescriptions of the Touching of the Reed, which Ea has authored
  • Kikiṭṭu (Ceremonies) and Šerkugû (Sacred Chants)
29–30
  • All that exists concerning the Rites against Bewitchment,
  • and Rites of the Dissolution of the Evil Omens of Heaven and Earth (Namburbi)
  • The Totality of Wisdom †
  • The Secret of Magic †
31–32
  • The Sealed Book of the Order of Heaven and Earth †
  • The Mystery of the Apsu †
  • Šipātu aḫātu (Extraordinary Conjurations) †
  • Šipir šimmat rimuti u sagalli (Prescriptions against paralysis) †
  • Sagallû (Muscle disease)
  • SA.GIG
  • All the prescriptions against .......
33–34
  • Bulṭi miqit šamê (Remedies for the Evil Above)
  • Bêl ūri (Evil of the Lord of the Roof)
  • Šudingirrakku (Seizure of a God)
  • Qât Ištar (Seizure of a Goddess)
  • Šugidimmakku (Seizure of a Ghost)
  • Alû lemnu
  • The Demon Lemmu
  • Mukīl rēš lemutti (The Harbinger)
  • Šunamerimmakku (Seizure by a broken oath)
  • Qât amêlūtu (Seizure by a man)
35–38
The remedies for all similar diseases, completely, All of the symptoms of diseases, The prescriptions relating to the diseases of women. * Until the time when, having become a Master of the entire Art of Magic, you possess the secret. After which you will learn to hear and interpret the commentaries as well as the list of correspondences, and to practice the rituals in both Sumerian and Akkadian.
39–40
  • In This Way Your Sanctuary....
  • I Have Wandered In Despair...
  • Enuma Anu Enlil
  • Šumma ālu ina melê šakin
  • And also to reason and debate in order to reach a consensus
41–43
Upon the one who is vigorous, wise, and penetrating to Great Knowledge, the Two Gods, the Lords (Ea and Marduk), will confer Vast Understanding. Unto this one these Gods will grant a Guardian Angel, whose name will be pronounced unto the Most Distant Times. Copied and collated with a most ancient copy. A tablet belonging to Kisir-dNabu, son of dŠamaš-ibni, magician of the Ešara.
† Work not extant