Babylonian and Assyrian Literature Part 51

Babylonian inscriptions are by no means so replete with interest as the a.s.syrian. The latter embrace the various expeditions in which the a.s.syrian monarchs were engaged, and bring us into contact with the names and locality of rivers, cities, and mountain-ranges, with contemporary princes in Judea and elsewhere, and abound in details as to domestic habits, civil usages, and the implements and modes of warfare. But the Babylonian inscriptions refer mainly to the construction of temples, palaces, and other public buildings, and at the same time present especial difficulties in their numerous architectural terms which it is often impossible to translate with any certainty. They are, however, interesting as records of the piety and religious feelings of the sovereigns of Babylon, and as affording numerous topographical notices of that famous city; while the boastful language of the inscription will often remind the reader of Nebuchadnezzar's words in Dan. iv. 30: "Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom, by the might of my power, and for the honor of my majesty?" Compare column vii, line 32.

The reign of Nebuchadnezzar extended from B.C. 604 to 561. In B.C. 598 he laid siege to Jerusalem (2 Kings xxiv.) and made Jehoiachin prisoner, and in 588 again captured the city, and carried Zedekiah, who had rebelled against him, captive to Babylon (2 Kings xxv.). Josephus gives an account of his expeditions against Tyre and Egypt, which are also mentioned with many details in Ezek. xxvii.-xxix.

The name Nebuchadnezzar, or more accurately Nebuchadrezzar (Jer. xxi. 2, 7, etc.), is derived from the Jewish Scriptures. But in the inscriptions it reads Nebo-kudurri-ussur, _i.e.,_ "may Nebo protect the crown"; a name a.n.a.logous to that of his father Nebo(Nabu)-habal-ussur. ("Nebo protect the son") and to that of Belshazzar, _i.e.,_ "Bel protect the prince." The phonetic writing of Nebuchadnezzar is _"An-pa-sa-du-sis,"_ each of which syllables has been identified through the syllabaries. The word "_kudurri_" is probably the [Hebrew: kether] of Esther vi. 8, and the [Greek: kidaris] of the Greeks. The inscriptions of which a translation follows was found at Babylon by Sir Harford Jones Bridges, and now forms part of the India House Collection. It is engraved on a short column of black basalt, and is divided into ten columns, containing 619 lines.

It may be worth while to remark that in the name given to the prophet Daniel, Belteshazzar, _i.e.,_ Balat-su-ussur ("preserve thou his life"), and in Abednego ("servant of Nebo"), we have two of the component parts of the name of Nebuchadnezzar himself.

INSCRIPTION OF NEBUCHADNEZZAR

COLUMN I

1 Nebuchadnezzar 2 King of Babylon, 3 glorious Prince, 4 worshipper of Marduk, 5 adorer of the lofty one, 6 glorifier of Nabu, 7 the exalted, the possessor of intelligence, 8 who the processions of their divinities 9 hath increased; 10 a worshipper of their Lordships, 11 firm, not to be destroyed; 12 who for the embellishment 13 of Bit-Saggatu and Bit-Zida[1]

14 appointed days hath set apart, and 15 the shrines of Babylon 16 and of Borsippa 17 hath steadily increased; 18 exalted Chief, Lord of peace, 19 embellisher of Bit-Saggatu and Bit-Zida, 20 the valiant son 21 of Nabopola.s.sar 22 King of Babylon am I.

23 When he, the Lord G.o.d my maker made me, 24 the G.o.d Merodach, he deposited 25 my germ in my mother's (womb): 26 then being conceived 27 I was made.

28 Under the inspection of a.s.sur my judge 29 the processions of the G.o.d I enlarged, 30 (namely) of Merodach great Lord, the G.o.d my maker.

31 His skilful works 32 highly have I glorified; 33 and of Nebo his eldest son 34 exalter of My Royalty 35 the processions (in honor of)[2] his exalted deity 36 I firmly established.

37 With all my heart firmly 38 (in) worship of their deities I uprose 39 in reverence for Nebo their Lord.

40 Whereas Merodach, great Lord, 41 the head of My ancient Royalty, 42 hath empowered me over mult.i.tudes of men, 43 and (whereas) Nebo bestower of thrones in heaven and earth, 44 for the sustentation of men, 45 a sceptre of righteousness 46 hath caused my hand to hold; 47 now I, that sacred way 48 for the resting-place of their divinities, 49 for a memorial of all their names, 50 as a worshipper of Nebo, Yav and Istar, 51 for Merodach my Lord I strengthened.

52 Its threshold I firmly laid, and 53 my devotion of heart he accepted, and 54 him did I proclaim 55 ... Lord of all beings, and[3]

56 as Prince of the lofty house, and 57 thou, (O Nebuchadnezzar) hast proclaimed the name of him 58 who has been beneficent unto thee.

59 His name, (O G.o.d,) thou wilt preserve, 60 the path of righteousness thou hast prescribed to him.

61 I, a Prince, and thy worshipper 62 am the work of thy hand; 63 thou hast created me, and[4]

64 the empire over mult.i.tudes of men 65 thou hast a.s.signed me, 66 according to thy favor, O Lord, 67 which thou hast accorded 68 to them all.[5]

69 May thy lofty Lordship be exalted!

70 in the worship of thy divinity 71 may it subsist! in my heart 72 may it continue, and my life which to thee is devoted

_(Continued on Column II_.)

[Footnote 1: Two of the princ.i.p.al temples of Babylon. The former occurs below, Col. ii. 40, where it is followed by the epithet, "Temple of his power." Dr. Oppert always renders it "la Pyramide et la Tour."]

[Footnote 2: Literally, "the goings." Compare Ps. lxviii. 24: "They have seen thy goings, O G.o.d," i.e., processions.]

[Footnote 3: Of this line Mr. Norris (Dict., p. 166) states "that he cannot suggest any rendering."]

[Footnote 4: It seems as if the hand were addressed.]

[Footnote 5: I.e., "in making me their ruler."]

COLUMN II

1 mayest thou bless!

2 He, the Chief, the honorable, 3 the Prince of the G.o.ds, the great Merodach, 4 my gracious Lord, heard 5 and received my prayer; 6 he favored it, and by his exalted power, 7 reverence for his deity 8 placed he in my heart: 9 to bear his tabernacle 10 he hath made my heart firm, 11 with reverence for thy power, 12 for exalted service, 13 greatly and eternally.

14 The foundation of his temple it was 15 which from the upper waters 16 to the lower waters 17 in a remote way, 18 in a spot exposed to winds, 19 in a place whose pavements had been broken, 20 low, dried up, 21 a rugged way, 22 a difficult path, 23 I extended.

24 The disobedient I stirred up, 25 and I collected the poor and 26 gave full directions (for the work) and 27 in numbers I supported them.

28 Wares and ornaments 29 for the women I brought forth, 30 silver, molten gold, precious stones, 31 metal, _umritgana_ and cedar woods, 32 (however their names be written) 33 a splendid abundance, 34 the produce of mountains, 35 sea clay,[1]

36 beautiful things in abundance, 37 riches and sources of joy, 38 for my city Babylon, 39 into his presence have I brought 40 for Bit-Saggatu 41 the temple of his power, 42 ornaments for Dakan[2]

43 Bit-Kua, the shrine 44 of Merodach, Lord of the house of the G.o.ds, 45 I have made conspicuous with fine linen[3]

46 and its seats 47 with splendid gold, 48 as for royalty and deity, 49 with lapis lazuli and alabaster blocks[4]

50 I carefully covered them over; 51 a gate of pa.s.sage, the gate Beautiful,[5]

52 and the gate of Bit-Zida and Bit-Saggatu 53 I caused to be made brilliant as the sun.

54 A fulness of the treasures of countries I acc.u.mulated;[6]

55 around the city it was placed as an ornament, 56 when at the festival of Lilmuku at the beginning of the year, 57 on the eighth day (and) eleventh day, 58 the divine Prince, Deity of heaven and earth, the Lord G.o.d, 59 they raised within it.

60 (The statue) of the G.o.d El, the beauty of the sphere, 61 reverently they bring; 62 treasure have they displayed before it, 63 a monument to lasting days, 64 a monument of my life.

65 They also placed within it

_(Continued on Column III_.)

[Footnote 1: Mr. Norris conjectures "amber."]

[Footnote 2: Dagon.]

[Footnote 3: "Sa.s.sanis." The root is probably identical with the Hebrew "shesh," "fine linen"; thus in Ex. xxvi. I: "Thou shalt make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen."]

[Footnote 4: These are found still in the ruins of Babylon.]

[Footntoe 5: Compare the Beautiful Gate of the Jewish Temple.]

[Footnote 6: Mr. Norris in his Dictionary professes his inability to master the first words of this line, p. 580. The same remark applies to line 58. The above rendering is suggested to me by Mr. G. Smith.]

COLUMN III

1 his altar, an altar of Royalty; 2 an altar of Lordship, 3 (for) the Chief of the G.o.ds, the Prince Merodach, 4 whose fashion the former Prince 5 had fashioned in silver, 6 with bright gold accurately weighed out 7 I overlaid.

8 Beautiful things for the temple Bit-Saggatu 9 seen at its very summit, 10 the shrine of Merodach, with statues and marbles 11 I embellished 12 as the stars of heaven.

13 The fanes of Babylon 14 I built, I adorned.

15 Of the house, the foundation of the heaven and earth, 16 I reared the summit 17 with blocks of n.o.ble lapis lazuli: 18 to the construction of Bit-Saggatu 19 my heart uplifted me; 20 in abundance I wrought 21 the best of my pine trees 22 which from Lebanon 23 together with tall _Babil-_wood I brought, 24 for the portico of the temple of Merodach: 25 the shrine of his Lordship 26 I made good, and interior walls 27 with pine and tall cedar woods: 28 the portico of the temple of Merodach, 29 with brilliant gold I caused to cover, 30 the lower thresholds, the cedar awnings, 31 with gold and precious stones 32 I embellished: 33 in the erection of Bit-Saggatu 34 I proceeded: I supplicated 35 the King of G.o.ds, the Lord of Lords: 36 in Borsippa, the city of his loftiness, 37,38 I raised Bit-Zida: a durable house 39 in the midst thereof I caused to be made.

40 With silver, gold, precious stones, 41 bronze, _ummakana_ and pine woods, 42 those thresholds I completed: 43 the pine wood portico 44 of the shrine of Nebo 45 with gold I caused to cover, 46 the pine wood portico of the gate of the temple of Merodach 47 I caused to overlay with bright silver.

48 The bulls and columns of the gate of the shrine 49 the thresholds, the _sigari_ of _ri-_wood, conduits 50 of _Babnaku_ wood and their statues 51 with cedar wood awnings 52 of lofty building, 53 and silver, I adorned.

54 The avenues of the shrine 55 and the approach to the house, 56 of conspicuous brick 57 sanctuaries in its midst 58 with perforated silver work.

59 Bulls, columns, doorways, 60,61 in marble beautifully I built; 62,63 I erected a shrine and with rows 64 of wreathed work I filled it: 65 the fanes of Borsippa 66 I made and embellished; 67 the temple of the seven spheres 68 ...[1]

69 with bricks of n.o.ble lapis lazuli 70 I reared its summit: 71 the tabernacle of Nahr-kanul 72 the chariot of his greatness

_(Continued on Column IV_.)