Blessings

The normal epistolary introduction of letters in this volume includes a blessing, often invoking two or three deities. The blessing is one of the indicators of the source of a letter. In many cases the deities are patron deities of the city where the letter was written. In other cases the relationship is less geographically precise. The head of the Babylonian pantheon, Marduk/Bel, and his son Nabû were invoked as a pair in letters from a variety of sources including Cutha, Birtu, Babylon, Borsippa, and Marad. Assyrian influence resulted in the invocation of Aššur and Šamaš.[[8]]

TABLE II. Blessings in Esarhaddon Texts

TextDeities InvokedAttribution
no. 9Go[ds of Akka]dAkkad
no. 10Nabû and M[a]rduk; Nergal and LaṣCutha
no. 11Nabû and [Marduk]; [Nergal] and L[aṣ]Cutha
no. 131Aššur, Šamaš, and M[arduk]Cutha
no. 132[Nabû and Ma]rdukCutha
no. 14Nabû and Marduk; Marduk and ZarpanituBabylon
no. 17Nabû and MardukBabylon?
no. 92Nabû and Marduk?
no. 93Nabû and Marduk?
no. 59[Na]bû and MardukMarad
no. 60Nabû and Marduk; Šamaš and MardukMarad
no. 68[Enlil], Ninurta, and NuskuNippur
no. 70Enlil, Ninurta, and NuskuNippur
no. 71Ninurta and NuskuNippur area
no. 73Enli[l], N[inurta, and Nusku]; Enli[l and DN(N)]?Nippur
no. 74Enlil and [Mulliltu, Ninurta and Nusku; DNN]?Nippur
no. 79Lady of Uruk [and Na]nayaUruk
no. 80Gods of all the landsUruk
no. 82Lost[[9]]Uruk
no. 85Aššur, Šamaš, and MardukSealand
no. 86Aššur, Šamaš, and [Marduk]Sealand
no. 88Lost[[10]]Sealand

TABLE III. Blessings in Assurbanipal Texts

TextDeities InvokedAttribution
no. 143Nabû and MardukBirati
no. 145Nabû and MardukBirati
no. 146Nabû and MardukBirati
no. 147Nabû and MardukBirati
no. 148Nabû and MardukBirati
no. 149Nabû and MardukBirati
no. 153[M]arduk and Z[a]rpanituSippar
no. 156N[ergal] and La[ṣ] Cutha
no. 158None[[11]]Babylon
no. 160Nabû and MardukBabylon
no. 163Nabû and Marduk; Marduk and ZarpanituBabylon
no. 173[Nabû and] Marduk Borsippa?
no. 174Nabû and MardukBorsippa?
no. 175Nabû and [M]ardukBorsippa?
no. 176Nabû and Marduk; Bel and NabûBorsippa?
no. 177Bel and NabûBorsippa
no. 178Bel and NabûBorsippa
no. 180[Nabû and] Marduk, great gods of [heav]en and earthBorsippa
no. 181Nabû and Marduk; Nabû, lord of the stylus, your godBorsippa?
no. 182[Aššur], Šamaš, Marduk and Nabû, lord of the stylusBorsippa?
no. 183Uraš and Belet-ekalliDilbat
no. 184Uraš [and Belet-ekalli]Dilbat
no. 185Aššur, Šamaš, and MardukBit-Dakkuri
no. 186Ašš[ur, Šamaš, and Mardu]kBit-Dakkuri
no. 192Enlil, Ninurta, and NuskuNippur
no. 193Enlil, [Ninurta, and] Nu[skuNippur
no. 194Enlil, Ninurta, and Nusk[u]Nippur
no. 195Enlil, Ninurta, and [Nusku]; [g]ods of Ekur and Nipp[ur, and] great [g]ods of he[aven and earth]Nippur
no. 197[Enli]l and Mulliltu, Ninurta and [Nusku]Nippur
no. 199Enlil, Ninurta, and NuskuNippur
no. 200Enlil, Mulliltu, Ninurta, and Nusku; gods of Ekur and Nippur, and great gods who live in heaven and earth[[12]]Nippur
no. 201Enlil, Ninurta, and Nusk[u]Nippur
no. 202Enlil, Ninurta, and Nusk[u]; Aššur, Enlil, Šamaš, and MardukNippur
no. 204En[l]il, Ninur[ta, and Nusku]; god[s of Ekur and Nippur, and great gods] of heaven and ear[th]Nippur

TABLE IV. Blessings in Texts of Uncertain Date

TextDeities InvokedAttribution
no. 12[Nergal and L]aṣCutha
no. 21Bel and NabûBabylon?
no. 22Bel and Nabû?
no. 23Marduk [and DN(N)]Babylon?
no. 47[Na]bû and Mar[duk]?
no. 48Bel and [Nabû]?
no. 55Bel, Zarpanitu, Nabû, Nanaya, and TašmetuBorsippa?
no. 61Nabû and Mar[duk]Babylon?
no. 64Nabû and NanayaBorsippa
no. 75[Ni]nurta and [N]us[k]u; [g]reat [gods] of heaven [and earth]Nippur area
no. 77Ninurta and GulaLarak
no. 94Nabû and Marduk?
no. 95[Nabû and] Marduk?
no. 97ŠamašSippar?
no. 113Nabû and Mar[duk]Babylon?

8 See Frame, Assyria 1995, 59ff.

9 Lady of Uruk and Nanaya blessing in no. 82 r.6ff.

10 Šamas and Marduk blessing in no. 88 r.24f, cf. r.7ff.

11 Marduk and [Zarpanitu] are in a blessing context in no. 158 r.11f.

12 Aššur, Enlil, and Ninurta blessing in no. 200 r. 16-19.

Frances Reynolds

Frances Reynolds, 'Blessings', The Babylonian Correspondence of Esarhaddon and Letters to Assurbanipal and Sin-šarru-iškun from Northern and Central Babylonia, SAA 18. Original publication: Helsinki, Helsinki University Press, 2003; online contents: SAAo/SAA18 Project, a sub-project of MOCCI, 2020 [http://oracc.org/saao/saa18/babyloniancorrespondence/blessings/]

 
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