More Light on Nanāya, ZA 102 (2012), 183–201.

More Light on Nanaya 183 More Light on Nanaya by Michael P. Streck – Leipzig and Nathan Wasserman – Jerusalem1 This article presents an edition of three Old Babylonian literary texts relating to the goddess Nanaya: A new edition of the well-known, but difficult hymn VS 10, 215, and the editio princeps of two fragmentary texts UET 6/2, 404 (hymn) and UET 6/3, 889 (ritual? and hymnic section). More than seventy years after the editio princeps of VS 10, 215 in this journal, our article presents a new edition of this important Old Babylonian hymn to Nanaya.2 Two more fragmentary texts relating to this goddess, UET 6/2, 404 and UET 6/3, 889, are also edited here for the first time. The general characteristics of the goddess Nanaya have been studied by Westenholz (1997) and Stol (1998–2001). The attributes of the goddess in the three texts presented here show that Nanaya shares many traits with Ištar, with whom she was possibly identified in later periods:3 a) Nanaya is the daughter of An:4 VS 10, 215: 17 f.; UET 6/2, 404: 5. b) Nanaya is the most powerful goddess among the Igigi: VS 10, 215: 26–28. c) Nanaya is the mistress of the world:5 VS 10, 215: 23. Tribute and offerings are brought to her from around the world: VS 10, 215: 31 f. She decides, literally “sows” the affair of mankind: UET 6/2, 404: 7. She is mighty in the world: UET 6/3, 889 ii 14. 1 2 3 4 5 This article was written in the framework of the project Sources of Early Akkadian Literature (SEAL) (www.seal.uni-leipzig.de) funded by the German Israeli Foundation for Scientific Research and Development. The project aims to create a corpus of Early Akkadian literary texts. The website also presents handcopies and indices of the texts edited in this article. We thank Suzanne Herbordt for correcting our English. For the name of Nanaya (not Nanâ or Nanay) see Stol (1995, 1152); Westenholz (1997, 58). If the name contains the nisbe the second a is long. Cf. Stol (1998–2001, 148 § 5.2), who sees a “Synkretismus” between Nanaya and Ištar, whereas Westenholz (1997, 80) stresses that Nanaya was never “a manifestation of Ištar”. Cf. Stol (1998–2001, 147 § 3). Cf. her epithet n i n k u r - k u r - r a “mistress of all countries” in the Sum. hymn Išbi-Erra C (Hallo 1966, 242–244; ETCSL 2.5.1.3) 3, see also 33. Zeitschr. f. Assyriologie Bd. 102, S. 183–201 © Walter de Gruyter 2012 ISSN 0084-5299 DOI 10.1515/za-2012-0010 184 Michael P. Streck and Nathan Wasserman d) Nanaya is a luminous deity.6 She is the sun of the people: VS 10, 215: 1. She is like the moon to behold: VS 10, 215: 3. Nanaya is endowed with brilliance: VS 10, 215: 4, and people look upon her light: VS 10, 215: 24; UET 6/2, 404: 1 f. She is asked to shine: VS 10, 215: 29. e) Nanaya is a goddess of sex and love.7 She is full of sweetness, attractiveness and sings of love: VS 10, 215: 5–8. Love charms are put around her neck: VS 10, 215: 16. f) Nanaya is a raging and furious goddess:8 VS 10, 215: 26; UET 6/2, 404: 3; UET 6/3, 889 ii 11 f. She is Irnina, “goddess of victory” (Westenholz 1997, 70). She tramples the field of the people: UET 6/2, 404: 6. The stubborn king is seized by her: UET 6/2, 404: 8 f. g) Nanaya is just:9 VS 10, 215: 9. h) Nanaya is wise:10 VS 10, 215: 25. i) Nanaya brings well-being and life: VS 10, 215: 11. j) Nanaya has a special connection with the king.11 Samsuiluna, king of Babylon, presents her offerings: VS 10, 215: 33–36. He rejoices over her: VS 10, 215: 42. He is granted life and kingship by her: VS 10, 215: 37–40, 49–52. The king is named by the goddess: VS 10, 215: 46–48, 55. Through her he is made the champion of the world: VS 10, 215: 53 f. k) Nanaya is connected to childbirth in the difficult text UET 6/3, 889 ii 3–10. For this aspect of the goddess no other clear evidence is known (cf. however, [n]a?-na-bu “offspring” in VS 10, 215: 6, and Westenholz 1997, 64, who mentions libations connected to Nanaya which were possibly “related to rites after rising from childbirth”). 1. VS 10, 215 (SEAL 2.1.10.3) A copy of the text VAT 5798, kept in the Vorderasiatisches Museum in Berlin, was published by H. Zimmern (1913 as VS 10, 215). The first, and until now the only full transliteration and translation of the text, including a 6 7 8 9 10 11 See Westenholz (1997, 64) for the “celestial associations” of Nanaya, ib. 68 for the “diurnal aspects of her cult” and ib. 70 for her “cosmic aspects”, although she cannot be identified with the moon or with Venus in the early period. See also u t u - g i n 7 d a l l a è “emerging brilliantly like the sun” Išbi-Erra C 1 and m u l - a n ä é - m e - a “she is truly a heavenly star” ib. 8. Cf. Stol (1995, 1153); Westenholz (1997, 64 f.); Stol (1998–2001, 147 § 3). Cf. Westenholz (1997, 65 n. 66); Stol (1998–2001, 147 § 3), according to him meant sexually. Cf. her epithets d i - k u d g a l “great judge” in Išbi-Erra C 11 and s i - s á “just” ib. 14. Cf. her epithets i g i - ĝ á l š ú m - m u “who gives prudence” Išbi-Erra C 4 and g a l - z u “wise” ib. 13. Cf. Westenholz (1997, 63 f., 67). More Light on Nanaya 185 commentary, was published by von Soden (1938). Several translations appeared later: by von Soden (1953), Seux (1976), Hecker (1989) and Foster (2005). Minor studies of the text were published by Seux (1969), von Soden (1977), Groneberg (1981) and Wasserman (1992). Many remarks on the text are dispersed in the dictionaries. The text was collated by Wasserman 1992, and for personal use photos were taken by T. Oshima and Streck in 2008 and Wasserman in 2011. The photos published here with the permission of the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin were taken in 2011 by Olaf M. Teßmer. The orthography of the text points to the larger area of Babylon as its origin: see the typical northern OB orthography pí l. 2, qú ll. 27, 28, 34 and 58 and qí ll. 28, 53, 56. However, the orthography is not entirely consistent: see the southern OB orthography ta ll. 3, 49 and qù l. 25 (for the latter see the commentary on the line). Since Samsuiluna lost control over the South after the first third of his reign (Charpin 2004, 336–339), a northern origin seems to fit better the historical situation. Remarkable is the use of à in l. 33 and probably also in l. 41. This orthography connects our text with the famous Ištar hymn of Ammiditana (SEAL 2.1.5.3), where we find ru-à-ma-am l. 7, ba-ni-à-a l. 12, isˇ-ta-à-sˇa l. 13, na-ar-bi-à-asˇ l. 21, 23, ba-sˇi-à-a l. 40, ba-la-à-tí-im l. 47. à is also attested in na-sˇi-a-à UET 6/3, 889 ii 10 (see below). In addition, as was already observed by von Soden (1938, 30), the Nanaya hymn consists of 14 stanzas, like the Ištar hymn of Ammiditana. Our text bears the generic designation pa-[r ]u-ú (l. 28a, see Groneberg 1981, 180).12 Although written after the first seven stanzas on the lower edge of the tablet (probably for lack of space), it seems to refer to the entire composition, including the reverse of the tablet. The plene spelling pa-[r ]u-ú indicates that the word is in pl. although only one hymn is found on the tablet. Hence, either the pl. refers to different stanzas as separate paru, or it is some kind of a library notation for “belonging to the hymns section”. No external evidence can be furnished for this suggestion. In both the Ištar hymn of Ammiditana and probably also in the Nanaya hymn treated here appears the rubric “its antiphone”: cf. l. 60 in the Ištar hymn and ĝ [ e š g ] e 4 - ĝ [ á l - b i ] 13 in l. 57 of the Nanaya hymn (von Soden 12 13 The reference is missing in both the AHw. and the CAD. On parum see Groneberg (2003, 59 f.), without reference to our text, and Streck/Wasserman (2008, 346). Much less likely is that the broken l. 57 contains another generic designation like the pa-[r ]u-ú of l. 28a. Two arguments speak against this assumption: first, there is no parallel of a Sammeltafel that only has one column, with one composition on each side; second, two compositions with only seven stanzas are unlikely in view of the parallel of the Ištar hymn which consists of 14 stanzas. 186 Michael P. Streck and Nathan Wasserman 1938, 34 and 44; 1953, 239; followed by Wilcke 1975, 258, and Foster 2005, 91). The question is: where does the antiphone begin? For the Ištar hymn the answer is clear. Unlike all the other stanzas, the antiphone (starting in l. 57) consists of only three lines and contains a blessing to the king. Compared with the Ištar hymn, we assume that the antiphone in the Nanaya hymn is also short and also contains a blessing to the king. We therefore suggest that the antiphone in this hymn consists of ll. 53–56 (see also Foster 2005, 91 n. 3 and Shehata 2009, 318). Hecker (1989, 726), however, disputes the reading g [ i š g ] e 4 - g [ á l - b i ] in l. 57 and suggests that the antiphone – strangely not mentioned explicitly – consists of ll. 56–58. This would mean that the last stanza (not the antiphone!) consists only of three lines (ll. 53–56) which is unlikely. Furthermore, this suggestion overlooks the indentation of l. 57, a clear mark that this line contains a rubric of some kind (similarly to the indentation of the rubric l. 28a in our text and also l. 60 in the Ištar hymn of Ammiditana). Line 58 reads sˇusˇqût iltim “exaltation of the goddess”. Von Soden (1938, 44) thought of a “Stichzeile”. If von Soden’s idea is right it would mean that we are dealing here with a series of different hymnic compositions ordered in a fixed manner. MB and later evidence14 support this. Can one assume that the pl. designation paru (l. 28a discussed above) refers to a paru-series of several tablets? Series, although not “canonical”, of literary texts already existed in OB: see the reference for a series of love lyrics in AOAT 267, 193 (SEAL 1.3.4) 16 f. (4 iratum isˇkar êsˇ râmi sˇaqur “4 ‘breast’ songs (of) the series ‘Where is my loved one, he is so dear’”) and the catalogue of lamentations, edited by Shaffer (1993, 209 f.; SEAL 10.1.2). Another, probably safer, way to interpret l. 58 is that sˇusˇqût iltim is the heading of the hymn (Shehata 2009, 317). Headings are found in two other OB hymns to Ištar (Groneberg 2003, 59; Shehata 2009, 309 and 321)15: in Agušaya A (SEAL 2.1.5.1) one finds in the upper edge of the tablet ú-ta-ar muš “it turns the snake”;16 in Ištar Louvre (SEAL 2.1.5.5) one finds, again in the upper edge of the tablet, ta-na-ti Isˇ8-tár “praise of Ištar”. And so, l. 58 in the Nanaya hymn – written on the left edge of the tablet – supplies the third example of a title for an OB hymn, possibly alluding to l. 27 ([a]tti sˇusˇqutum) in the text itself. 14 15 16 See Black (1983) and Limet (1996). For subscripts see Groneberg (2003, 59 f.). See for this line now Streck (2011b, 561). More Light on Nanaya VAT 5798, 14 × 7 × 3 cm obv. 1 il-ta-am sˇa-ma-asˇ ni-fsˇi j-i-fsˇaj 2 dNa-na-a sú-up-pí-a sˇu-ub- ba na-az-fzaj-fasj-[sà] 3 sˇa-tu ki-ma ar-äi-im a-na-ta-li-im 4 i-gi-sú-si-il-la-sˇa sˇa-ru-ri za-C-nu 5 6 7 8 [uä]-ta-an-na-mu e-lu-usˇ-sˇa [n]a?-na-bu ma-asˇ-ra-äu du-sˇu-pu ku-úz-bu [äu-d ]i si-äa-tim ù ru-a-mi tu-usˇ-ta-az-na-[an] [r ]a?-ma-am dNa-na-a ta-az-mu-ur 9 10 11 12 [it-t]a-al-la-fkuji-du-usˇ-sˇa ki-na-tum [sˇu?-u]l ?-mu-um ba-asˇ-tum si-im-tu-um [qá?-bu?]-ú sˇa fsˇuj-ul-mi fùj [b]a-la-ti-im [al ]-ka-as-sà ad-da-ar da-fmi-iqj-tum it-tu-um 13 14 15 16 fx x x-duj-at sˇu-a-ra-am fx xj [x] fxj-du i-si-iq-sˇa la-am-da-at 17 18 19 20 i-ku-ul-la-tu i-la-tim fraj-bu-um [A]-nu-um a-li-du-usˇ fú j-ul-li [r ]e-e-sˇu-usˇ et-tum fmuj-usˇ-ta-ar-äa-at ù ka-na-at i-sˇi-im-sˇi na-asˇ-ma-äi fka!?j-da-sˇa ul-sa-am 21 22 23 24 fsú j-äi-isˇ si-qá-ar äu-da-tim 25 26 27 28 28a sˇu-ul-lu-um li-ib-bi-i-sˇa a-bu-usˇ ú-sˇa-te-er-sˇi ta-at-bi-fmaji-ri-ma-am id-di ki-sˇ[a-d ]i-fsˇaj i-ta-wu-ú an-sˇa-asˇ ú-sˇa-an-ma-ar li-ib-bu-usˇ be-le-e-ti [sˇ]a da-ad-mi ab-ra-ti-sˇi-in pa-al-sà-a-sˇi-[i ]m ki dutu ni-sˇu nu-ri-isˇ-ki [l ]e-a4-tum em-qù- tum te- li -tum dIr-ni-na ga-as-sa-tum g [a]- fsˇej-er-ti f j f j I-gi-gi [a ]t-ti sˇu-usˇ-qú-tum a-sˇe-ra-sú-un [q ]é-er-bu-usˇ-sˇu-usˇ(-)sˇu-qú-ru sˇu!-mu-ú-ki pa-[r ]u-ú 187 188 Michael P. Streck and Nathan Wasserman rev. 29 im-ri li-ri-isˇ ka-ba-at-tu-uk 30 sˇu-te-eb-ri-i sˇu-li-li i-na ib-ra-tim 31 ki-du äa-sˇu-ra-am li-bi-lu-ki-im 32 sú!-}äi≠-isˇ-ki li-im-lu-fú jla-lu-ú-famj nu-uä-sˇa-am 33 34 35 36 ta-ar-si-à-ta-ki mi-gi-ir-ki sˇar-ri tu-ud-di fSaj-am-su-i-lu-na zi-bi-ki li-qú-ud i-pa-fat ki j-ib-ra-ftimjù fsˇa-di ?-im?jli-isˇ}-ta≠-ak-ka-an sˇu-fba-as-sú j fsú j-[äi ]-fisˇ?j fma-äaj-ar-ki [l ]i-fir j-mi 37 38 39 40 sˇi-bi-ir ne-sˇi-fimj a-g [e4-e sˇa]r-ri-im sˇa-na-tim fsˇajmi-fsˇaj-[ri-im] fùj fki j-na-tim sˇu-úr-sˇu-ud [x x] fxj [x x x x] fxj [sˇ]u-ul-mi na-nu-uk-ki na-[ad ?-nu?-sˇu?-um?] fad ?j-[da?-a]r? 41 se-ri-isˇ an […]-fxj-ra-à-ki-im 42 dNa-na-a […]-fri ?-isˇ?jiä-ta-asˇ-sˇu-usˇ 43 i-na ma-asˇ-ftaj-k [a-tim …]-mi fil -tumj 44 felj [i ]m-ra-x x […] x sˇa-ni-isˇ ni-gu-ta-am te-ri!-isˇ 45 46 47 48 ib-bi-fir?j-x x […] fxj-li-il na-ra-[am-sˇa sˇar-ra-a]m [sa-l ]i-mu-usˇ-sˇa ta-ab-bi [Sa?-a]m?-s[u?-i ]-lu?-na? [… iz-z]a-az-za […] [sˇu]-wa-tu ta-ab-bi-i-sˇu 49 50 51 52 [da-r ]i-a-am ba-la-a-ta-am dNa-na-a ar-k [a-am] [ta]-tu-ú-ra-am tu-si-ib ta-asˇ-ru-uk-sˇu-[um] [a-n]a fSa-amj-su-fi j-lu-na na-ra-mi-i-sˇa ftuj-sˇa-at-[li-i ]m-sˇu-u[m] fsˇa-amj-sˇa ki na-an-na-a-ri-im 53 54 55 56 qí-bi-tu-usˇ-sˇa mi-i [g-ru-u]sˇ e-te-el [e ]l fúr j-sˇa-ni sˇ[a-qí ] i-n[a] ki-ib-ra-tim […] i-ma [… l ]i-ri-isˇ na-bi-i-[sˇa] fxj-tum isˇ-fxj [x x] x x iq-qé-er-[bi-…] 57 ĝ [ i š g ] e 4 - ĝ [ á l - b i ] left edge 58 sˇu-usˇ-qú-ú-ut il-tim More Light on Nanaya obv. 1 To the goddess, sun of her people, 2 to Nanaya pray, proclaim(?) [her] position, 3 she who is like the moon to look on 4 (and) whose awesome appearance is endowed with brilliance. 5 6 7 8 Upon her bloom [off]spring(?), splendour, sweetness and attractiveness. She is provided with [jo]y, laughter and charm. Nanaya has sung of [lov]e(?). 9 10 11 12 At her side constantly walk justice, [well-]being(?), dignity, decorum, [comma]nd(?) of well-being and life. Her path is a good sign forever. 13 14 15 16 fShe is …j in dancing. […] she knows her lot. Her father increased her (ability to attain) her desire. She arose and he put love charms round her neck. 17 18 19 20 Anum the great, from among all goddesses, her begetter, has raised her head. She, the unique one, is magnificent and honoured. He decreed for her exuberance, … (and) rejoicing. 21 22 23 24 Laughingly, a word of joy he said to her, making her heart radiant: “You rule over the world’s inhabitants! The people look upon you(!), upon your light, as (at) the sun’s!“ 25 26 27 28 Capable, wise(?), experienced, raging Irnina, the most powerful among the Igigi, you are the most exalted one, directing them. Among them precious are your names. 28a paru-songs. 189 190 Michael P. Streck and Nathan Wasserman rev. 29 Shine! May your mind rejoice! 30 Keep up exulting in the shrines! 31 May the surrounding regions bring you cypress wood, 32 for your pleasure (!) may they be filled with wealth and abundance! 33 May your chosen-(one), your favourite, 34 the king you have destined, Samsuiluna, burn your food-offering! 35 May he always put the tribute of the (inhabited) world and the steppe (before you). 36 May he joyfully(?) set up his residence before you! 37 38 39 40 The staff of life, the cr[own of the kin]g, years of justice and truth, Securely founded […] of health, at your command are gi[ven(?) to him(?) foreve]r(?). 41 42 43 44 Towards […] Nanaya […] – he (the king) used to rejoice (over her). In the chamb[ers …] the goddess over(?) … she asked for a joyful song again. 45 46 47 48 … […] … She named [her] belov[ed, the king], in her [ami]ty. [Sa]ms[u]-[i]luna(?) [… is st]anding(?). [… the mis]tress named him. 49 50 51 52 An everlasting life, a long (life), Nanaya [re]peatedly granted him largely. [T]o Samsuiluna, her beloved, she bestowed the sun as light. 53 54 55 56 At her command her fa[vorite] is the champion. [He is raised] above (all) heroes in the world […] [May] he rejoice, who was named by her! […] in […] 57 [Its] [an]tiph[one]. left edge 58 Exaltation of the goddess. More Light on Nanaya 191 2: sˇu-ub- ba is still unclear. AHw. 1119 and CAD Š/1, 3 book the hapax sˇababu “besingen”, “to proclaim”; cf. von Soden (1938, 33) and Hecker (1989, 724) “besingt”, Foster (2005, 89) “praise”. We tentatively follow this suggestion. CAD N/1, 262 s. v. nanzazu 2a suggests a variant of sˇupâ; see also Groneberg (1981, 180). However, neither the doubled b nor the spelling ba for /pa/ nor the vowel contraction favour this analysis. 3: sˇatu is a determinative pronoun, see GAG § 46c and AHw. 1199 sˇat 2; cf. Hecker (1989, 724) “die wie der Mond anzuschauen”. CAD Š/2, 184 analyses the form as determinative pronoun but translates it like a personal pronoun: “she … is like the moon”; similarly Foster (2005, 89) “for she is like the new moon”. 4: AHw. 287 s. v. gêsu “zuteilen” suggests the reading igêsu sillasˇa, which was translated by Seux (1976, 42) “Qui dispense sa protection” and Hecker (1989, 724) “die … ihren Schatten zuteilt”. However, the text always uses ta-prefix for the 3. p. sg. fem. (see ll. 7, 8, 16, 44, 46, 48, 50, 52). Moreover, the verb gêsu is only poorly attested, and our line would be the sole OB instance. Since zaCnu is stative 3. p. sg. masc., Nanaya also cannot be the subject of the second part of the line, as translated by Seux (1976, 42) “Qui … de rayonnement est parée” and by Hecker (1989, 724) “die … mit Glanz geschmückt ist”. And so, although the word igisusillu is a hapax, we follow CAD I/J 43 which reads igisusillu “who is like the new moon to look upon, whose appearance of awesome splendor is full of wondrous brilliance”, and Foster (2005, 93) “her wondrous features full of brilliance”. 6: CAD N/1, 260 s. v. nannabu, disc. section, suggest the reading [äa]-na-bu instead of nannabu “progeny, offspring” (von Soden 1938, 37; Hecker 1989, 724). Foster (2005, 89) “abundance” follows most probably this suggestion. However, the broken sign before na, which is visible on the copy and in the photos, does not fit a [ä]a. 7: The restoration äudi (von Soden 1938, 7) seems still plausible. Groneberg (1981, 180) [e-l ]i is difficult because it presupposes that the sentence ends in the next line: “[über] das Lachen und den Liebreiz hinaus verteilt sie [Wohlergehen]”. – CAD Z 43 derives tusˇtaznan from zananu A “to rain” and translates “She is bedewed with joy and loveliness”; a passive Št of this verb would, however, mean “she is caused to rain down”. Foster (2005, 89) “She has showered down” presupposes a preterit or perfect Š, but tusˇtaznan is a present Št. Therefore, we follow von Soden (1938, 33; also AHw. 1510 and Hecker 1989, 724) and derive the form from zananu “to provide”. 8: Von Soden (1938, 37) and Hecker (1989, 724) leave the restoration of the beginning of the line open. Groneberg (1981, 180) [sˇu-ul ]-ma-am does not fit the traces before -ma. Foster (2005, 89) “Nanay has sung of [lo]ve”. – tazmur can be a 2. p. sg. “you sang” with a change of subject from tusˇtaznan l. 7. However, a 2. p. sg. preterit referring to the singer is without any parallel. We take this form, therefore, as referring to the goddess singing of herself, although this is also not free of problems. 10: The restoration [sˇu?-u]l?- (von Soden 1938, 32, followed by Hecker 1989, 724 and Foster 2005, 89) fits the trace of a lower Winkelhaken before -mu better than the restorations [re]-mu-um (Groneberg 1981, 180) or [te-e]sˇ-mu-um (CAD B 143; CAD S 280; Seux 1976, 43). 11: Von Soden (1938, 32; also Seux 1976, 43, Hecker 1989, 724 and Foster 2005, 89) suggests [ma-lu]-ú, E. Reiner, apud Groneberg (1981, 180) suggested [sˇe-du]-ú. If the restoration is correct, ll. 9–11 form a tristich. 13: Both copy and photo do not favour the reading l[u!-u]b!-b[u!-sˇ]a-at, offered by AHw. 524 and von Soden (1977, 280), and followed by Hecker (1989, 725) “sie ist bekleidet”, and Foster (2005, 89) “she is b[edecked]”. CAD A/1, 293 and Š/3, 162 read [mu-al ]-l [i-d ]a-at “who creates dance”, which also does not fit the sign traces. The sign before -at is not a ša 192 Michael P. Streck and Nathan Wasserman but a du (see, e. g., du in the next line.), and one expects a form of edûm, like sˇuduCat, but the beginning of the line is still unclear. 14: Von Soden (1938, 32) [be-e]l-tu[m sˇa t ]a-äi-du, followed by Seux (1976, 43), by Hecker (1989, 725), and by Foster (2005, 89). 16: The translation of irîmum follows Foster (2005, 90). 17: Von Soden (1938, 32) la-bu-um “lion” (also Hecker 1989, 725), an unusual epithet for Anum. CAD A/1, 340 (and also Seux 1976, 43) suggest ru-bu-um “noble” which does not fit the signs. Foster (2005, 90) translates “great”, obviously reading fraj-bu-um, a reading that fits well the sign and is an expected epithet of Anum. 19: For ettum cf. wetti in UET 6/2, 404: 4 (see below). 20: Von Soden (1938, 32; cf. also AHw. 419 and Hecker 1989, 725) reads ka-da-sˇa “Festesfreude” (hapax) and assumes a by-form of äadasˇum. Both photo and copy show that the sign in question has one vertical stroke too many for a correct ka. CAD N/2, 66 s. v. nasˇmaäu (repeated in CAD U/W 87) reads id-da-sˇa (after a collation of B. Groneberg) but does not offer any translation. The photo, however, shows that the sign is definitely not id. Foster (2005, 90) also refrains from offering any translation. 21: Reading fsúj-äi-isˇ after Wasserman (1992, 61 no. 80). 23: Groneberg (1981, 180) translates “du bist Herrin! die Menschen schauen auf dich wie auf Šamaš; (so) schauen die Menschen auf dein Licht”, which is, however, difficult since one expects a nominative abratusˇin. The correct analysis was already offered by von Soden (1938, 33; followed by CAD D 19 s. v. dadmu b, CAD A/1, 62 s. v. abratu, as well as Seux 1976, 44, Hecker 1989, 725, and Foster 2005, 90): beleti is an active stative; the object is abratisˇin. sˇa dadmi is an anticipatory genitive, resumed by the suffix -sˇin. dadmi, although normally masc., is here fem. as in BWL 126: 32 (Šamaš hymn): dadme kalîsˇina. 24: The text erroneously has -sˇi-im instead of -ki-im. 25: [l ]e-a4-tum after von Soden (1938, 32) “Fähige”, followed by Seux (1976, 44), by Hecker (1989, 725), by Groneberg (1981, 180) and by Foster (2005, 90) “O Capable”. Von Soden (1977, 280) tentatively suggests “[l ]e-Ca4-as!? für leCâ© ‘sie ist tüchtig’ mit Spirantisierung des t?” – AHw. 376 derives im-gu-tum from the lemma imgû of unknown meaning. See also Hecker (1989, 725) with translation “kundige”. Note that the personal names in AHw. s. v. imgû are hypocoristica of fuller names of the type imgur-DN. In spite of the orthographical inconsistency (see qú ll. 27, 28, 34, 58) we derive the word from emequm, despite the fact that emuqtum is the expected form (cf. Seux 1976, 44 “capable”, and Foster 2005, 90 “wise?”). Note finally the assonance of emqutum (or emqutum) and sˇusˇqutum l. 27. 27: For a-sˇe-ra-sú-un see Seux (1969), Seux (1976, 44), and Groneberg (1981, 180; correct her su to sú). The reading e-li-sˇu-un (F. Köcher apud von Soden 1977, 280, followed by Hecker 1989, 725 and Foster 2005, 90) is not correct: the photos show a very clear a, followed by sˇe, a slightly erased but nevertheless hardly doubtful ra and a sign with two horizontal wedges of almost the same length, all which points to sú rather than to šu. For asˇarum said of gods (especially asˇir Igigi) see CAD A/2, 421 asˇaru A 1c1H. 28: Von Soden (1977, 288; also AHw. 914b s. v. qerbum II C 2) [q]é-er-bu-usˇ-sˇu-un! with an unnecessary correction of the text. For the sandhi spelling see Groneberg (1981, 180). Groneberg (ib.) reads at the beginning of the line [i ]-qé- … but there is not enough space for the restoration of i. – sˇu!-mu-ú-ki after von Soden (1977, 280; see also Hecker 1989, 725 and Foster 2005, 90). The photos show that the sign in question has only one vertical stroke. Compared to other šu signs in the text, the lower horizontal wedge is not longer than the upper one, a fact which triggered the earlier reading e (e-mu-ú-qí “Kräfte”, von Soden 1938, 32 f.), and Seux (1976, 44), “forces”. – Note the alliteration qerbusˇsˇusˇ-sˇuquru sˇumuki. More Light on Nanaya 193 28a: For pa-[r ]u-ú see the discussion in the introduction of the text above. The reading sˇi [t ]-ru-ú by Shehata (2009, 319 with n. 1835), is ruled out by the orthography (šid as a syllabogram is only attested from MB onwards), and contra Shehata (2009, 312 n. 1791) the first sign resembles more a pa (cf. PA in ll. 24 and 35) than a si, whose upper horizontal wedge always starts clearly more to the left than the lower horizontal wedge (cf. si ll. 10, 14 and 21). 32: Von Soden (1938, 34) reads ku-usˇ-di “bei deinem Eintreffen (wörtlich: triff ein)”, and (1953, 238) “komm (nur) hin”, followed by Seux (1976, 44) “viens”, by Hecker (1989, 725) “Komm her”, and by Foster (2005, 90) “Approach them”. The reading ma-at-ki found in CAD L 51 s. v. lalû A 4d “may your country become full of abundant (vegetation and) plenty” does not fit the sign after ma and is grammatically difficult because limlû requires a subject in the masc. pl. Groneberg’s (1981, 180) reading ma-sˇa-ki “dein Speicher” fits neither sign nor grammar (wrong concord, and the construct state should be *masˇsˇi- or *masˇsˇû-), and is also lexically unconvincing because masˇsˇû is a container rather than a storeroom. – Note the stem vowel -u in lalu (and not -a). In addition, lalû is usually found with attached pronominal suffixes. Groneberg (1981, 180) reads lalû-ma. 33: For the construct state in -a- cf. tanidatasˇa Agušaya A ii 5, isˇtarata in ib. 12, têreta a ib. v 20, and see von Soden (1931, 214 f.). The word tarsiCatum is a hapax, cf. CAD T 241; Streck (2000, 119 and 125 § 1.98). 34: Von Soden (1938, 34 and 41; repeated in AHw. 407 s. v. itûtu) suggested a sandhi spelling sˇar-ri-tu-ut-ki! < sˇar itûtki “der von dir erlesene König”. However, copy and photo show a clear -di. The reading followed here was offered in CAD Z 105 s. v. zibu A “the king you have chosen(?)”; similarly CAD Q 52 s. v. qâdu 2, Seux (1976, 45) “le roi que tu as désigné(?)”, Hecker (1989, 725) “der König, den du bezeichnest”, Foster (2005, 90) “the king you have designated”. – Copy and photo show that the sign after zi resembles more bi than bu, and the last sign of the line is clearly ud, not du. Therefore, the reading zi-bu-ki li-ma-du “die Opfer für dich mögen zahlreich sein” (von Soden 1938, 34 f., see also AHw. 1525 zibu i 1 for zi-bu) can be ruled out. For the reading adopted here see CAD Z 105 s. v. zibu A (still correcting an alleged zi-bu to zi-bi), CAD Q 52 s. v. qâdu 2, Seux (1976, 45), Hecker (1989, 725) and Foster (2005, 90), pace von Soden (1977, 280) who rejects qâdu because the word is never used of offerings. 35: The reading i-pa-at was introduced by AHw. 385 s. v. iptu and followed by Seux (1976, 45), Groneberg (1981, 180), Hecker (1989, 725) and Foster (2005, 90). – Groneberg (1981, 180) suggests sˇa?-tu-[ka?] “regelmäßiges Opfer” which does not fit well the damaged signs: the tu is questionable, and the broken sign after the alleged tu resembles more im sign than ka. – Von Soden (1938, 34) reads li-}isˇ≠-ta-ak-ka-an, followed by Groneberg (1981, 180) after collation. However, the photo shows that the iš sign is written and the ta is missing. 37–40: The restoration of these lines is suggested by comparison with the hymn Ištar Ammiditana (SEAL 2.1.5.3) ll. 45–52. 37: Von Soden (1938, 34) a-k[a-pa-a]r-ri-im “dem Hirten”. Groneberg (1981, 180) suggested ne-sˇi [sˇa] A-k[a-di-im ù Sˇu-m]e-ri-im “life of Akkad and Sumer” with an unusual word order (noted by Groneberg herself) – since normally Sumer precedes Akkad in this combination. Note that according to both copy and photo -fimj after ne-sˇi is certain. 39: One expects “the foundation [of the throne/base of kingship]”, or similar. 40: Cf. na-nu-uk-ki in Ištar Louvre (SEAL 2.1.5.5) ii 37. The use of this rare word in this hymn may allude to the name of the goddess. 41: Von Soden (1938, 34) suggests the restoration [li (-)]it-ra-à-ki-im “[mögen] sie dir holen.” 42: Since the text uses ta-prefix for the 3. p. sg. fem. the subject of iätasˇsˇusˇ is probably the king and not Nanaya. 194 Michael P. Streck and Nathan Wasserman VAT 5798 obv More Light on Nanaya VAT 5798 rev 195 196 Michael P. Streck and Nathan Wasserman 45: Von Soden (1938, 34 and 44), suggests at the end of the line il ?-li-il “Ellil ” with an unexpected orthography of the divine name. One expects a verb in this final position, like in the following three lines of the stanza, perhaps elelum or sˇuklulum. 47: The tentative reading follows von Soden (1938, 34), but can neither be confirmed nor refuted by our photos. 48: For sˇuwatu as an epithet of Nanaya instead of the pronoun (cf. von Soden 1938, 34 f. etc.) see sˇa-at in UET 6/3, 889 ii 12 below. 50: Von Soden (1938, 34 f.; also 1953, 239 and AHw. 1340), followed by Seux (1976, 45), by Hecker (1989, 726), by Foster (2005, 91), and by CAD T 300, analyses the first word of the line as the noun tatturum “profit”. This analysis hardly explains the plene spelling of the u (noun pattern taPRuS, not *taPRuS). We understand taturam tusib tasˇruksˇum as a (double) Koppelung. Note the alliteration in this line. 2. UET 6/2, 404 (SEAL 2.1.10.1) A copy of the text was published by C. Gadd/S. N. Kramer, UET 6/2, 404. The text has never been fully transliterated and translated. It was collated by Ludwig (2009, 251); according to her, the tablet has a one-column format, like VS 10, 215. For the edition we used a photo of the late A. Shaffer (courtesy of the British Museum). 7.6 × 6.1 × 3.1 cm 1 bi-ir-bi-re-et ka-la ni-[sˇi x x x] 2 bi-tum li-isˇ-pu ù li-wi-[ir x x] 3 dNa-na-a-a ti-ba-am sˇa-mu-r [a-at?] 4 lu-uz-mu-ur we-ti it-ti-ku-[nu x x x] 5 ma-ar-ti A!-ni-i [m?] erasure 6 ka-bi-isˇ-ti e-qé-el ni-sˇ[i x x x] 7 za-ri-tu wa-ar-ka-at té-[né?-sˇe?-tim] 8 sˇa-ru-um wa-asˇ-tù-um ki x [x x x] 9 dNa-na-a-a lu tu-um-[mu?-äa?-sú?] 10 gi-isˇ-pe-er-ru-[um x x x (x)] 11 dNa-na-a-a x [x x x x x] 12 la a-faäj[-za?-at? x x x x x] 13 la ki [x x x x x x x] rest broken and reverse uninscribed 1 2 She is a shining light, all peop[le look at her ]. Let her flare up in the temple and shin[e …]. 3 4 5 Nanaya is very fi[erce(?)] in her attack. Let me sing of my unique one, together with y[ou let me praise (?)], the daughter of A[n], More Light on Nanaya 6 7 (let me sing) of her who tramples the field of the peo[ple …], of her who sows the affair of ma[nkind(?)]. 8 9 As for the stubborn king, like […] Nanaya has [seized him(?)]. 197 10 A tra[p …] 11 Nanaya … […] 12 She is not … […] 13 Not l[ike(?) …] 1: Cf. AHw. 1548 s. v. birbirru. 2: Cf. AHw 1177 s. v. sˇapû II 7e; CAD Š/1 488 s. v. sˇapû A, 1a1H. 3: Read sˇamurrat, stative of a hitherto unattested sˇamurrum? 4: For wetti see ettum in VS 10, 215 i 19 (above). 5: The photo shows a clear za instead of a (see also the collation of Ludwig 2009), but za gives hardly any sense. For Nanaya as the “first-born daughter” (bukurtu) of An, see Stol (1998–2001), 147. 6: Read kabisˇti < *kabisti (deaffrication of /s/ before /t/, see Streck (2006, 216–218; 2011a, 19 § 40). 7: Read zaritu (AHw. 1516 zarû 3). 8: According to our interpretation, sˇarrum wasˇtum is perhaps a casus pendens. 12: If the restoration is correct, aäzat is either an active stative (“she does not hold”) or a passive stative (“she is unmarried”). UET 6/2, 404 198 Michael P. Streck and Nathan Wasserman 3. UET 6/3, 889 (SEAL 2.1.10.2) A copy of the text was published by A. Shaffer as UET 6/3, 889. According to him (see UET 6/3 p. 24), the text is a “fragment of a multi-column tablet, obverse and reverse; the reverse has faint traces of one line and is otherwise ruled for columns, but uninscribed; probably part of the same tablet as UET 6/404”. However, since UET 6/2, 404 is a one-column tablet Shaffer’s suggestion that both fragments belong together cannot be maintained. For the edition we used a photo of the obverse left by A. Shaffer (courtesy British Museum). The fragment is opaque and defies clear interpretation. If understood correctly it is replete with rare words and forms, and hapax legomena (äabasum and sˇuritum ii 5, qamamum ii 7, amurratum and sˇâtum ii 12, addum ii 13). The goddess is mentioned explicitly in ii 3 and 13. Lines ii 5–10 apparently connect her with childbirth, although such a relation of the goddess to childbirth is unknown elsewhere (see section k) in the introduction of this article). In ii 11–14 Nanaya is depicted as fierce and mighty goddess, for which parallels do exist (see sections c) and f) in the introduction of this article). 9.0 × 9.7 × 4.4 cm col. 1H 2H 3H 4H 5H 6H 7H 8H 9H 10H i [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ col. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 ii […] x ú x […] [… sˇ/t]a sˇa te? x […] [dN ]a-[n]a-faj-a ma/ba-ri-a-ti fxj […] ù äi-ti-sí-na ka-t [i …] äa-ab-sa-sˇi-im él ? sˇu-r [i ?-tim?] ù zi-ik-ru ú-pu-sˇu-sˇi-[im …] qá-am-ma-sˇi-im ab-bu-na-ta-a[m …] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] fxj fxj ni x ni i d-ra fxj-im fri j fxj fxj More Light on Nanaya 199 8 sˇi-na ka-az-ra-a-tum-ma lu mi-t [a? …] 9 zi-ki-ir inim ul-li-tim te-bu-x-[…] 10 na-sˇi-a-à (over erasure of a?) ta-a-tim sí-ni-sˇa-tum ka-[az?-ra?-tum?] 11 be-le-et-ni ú-ga-as-sà ka!?-z[i? …] 12 a-mu-ur-ra-at sˇa-at erasure ad? pi ru-um […] 13 dNa-na-a-a a-ad-da-ma ta-sˇa-[ka?-an?] 14 15 16 rest fle-aj-at-ma i-na ki-ib-ra-a[t ar?-ba?-im?] [ ] ftej […] [ ] fa-na ar j-[…] broken and reverse uninscribed col. ii 1 [.].[.] 2 […] Ištar(?) […] 3 4 [Nan]aya(?) the daughters(?) (or: you are a diviner(?)) […] and their sin … […] 5 6 They have bound(?) (it) for her on(?) the preg[nant(?) woman], and the men have done for h[er …]. 7 8 They have cut for her the umbilical cor[d …]. They, the hierodules themselves, … 9 The utterance of that old word she has … […] 10 The women, the hi[erodules(?)], carry gifts … […] 11 Our lady, her fury ..[.] 12 She is awe-inspiring, she is the mistress(?) ..[.] 13 Nanaya s[ets(?)] a thunder(?) ..[.] 14 She is truly the capable one in the [four] quarters of the wor[ld]. 15–16… 4: ka-t [i ] is either from katamum “to hide” (katimtam “their hidden sin”) or the personal pronoun 2. p. fem. kâti. 5: Shehata (2009, 322) mentions a “bed”, apparently reading er-sˇi-im. Our tentative reading assumes a hapax legomenon äabasum, derived from the root HBŠ “to bind”, see Köhler/Baumgartner (1967, 277). Note especially the use of the syllabogram sa instead of sà, typically for West Semitic loans in Akkadian (Streck 2006, 224). In Hebrew, the root is also used for bandaging. For the “traditional Near East”, Stol (2000, 142) mentions the practice of binding a thread round the umbilical cord close to the body before cutting the umbilical cord. Stol (2000, 126) suggests that rakasum in a letter from Mari might “refer to the binding off of the umbilical cord”. – él (il) is rare. – sˇuritum (from a/erûm “to become 200 Michael P. Streck and Nathan Wasserman pregnant”) is a guess; the Š-stem of the verb is rarely attested, see AHw. 72, CAD E 326 and Stol (2000, 53 n. 33; 54 n. 36). Another possibility is to read él-sˇu s [í-ni-sˇa-tum] “the women have bound (it) for her on it”. 7: qamamu “to cut” is hitherto attested only lexically, see MSL 14, 345: 78 (Aa). Other words for cutting the umbilical cord are parasum or bataqum, see Stol (2000, 141–144). – Note the spelling ab-bu- with doubled b, also attested lexically (CAD A/1, 89) and in JNES 33, 332: 12 f. 8: For the kezertum-woman as a midwife, see Stol (2000, 171). 9: Does this line refer to a recitation of an incantation at the moment of cutting the umbilical cord (Stol 2000, 143)? For the use of awatum referring to an incantation see YOS 11, 12: 37 (SEAL 5.1.22.1): [mu]-fruj-us sˇi-in-ni-ia ta-ba-al a-wa-tum a-wa-at bu-[ul ?-tim?] “Take away [the a]che of my tooth! (This) word is a word of healing”. For ullitum “old” referring to spoken words cf. kima têltim ullitim “like in an old proverb” ARM 1, 5: 10. 10: For the use of à see the introduction to VS 10, 215, above. 12: Read amurrat < *namurrat and cf. YOS 11, 20: 2 (SEAL 5.1.13.7): i-la-at a-mu-ra-at, that has a later parallel dingir-at na-mur-rat in SpTU 3, 84: 62. The dropping of the initial n is unexplained. – For sˇât <? sˇuCatu (cf. CAD Š/3, 196 šuCetu) as an epithet of Nanaya cf. sˇu-wa/à-tu VS 10, 215: 48 above. – Shehata (2009, 322), mentioning a “king” (l. 13, sic), apparently reads sˇa-ru-um. 13: Derived from addu B CAD A/1, 111? UET 6/3, 889 More Light on Nanaya 201 References Black, J. (2003): Babylonian ballads. A new genre, JAOS 103, 25–34 Charpin, D. (2004): Histoire politique du Proche-Orient amorrite (2002–1595), in: P. Attinger et al. (ed.), Mesopotamien. Die altbabylonische Zeit. OBO 160/4. Fribourg u. a., 23–480 Foster, B. R. (32005): Before the muses. Bethesda, Md., 89–92 Goodnick Westenholz, J. (1997): Nanaya. Lady of mystery, in: I. L. Finkel/M. J. Geller (ed.), Sumerian gods and their representations. CM 7. Leiden, 57–84 Groneberg, B. (1981): Review article of Seux (1976), WO 12, 178–183 Groneberg, B. (2003): Searching for Akkadian literature, JCS 55, 55–74 Hallo, W. W. (1966): New hymns to the kings of Isin, BiOr. 23, 239–247 Hecker, K. (1989): Akkadische Hymnen und Gebete, in: TUAT II/5. Gütersloh, 724–726 Köhler, L./W. Baumgartner et al. (1967): Hebräisches und aramäisches Lexikon zum Alten Testament 1. Leiden Limet, H. (1996): Le texte KAR 158, in: H. Gasche/B. Hrouda (ed.), Collectanea Orientalia. Histoire, arts de l’espace et industrie de la terre. CPOA 3. Paris, 151–158 Ludwig, M.-C. (2009): Literarische Texte aus Ur. UAVA 9. Berlin Seux, M.-J. (1969): Note brève, RA 63, 95 Seux, M.-J. (1976): Hymnes et prières aux dieux de Babylonie et d’Assyrie. LAPO 8. Paris, 42–45 Shaffer, A. (1993): From the bookshelf of a professional wailer, in: M. Cohen et al. (ed.), The Tablet and the scroll (= Fs. W. W. Hallo). Bethesda, 209 f. Shehata, D. (2009): Musiker und ihr vokales Repertoire. Göttinger Beiträge zum Alten Orient 3. Göttingen Soden, W. von (1938): Altbabylonische Dialektdichtungen, ZA 44, 26–44 Soden, W. von (1953): Sumerische und akkadische Hymnen und Gebete. Stuttgart, 237–239 Soden, W. von (1977): Review of Seux (1976), ZA 67, 279–284 Stol, M. (1995): Nanea, in: DDD, 1152–1155 Stol, M. (1998–2001): Nanaja, in: RlA 9, 146–151 Stol, M. (2000): Birth in Babylonia and the Bible. CM 14. Leiden Streck, M. P. (2000): Das amurritische Onomastikon der altbabylonischen Zeit 1. AOAT 271/1. Münster Streck, M. P. (2006): Sibilants in the Old Babylonian texts of Hammurapi and of the governors in Qattunan, in: G. Deutscher/N. J. C. Kouwenberg (ed.), The Akkadian Language in its Semitic Context. PIHANS 106. Leiden, 218–254 Streck, M. P. (2011a): Altbabylonisches Lehrbuch. Porta Linguarum Orientalium NS 23. Wiesbaden Streck, M. P. (2011b): Notes on the Old Babylonian hymns of Agušaya, JAOS 130 [2010, appeared 2011] 561–571 Streck, M. P./N. 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