Anti-witchcraft rituals addressed to Marduk and Ištar

(8.6.1:1) If a man’s h[ead keeps causing him a nagging pain], his tongue causes him a stinging pain, he has [vertigo], his [ear]s buzz, 3his neck [...], his neck muscles keep causing him a nagging pain, 4his chest and [his back] keep causing him a nagging pain, 5his upper thighs keep twisting out of place, his arms are numb, 6his fingers (and) his hands become more and more immobilized, his intestines are continually bloated, his bowels are convulsed, 7his legs (and) his feet cause him [a gnawing] pain, his flesh is numb, 8he is too weak to rise, [to sta]nd and to talk, 9he is now flushed, now pale, he keeps talking to himself, 10his heart ponders foolishness, his mind is getting more and more confused, 11he keeps forgetting ‘the speech of his mouth’, he develops fever, stiffness, liʾbu-disease 12and depression, his dreams are confused (and) [num]erous, 13he sees dead people repeatedly, he keeps speaking to dead people, his heart is depressed, he is short-tempered, 14the dreams he sees he cannot remember (lit.: “hold back”), he retches and vomits, 15he is constantly frightened (and restless) on his (sick)bed, he keeps swea[tin]g heavily, 16he gets cold tremors repeatedly, ((he rises, (but then) crouches (down immediately))), [his ... is hurt]ing him, 17he becomes more and more depressed, he experiences [quarrel at home (and) squ]abble in the street, 18he suffers from shortness of breath, he says “woe” (and) cries “alas”, 19he has no desire [to eat and] drink, he has no desire to go to a woman, his ‘heart’ does not arouse him towards a woman, he babbles, 20he is rigid, he wearies himself, he keeps ... , he says “Have mercy on me!”, 21[hi]s ‘mouth’ is constantly troubled, (then) that man has been given (bewitched) bread to eat, has been given (bewitched) beer to drink, 22has been anointed with (bewitched) oil. Figurines representing him have been buried with a dead person; 23they have been handed over to a persecuting ghost. To turn back Marduk’s anger ((from him))24— a persecuting ghost keeps pursuing him — to cure him 25and for his well-being and to dispel all illness:

(8.6.1:26) Its ritual: You prepare an offering arrangement before Marduk. You make a sacrifice; 27you present [...] (and) roast meat. 28You place mirsu-confection made of syrup (and) ghee (there). You set up a libation vessel. 29You strew a censer with (lit.: “of”) cedar and cypress wood before Marduk. 30[You set out] four censers to the four cardinal direction[s]. You pour a libation of [...] in front of the offering arrangement.

(8.6.1:31) (Lines 31-37 too fragmentary for translation, see Notes)

(8.6.1:38′) (too fragmentary for translation)

(8.6.1:39′) [...] ... you throw into the river and [...] 40′evil machinations [...].

(8.6.1:41′) [Incan]tation: “Wise king who determines the des[tinies],

(8.6.1:42′) who loves Esangil, the support of Babylon,

(8.6.1:43′) who protects life, king of the gods, lord of the god[s],

(8.6.1:44′) who spares the weak, destroys the wick[ed],

(8.6.1:45′) who provides abundance and wealth to the teem[ing] people,

(8.6.1:46′) who defeats the enemy, brings the evi[l] to fall,

(8.6.1:47′) who gives the shares ((and)) the food offerings to the gods of the citi[es] (var.: d[wellings]),

(8.6.1:48′) lord of (all) the lands, beloved of Enlil’s (var.: the gods’) heart, protector of the wea[k],

(8.6.1:49′) who holds sceptre and authority, who tre[ad]s down (any) evi[l] god,

(8.6.1:50′) who grants counsel and judgement t[o] the gods, [his] brothers —

(8.6.1:51′) merciful Marduk, bestow life [on me],

(8.6.1:52′) grant me life, the favour of the grea[t] gods!

(8.6.1:53′) Because of the sickness that has been imposed upon me so that it (now) keeps pursuing me

(8.6.1:54′) I am frightened, scared and constantly terrified.

(8.6.1:55′) Let your favourable wind blow towards me so that the sicknesses may flee,

(8.6.1:56′) Look upon me, lord, and have mercy!

(8.6.1:57′) I, N.N., son of N.N., your ailing servant, have knelt down before you:

(8.6.1:58′) judge my case, render a verdict for me!

(8.6.1:59′) I call upon you, lord, listen to me now (and) spare my life!

(8.6.1:60′) Because of my evildoer I have turned to you,

(8.6.1:61′) I, N.N., son of N.N., whose city’s god is Marduk (var.: [whose god is the mercif]ul one, Marduk), whose city’s goddess is Zarpanītu:

(8.6.1:62′) Quarrel at home (and) squabble in the street have been imposed upon me and keep pursuing me.

(8.6.1:63′) In misery and malady ... [...].

(8.6.1:64′) [L]oss, ruin, [...].

(8.6.1:65′) You are the [ju]dge, lord, [judge my case],

(8.6.1:66′) you are [m]erciful, lord, show mercy to me, [...].

(8.6.1:67′) [...] ... [...],

(8.6.1:68′) [...] ... [...],

(8.6.1:69′) [...] ... show me[rcy to me].

(8.6.1:70′) [May the heavens] be overjoyed with you, may the earth rejoice over you,

(8.6.1:71′) may [the grea]t [gods] make you happy,

(8.6.1:72′) may [...] praise your name,

(8.6.1:73′) may [the ...] of the gods endow you with unrivalled lordship,

(8.6.1:74′) may [E]sangil and Babylon hail you!

(8.6.1:75′) I seek you out, lord, grant me life,

(8.6.1:76′) remove, carry [off] the evil causing the illness of my body!

(8.6.1:77′) Let it be 3600 miles distant from my body,

(8.6.1:78′) like smoke let it steadily rise into the sky,

(8.6.1:79′) li[ke] an [uproo]ted [tamarisk] let it not return to its place,

(8.6.1:80′) drive away the sorceries (and) mag[ic] (performed) against me,

(8.6.1:81′) let your word of life [be place]d upon m[e]!

(8.6.1:82′) Quickl[y re]co[gniz]e the tr[oub]le that happened [to me]!

(8.6.1:83′) The evi[l ...] ... [...] the evil [...],

(8.6.1:84′) to a persecuting ghost [...] ... .

(8.6.1:85′) Wherever a man [...] before yo[ur] [divini]ty [...] ... ,

(8.6.1:86′) to a persecuting ghost [...] ... .

(8.6.1:87′) Remove the illness of my body, [(...)] Marduk!

(8.6.1:88′) May a favourable protective deity (and) a favourable tutelary deity be constantly [at m]y [side],

(8.6.1:89′) happiness (and) health [...] ... [...] ... .

(8.6.1:90′) Merciful [Marduk], [ac]t kindly towards me!

(8.6.1:91′) Let me not die, let me not [be harme]d, let me not be reckoned among the ‘flesh’ of the asakku-demon!

(8.6.1:92′) Remove the illn[ess] of my body, drive away the ev<il> of my arms,

(8.6.1:93′) [ta]ke it away from my body, my mouth, then I will praise your glory!

(8.6.1:94′) I have made two figurines of the warlo[ck and] witch, before you I have stepped upon them.

(8.6.1:95′) May the tamarisk purify me, may the cedar cleanse me,

(8.6.1:96′) may maštakal-soapwort and palm shoots undo the witchcraft affecting me.

(8.6.1:97′) Let the evil that ((my)) litigant made turn and go to his head ((and)) his body,

(8.6.1:98′) ((but)) let me, ((your exhausted servant)), praise the glory of your great divinity to the widespread people!”

(8.6.1:99′) You recite this three times before Marduk.

(8.6.1:100′) That sick man strips off (his) cloak and 101′you have him say 100′the incantation “I have stripped off, I have stripped off” three times. 101′You pour water of the holy water vessel over his head. 102′You shut up the figurines of the warlock and witch in a hole in the west (and) 103′throw 102′the (used) ritual paraphernalia 103′into the river, (then) witchcraft, magic, sorcery (and) evil machinations will not come near him.

(8.6.1:104′) Catchline: Incantation: “Hero, [power]ful [heir], son of Enlil”.

(8.6.2:1) Incantation: “Proud is she, proud is she, grand is [Ištar],

(8.6.2:2) she is adorned with fearsome radiance, she is full of aw[someness],

(8.6.2:3) the daughter of Sîn, she is clothed in attractiveness, she is full of splendour.

(8.6.2:4) Daughter of Sîn, your purification rites are decked out,

(8.6.2:5) daughter of Sîn, your sanctuaries are elevated,

(8.6.2:6) daughter of Sîn, pay attention to my lawsuit, so that I may flourish because you administer justice, so that justice may pre[vail] for my judgment,

(8.6.2:7) daughter of Sîn, I [am] tired,

(8.6.2:8) daughter of Sîn, I [am] exhausted,

(8.6.2:9) [dau]ghter of Sîn, I am ill, daughter of Sîn [I am] di[stressed],

(8.6.2:10) [daughter] of Sîn, [I am] vexe[d],

(8.6.2:11) [daughter] of Sîn, [I am] sleep[less],

(8.6.2:12) [daughter of S]în, I am scared, daughter [of Sîn I am constantly terrified],

(8.6.2:13) [...] ... [

(8.6.2:18′) [They have made] figurines representing me [(...)], they have given me [(bewitched) bread] to eat.

(8.6.2:19′) they have given me 18′[(bewitched) beer] 19′to drink, they have bathed [me in (bewitched) water],

(8.6.2:20′) they have anointed me 19′with (bewitched) oil, 20′they have harm[ed me, they have] overwhelmed me.

(8.6.2:21′) Let their witchcraft, [their] magic, [their sorcery],

(8.6.2:22′) thei[r] hate-magic (var.?: [their] ‘sei[zing-of-the-mouth’ magic]), ...],

(8.6.2:23′) be dispers[ed ...] at [your (...)] comma[nd ...]!

(8.6.2:24′) (Lines 24′-30′ too fragmentary for translation)