Burning the witches and sending them to the Netherworld: The library version

(8.7.1:1) If a man’s head keeps causing [him a nagging pain], he has vertigo, 2his limbs are constantly ‘poured out’, he becomes depressed again and again, 3his ‘mouth’ is constantly troubled, his heart is depressed, he is short-tempered, 4he develops fever, stiffness, liʾbu-disease (and) depression, his chest 5and his b[ac]k keep causing him a nagging pain, [he keeps] sweating heavily, his hands and [fee]t 6keep causing him a nagging pain, his upper thighs keep tw[is]ting out of place, he is too weak to rise, to stand 7and to talk, [his] neck muscles keep causing him a nagging pain, he gets cold repeatedly, 8on his bed his saliva keeps flo[wi]ng, he tosses and turns, he wearies himself, 9he [be]comes increasingly depressed, he babbles (and) keeps forgetting ‘the speech of his mouth’, 10his [dr]eams are numerous, (but) the drea[ms] he sees he cannot remember (lit.: “hold back”), 11he sees [de]ad people repeatedly, he keeps talking to himself, he retches and 12[vom]its, the limbs of his body cause hi[m] a throbbing (and) a stinging pain, 13he develops ... , he is diseased and wo[rn dow]n, he suffers from shortness of breath, 14he says [“woe”] (and) cri[es] “alas”, he has no desire to eat and drink, 15(then) [th]is [man] is bewitched, the water of his ‘cutting-of-the-throat’ has been drawn and [...], 16his [... has been handed over] to Gilgam[eš, (...)], 17at the beginning of the month Abu figurines representing him were ma[de and at the ...] of month Abu handed over to a gh[os]t. 18If he lingers on (in his disease) for three months and ten days, he will die. [To] undo the witchcraft:

(8.7.1:19) You set up an offering arrangement before Šamaš, you make a sacrifice; thus you speak:

(8.7.1:20) [In]cantation: “I call upon you Šamaš, listen to me,

(8.7.1:21) [acc]ept my exhausted sighs,

(8.7.1:22) quickly recognize the trouble that has befallen me!

(8.7.1:23) I am tired, I am sleepless, I am exhausted, I am constantly terrified,

(8.7.1:24) I have been anxiously awaiting ‘who-shines-for-me-at-rising’, your light, my lord.

(8.7.1:25) Šamaš, lord of judgement, to you I turn:

(8.7.1:26) Pay heed to the lifting of my hands and listen to my prayer,

(8.7.1:27) listen to me and be favourable to my appeal,

(8.7.1:28) judge my case, render a verdict for me!”

(8.7.1:29) [Whe]n you give water (in)to the hands of Šamaš, you recite this [thre]e [ti]mes.

(8.7.1:30) [Incantation]: “Šamaš, my lord, you have come to me 3600 miles (this) night,

(8.7.1:31) you have set out towards me [over (a distance of) 3600 m]iles,

(8.7.1:32) [cr]ossing remote mountains,

(8.7.1:33) crossing [distant] mountains,

(8.7.1:34) crossing mountains (and) mountain ranges,

(8.7.1:35) cro[ss]ing [...] moun[tains],

(8.7.1:36) [cross]ing far-off mountains,

(8.7.1:37) cro[ssing ... mountains].

(8.7.1:38) [...] ... I have not slept the whole n[ight

(8.7.1:39) (too fragmentary for translation)

(8.7.1:40′) (too fragmentary for translation)

(8.7.1:41′) [...] you pu[t] ... [and] bind,

(8.7.1:42′) ... charcoal is put in the censer, an[d ...] me.

(8.7.1:43′) When night falls,

(8.7.1:44′) I always become depressed, panic-ridden and terrified, which (conditions) do not p[as]s.

(8.7.1:45′) Šamaš, I appeal to you because of the one (or: those?) who performed evil against me,

(8.7.1:46′) Šamaš, (the person) who 47′has performed (or) has had performed, has turned to (and) has so[ug]ht against me 46′witchcraft, magic, sorcery, evil (and) b[a]d manipulations, 47′‘cutting-of-the-throat’ magic,

(8.7.1:48′) (who) has performed [ha]te-magic (and) any evil, thereby striking my body,

(8.7.1:49′) (who) has gathered [the dus]t of my feet, has taken my spittle,

(8.7.1:50′) (who) has torn out [hair from] my [h]ead, has pl[uck]ed off hair from my body,

(8.7.1:51′) (who) has taken the [measu]rements of my body,

(8.7.1:52′) (who) has sent [me mess]ages of ‘cutting-of-the-throat’ magic,

(8.7.1:53′) (who) has made evil [plans] (against me),

(8.7.1:54′) (who) has tied [knots] of evil (against me),

(8.7.1:55′) (who) has drawn [the water of] my ‘cutting-of-the-throat’,

(8.7.1:56′) (who) has burnt [a figurine of me in fi]re, then has turned round (and) thrown (it) into water,

(8.7.1:57′) (who) (([has wa]shed [over (it)])), has bound (it),

(8.7.1:58′) (who) has laid figurines of me to rest with dead persons, has buried (them) in the ground,

(8.7.1:59′) (who) (([has s]et [...])), has shut (them) up in a sewage opening of the city-wall,

(8.7.1:60′) (who) has concealed (them) under a threshold, has handed (them) over to a ghost of my family,

(8.7.1:61′) (who) has handed (them) over to a skull, [has ha]nded (them) over [to Gilgameš] and thus has made (them) cross the Ḫubur-river!

(8.7.1:62′) [...] keeps hold of me, witchcraft is afflicting me!

(8.7.1:63′) [...] no god knows,

(8.7.1:64′) [your great divinity knows, Šamaš, onl]y [you] know. I am kneeling before you,

(8.7.1:65′) [...], judge my case, render a verdict for me!

(8.7.1:66′) [The one who ...], spoke [...] before your divinity an[d]

(8.7.1:67′) [... , be it a man or a wom]an, a dead or a liv[ing person],

(8.7.1:68′) (too fragmentary for translation)

(B_o_ii_1′) (Lines 1′-13′ too fragmentary for translation)

(A₃_o_ii_1′) (too fragmentary for translation)

(A₃_o_ii_2′) [seven figurines] of dou[gh, seven figurin]es of tallow, <seven figurines> of wa[x], [...]

(A₃_o_ii_3′) [...] ... [... seven figurin]es of clay from the clay pit I have had [made.]

(A₃_o_ii_4′) [...] s[even figurines of sesame poma]ce, seven figurines of beer mash,

(A₃_o_ii_5′) [... figurines of] cedar wood and reed I have made and three times each

(A₃_o_ii_6′) I have pi[er]ced (them) [with the thorn (of a date palm)]. I have clothed (them) in combed-out hair,

(A₃_o_ii_7′) I have covered [thei]r [faces with bile of a sheep]. With a seal of [...]-stone [I have sealed ...

(8.7.1:70′′) Ho[t] sou[ps ...],

(8.7.1:71′′) I have ma[de] a funerary offer[ing ...],

(8.7.1:72′′) a ring of [s]ilver, a grain of s[ilver ...],

(8.7.1:73′′) Šamaš, before you [I ...] figurin[es ...],

(8.7.1:74′′) (concerning) the kn[o]t my warlock and witch have t[ied],

(8.7.1:75′′) the e[vi]l effected by my warlock and wi[tch],

(8.7.1:76′′) (concerning) their hate[ful wi]tchcraft,

(8.7.1:77′′) enhance the exorcism which Mar[duk], the sage among the gods, [performed]!

(8.7.1:78′′) Nudimmud, at your supreme com[man]d whi[ch cannot be changed],

(8.7.1:79′′) and by your reliable approval which cannot be alter[ed],

(8.7.1:80′′) let my warlock (and) witch die, but [let] me [live]!

(8.7.1:81′′) May [Gi]rra (var.: Nuska) incinerate [their] so[rceries].

(8.7.1:82′′) You are the lord, look with disfavour on them!

(8.7.1:83′′) The knots they have tied against me I have unt[ied] before Šamaš!

(8.7.1:84′′) Let the knots which I have tied against them approach [them],

(8.7.1:85′′) let them come near to them, let them reach th[em]!

(8.7.1:86′′) May I li[ve] at the command of Ea, Šamaš (and) Girra (var.: Asalluḫi), [then]

(8.7.1:87′′) I will proclaim your greatness, I w[ill praise] the glory of your divinity!”

(8.7.1:88′′) You recite (this) three times, and each time you recite it you make a libation. [(...) a potter’s kiln, a brewer’s oven], 89′′a bread oven, a roast[ing ov]en, a bra[zier, a melting oven and a crucible] 90′′you se[t up in a row] before Šamaš. [You fill (them) with cut-up reeds].

(8.7.1:91′′) [Two figurines] of tamarisk wood, two figurines of ce[dar wood, two figurines of reed, two figurines of wood, two figurines of tin] 92′′[two figurines of copp]er: i[n] the brazier that is not yet li[ghted. Seven figurines of clay, seven figurines of clay from the clay pit] 93′′that is mixed with bi[tumen], seven figurines of gyp[sum you line up for the potter’s kiln]. 94′′[Seven figu]rines of dough [you line up] for the bread oven. 95′′[Six figur]ines of ṭūru-resin, six figurines of beer bread: [for the brewer’s oven. ... figurines of sesame pomace: for the crucible]. 96′′... figurines of tallow that is mi[xed] with cress: [for the roasting oven]. 97′′[Seven figurines] of tallow, [seven figurines] of wax, seven [figurines of bitumen: for the melting oven]. 98′′You sprinkle them with [ho]t [bitumen (...)].

(8.7.1:99′′) (Lines 99′′-100′′ too fragmentary for translation)

(A₃_r_iii?_1′) (Lines 1′-3′ too fragmentary for translation)

(A₃_r_iii?_4′) in a brewer’s oven ditto (= “I burn them” or similar), in a potter’s kiln [ditto],

(A₃_r_iii?_5′) in a melting oven ditto, in a roasting oven d[itto],

(A₃_r_iii?_6′) in a crucible ditto, in a brazier d[itto],

(A₃_r_iii?_7′) I let them descend [to the netherworld together with the Daughter] of Anu,

(A₃_r_iii?_8′) I have made fig[urines of the wa]rlock [and] witch, and [...] the Daughter of Anu.

(A₃_r_iii?_9′) To the good hands of the goddess [...

(A₃_r_iii?_10′) (Too fragmentary for translation)

(B_r_iii_1′) (Lines 1′-4′ too fragmentary for translation)

(8.7.1:102′′′) Let [their] s[moke] steadily rise to heaven, [let the sun extinguish their embers].

(8.7.1:103′′′) Let Ea’s son, [the ex]or[cist], cut off the terror emanating from them.

(8.7.1:104′′′) Let me, your servant, live, let me become healthy, then I will proclaim your greatness, I will pr[aise] your glory!”

(8.7.1:105′′′) While you burn (them), you recite (this) three times. Then you fumigate him with kukuru-plant.

(8.7.1:106′′′) Incantation: “The sorceress is a qumqummatu-witch, the witch is a naršindatu-witch!

(8.7.1:107′′′) You who have taken clay from the river (to make figurines) of me,

(8.7.1:108′′′) why do you want to carry my soul to the (netherworld) malkū-deities?

(8.7.1:109′′′) As for me, in order to undo your witchcraft I hold up maštakal-soapwort,

(8.7.1:110′′′) ‘heals-a-thousand’-plant that is immune against your witchcraft,

(8.7.1:111′′′) the ‘wood-of-release’ of the nadītu-priestesses, the cone of the qadištu-votaries!

(8.7.1:112′′′) May the mountain drive back the sorcerous devices, may the maštakal-soapwort fall upon your witchcraft,

(8.7.1:113′′′) moreover, may the ‘heals-a-thousand’-plant strike your cheek, may the ‘wood-of-release’ undo your words,

(8.7.1:114′′′) may the bronze curved staff release {the command of}? the knot devised in your heart —

(8.7.1:115′′′) at the command of Ea (and) Šamaš, the lord of the gods!” Incant[ation] formula.

(8.7.1:116′′′) You bi[nd] ‘heals-a-thousand’-plant, ‘wood-of-release’, a cone (and) maštakal-soapwort (together) into a linen cloth; 117′′′one bronze curved staff: you recite the incantation three times, then you place (them) on his neck. 118′′′You [ta]k[e] these figurines for the skull. 119′′′You [seal] their opening with a dough of šeguššu-barley flour.

(8.7.1:120′′′) (Lines 120′′′-22′′′ too fragmentary for translation)