Electronic manuscript
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:
ruling
You set up an offering arrangement before Šamaš, you make a sacrifice; thus you speak:
[In]cantation: “I call upon you Šamaš, listen to me,
[acc]ept my exhausted sighs,
quickly recognize the trouble that has befallen me!
I am tired, I am sleepless, I am exhausted, I am constantly terrified,
I have been anxiously awaiting ‘who-shines-for-me-at-rising’, your light, my lord.
Šamaš, lord of judgement, to you I turn:
Pay heed to the lifting of my hands and listen to my prayer,
listen to me and be favourable to my appeal,
judge my case, render a verdict for me!”
ruling
[Whe]n you give water (in)to the hands of Šamaš, you recite this [thre]e [ti]mes.
ruling
[Incantation]: “Šamaš, my lord, you have come to me 3600 miles (this) night,
you have set out towards me [over (a distance of) 3600 m]iles,
[cr]ossing remote mountains,
crossing [distant] mountains,
crossing mountains (and) mountain ranges,
cro[ss]ing [...] moun[tains],
[cross]ing far-off mountains,
cro[ssing ... mountains].
[...] ... I have not slept the whole n[ight
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[...] you pu[t] ... [and] bind,
... charcoal is put in the censer, an[d ...] me.
When night falls,
I always become depressed, panic-ridden and terrified, which (conditions) do not p[as]s.
Šamaš, I appeal to you because of the one (or: those?) who performed evil against me,
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,
(who) has performed [ha]te-magic (and) any evil, thereby striking my body,
(who) has gathered [the dus]t of my feet, has taken my spittle,
(who) has torn out [hair from] my [h]ead, has pl[uck]ed off hair from my body,
(who) has taken the [measu]rements of my body,
(who) has sent [me mess]ages of ‘cutting-of-the-throat’ magic,
(who) has made evil [plans] (against me),
(who) has tied [knots] of evil (against me),
(who) has drawn [the water of] my ‘cutting-of-the-throat’,
(who) has burnt [a figurine of me in fi]re, then has turned round (and) thrown (it) into water,
(who) (([has wa]shed [over (it)])), has bound (it),
(who) has laid figurines of me to rest with dead persons, has buried (them) in the ground,
(who) (([has s]et [...])), has shut (them) up in a sewage opening of the city-wall,
(who) has concealed (them) under a threshold, has handed (them) over to a ghost of my family,
(who) has handed (them) over to a skull, [has ha]nded (them) over [to Gilgameš] and thus has made (them) cross the Ḫubur-river!
[...] keeps hold of me, witchcraft is afflicting me!
[...] no god knows,
[your great divinity knows, Šamaš, onl]y [you] know. I am kneeling before you,
[...], judge my case, render a verdict for me!
[The one who ...], spoke [...] before your divinity an[d]
[... , be it a man or a wom]an, a dead or a liv[ing person],
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[seven figurines] of dou[gh, seven figurin]es of tallow, <seven figurines> of wa[x], [...]
[...] ... [... seven figurin]es of clay from the clay pit I have had [made.]
[...] s[even figurines of sesame poma]ce, seven figurines of beer mash,
[... figurines of] cedar wood and reed I have made and three times each
I have pi[er]ced (them) [with the thorn (of a date palm)]. I have clothed (them) in combed-out hair,
I have covered [thei]r [faces with bile of a sheep]. With a seal of [...]-stone [I have sealed ...
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Ho[t] sou[ps ...],
I have ma[de] a funerary offer[ing ...],
a ring of [s]ilver, a grain of s[ilver ...],
Šamaš, before you [I ...] figurin[es ...],
(concerning) the kn[o]t my warlock and witch have t[ied],
the e[vi]l effected by my warlock and wi[tch],
(concerning) their hate[ful wi]tchcraft,
enhance the exorcism which Mar[duk], the sage among the gods, [performed]!
Nudimmud, at your supreme com[man]d whi[ch cannot be changed],
and by your reliable approval which cannot be alter[ed],
let my warlock (and) witch die, but [let] me [live]!
May [Gi]rra (var.: Nuska) incinerate [their] so[rceries].
You are the lord, look with disfavour on them!
The knots they have tied against me I have unt[ied] before Šamaš!
Let the knots which I have tied against them approach [them],
let them come near to them, let them reach th[em]!
May I li[ve] at the command of Ea, Šamaš (and) Girra (var.: Asalluḫi), [then]
I will proclaim your greatness, I w[ill praise] the glory of your divinity!”
ruling
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].
ruling
[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 (...)].
ruling
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in a brewer’s oven ditto (= “I burn them” or similar), in a potter’s kiln [ditto],
in a melting oven ditto, in a roasting oven d[itto],
in a crucible ditto, in a brazier d[itto],
I let them descend [to the netherworld together with the Daughter] of Anu,
I have made fig[urines of the wa]rlock [and] witch, and [...] the Daughter of Anu.
To the good hands of the goddess [...
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Let [their] s[moke] steadily rise to heaven, [let the sun extinguish their embers].
Let Ea’s son, [the ex]or[cist], cut off the terror emanating from them.
Let me, your servant, live, let me become healthy, then I will proclaim your greatness, I will pr[aise] your glory!”
ruling
While you burn (them), you recite (this) three times. Then you fumigate him with kukuru-plant.
ruling
Incantation: “The sorceress is a qumqummatu-witch, the witch is a naršindatu-witch!
You who have taken clay from the river (to make figurines) of me,
why do you want to carry my soul to the (netherworld) malkū-deities?
As for me, in order to undo your witchcraft I hold up maštakal-soapwort,
‘heals-a-thousand’-plant that is immune against your witchcraft,
the ‘wood-of-release’ of the nadītu-priestesses, the cone of the qadištu-votaries!
May the mountain drive back the sorcerous devices, may the maštakal-soapwort fall upon your witchcraft,
moreover, may the ‘heals-a-thousand’-plant strike your cheek, may the ‘wood-of-release’ undo your words,
may the bronze curved staff release {the command of}? the knot devised in your heart —
at the command of Ea (and) Šamaš, the lord of the gods!” Incant[ation] formula.
ruling
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.
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[Befo]re Šamaš, the judge, you ha[ve receiv]ed a gift,
[a pre]sent has been given to you.
[The funerary dis]play, fit for the netherworld, has been arranged for you.
[Figurines of] my [wa]rlock and witch,
I have entrusted th<em> to you [befo]re Šamaš.
Take (them) with you [t]o the Land of No Return,
do [n]ot release them!
You are adjured [by] Šamaš, your constant escort,
you are adjured [by the Igigi], the gods of the upper world,
you are adjured [by the Anunnak]i, the lower gods,
you are adjured [by Lugalirra], Ninazu (and) Ningišzida,
you are adjured [by Ereškiga]l, the queen of the ne[therworl]d!
[If you re]lease [th]e[m], (you will be cursed)!”
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