Ninurta's Journey to Eridu

Author(s): Daniel Reisman

Reviewed work(s):
Source: Journal of Cuneiform Studies, Vol. 24, No. 1/2 (1971), pp. 3-10
Published by: The American Schools of Oriental Research
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1359340 .
Accessed: 18/10/2012 18:24

Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at .
http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp

.
JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of
content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms
of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected].

The American Schools of Oriental Research is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend
access to Journal of Cuneiform Studies.

http://www.jstor.org
 NINURTAfSJOURNEYTO EltIl)U
DANIELREISMAN
Universityof Minnesota
Minneapolis,Minn.,U.S.A.
The text underconsiderationis a four-columned addressed to Ninurta on the occasion of llis
tablet (CBS 13938 pages 9 and 10) which was journey (or return?),seems quite plausible.
copied and published by E. Chiera in STVC, The contents of the hymn clearly reveal the
34. The hymn, of which only one exemplaris purpose of Ninurta's journey. Ninurta comes
known,was translatedwith a criticalcommentary forth from the Ekur and proceedsto Eridu (I 1-7)
by A. Falkensteinin SGL I, pp. 80 fF.,under the in order to ensure abundance and fertility for
title "Lied auf Ninurta". Sumer (I 8-23), as well as to guaranteethat the
It was Falkenstein'sopinionthat the text, which me and yis-hur4 of Sumer and the foreign lands
is broken at the bottom, originallycontained as will remain intact (I 24-25). He is led joyfully
many as fifty lines per column,with a lacuna of into the Abzu in Eridu by an unknownsubject,
about fifty lines between columns II and III1. and receives the me from the lord of the me,
An examinationof the tablet itself suggests that Enki (II 5-13). In the Abzu, Ninurta adorns
in fact probablyno morethan eight to ten linesare himselfwith the symbols of kingship, and assumes
missing at the end of column II, with a similar his place with An and Enki (II 14-21). There
amountlackingat the head of columnIII. This then follows a hymn praising Ninurta and his
would amount to a total lacuna of no more than qualities (III-IV), closing with a listing of his
twenty lines, so it is not certain that the return characteristicswhich are all in accord with the
of Ninurta from Eridu to Nippur was originally wish of Enlil (IV 22-27).
recountedin this composition. It has been observedthat it is somewhatsur-
Falkenstein'scharacterizationof this composi- prisingthat Ninurta,who belongsto the pantheo
tion as a "Lied"is based upon the subscriptsir- of Nippur as the son of Enlil, shouldurldertakea
gfd-da-dnin-urta-kam, "a 'long' song of Ninurta". journey to Enki at Eridu, and it has been sug-
S. N. Kramerhas describedthe same composition gested that the composition points to age old
as a myth narratingNinurta'sjourneyto Eriduto connectionsbetweenthe two cities5. Along with
obtain Enki's blessing and the me's essential to this surprisingaspect, one should also take note
Sumer'swelfare; he sees the second half of the of another composition of purely mythological
work as being entirely hymnal in character,thus narrative,in which Ninurta is led to the Abzu
accountingfor the hymnalsubscript2. It has also by the oSspring of the Imdugud bird6. While
been suggested that the tablet in fact contains muchremainsuncertainin this very difficulttext,
two compositions,the obversebeing the myth of it is clearthat Ninurtademandsthe mefromEnki,
Ninurta's journey to Eridu, and the reverse a andthat his demandis spurnedandhe is requested
hymn to Ninurta3. While this must be considered to leave the Abzu. Because both this myth and
as a possibility, the suggestion seems unlikely; the hymn underconsiderationdeal with Ninurta's
we have anotherexampleof a hymniccompositio 4. The me have been definedby K. Oberhuber,Der
which narrates a deity's cultic action having a numinose Begrig ME im Sumerischen, (1963), as "numi-
nose Wirkkraft,numinoseMacht;Numen;Numinoses".
mythologicalbackground,namely the hymn to W. W. Hallo, in The Exaltation of Inanna, p. 50, notes
Inanna celebratingher sacredmarriageto Iddin- that "it is preciselythe markof a great deity that he
Dagan (SRT 1, and duplicates). Thus, Falken- collect or gather numerousme's to himself.... It is
stein'sview of the compositionas a unity, a hymn preferableto regardthe me's as 'divine attributes'". ..
Assyrioloyie, pp. 481-482, s.v.
5. Reallexikon der
1. SGLI,p.80. Gotterreisen(A. W. Sjoberg).
2. "SumerianLiterature: A General Survey", in 6. UET VI/1, pl. III-IV. The possibilityof a con-
The Bible and the Ancient Near East, pp. 344-45,note 21. nectionbetweenthis compositionand our hymnhas al-
3. A. Al-lVouadi,Enki's Journey to Nippur: The ready been suggestedby H. Sauren,OrNS 38, p. 215,
Journeys of the Gods (unpublisheddissertation),p. 19. note 1.
3
 5. [ ............ ]-da 17.
26.
28. []-ka-[
15. [[[ .. ..... . ]di-ku5-ru-d[a]
]x-le-da]-le-[
..... engur
]-dahu-lub-e-da
ni-gi-[n]a
]-da di-da

4 JOURNAL
OFCUNEIFORM
STUDIES,
VOL.24 (1971)

journeyto Eridu and his request for the me, the 13. [ur]-sagdnin-u[rta]eriduki-sena-gin
pOSitiOIl taken llere is that there is a connection 14. [ididi]gna*-id*[bu]rannun*-bi*ka ga-ga-da
betweetlthe two. The essentialmotif is a (uest
by a god for the me. The myth describesthat 16. [ambar-ra:U]I.SU:gURkU6
suburkU6-mas-e
quest as atl act of arrogancewhichwas unsuccess-
ful, while the hymn states that in fact the me 18. [gis-gi]-agi-us gihe[nb]urnisag* ni-nam ak*-
are presented.While the respectiveaccountspre- aka*-da
sent the whole action in differentlights, this is no 19. [mas-ansel]u-luni-zi-gal-eden-na
reasonto reject their essentialrelationship. An- 20. [. . . . . l]u-lims[e]gs-barx-gal
other example of such contrastingrenditionsof 21. [. . . . . Ja-bae-[ ]-la di-da
the same action is found in Incgnnc^'s Journeyto 22. x-usum?*-la KA LA.L-e-dax x x x-da
Eridu, and hymnic referencesto Enki's bestowal 23. x ni-ku5 nu-tuk-tuku-dax x x-e-da
of the me upon her. According to the myth, 24. [me]-ke-en-ge-ra nu-ha-lam-e-da
Inanna obtains the me from Enki after he has 25. [gis-hur]-kur-kur-ra su nu-bal-e-da
becomeintoxicated,and, upon sobering,he seeks
to obtain their return. Yet, in the Iddin-Dagan 27. [dnin-urtadu]mu-den-lil-la-[k]e4
Hymnto Inannait is stated that Enki gave herthe
me as a gift7. (Break)
Since, as stated above, otle of the purposesof
Ninurta'sjourneyis to obtain the me, it is in fact ColumnII
not surprisingthat he shouldjourneyto Eridu to (Breakof four lines)
get them from Enki, who is the lord of the me. 5. lugal-[raabzu-segin-negiri mu-na-ga-ga]
However the term me is to be translated, it is 6. dnin-urta eriduki-sb gin-[ne]giri mu-na-ga-ga
clear that a great deity possessesmany of them8, 7. kaskal ezem-gimmu-na-dueden mu-na-[x]
and that the myths tell of certaindeities'struggles 8. dllin-urta abzu eriduki-gaul-la mi-ni-ib-tum-
to become great, while the hymns accept their mu
greatness,and possessionof or access to the me 9. lugal abzu-a ku4-ra-niu4 he-gal-am gi6 girix-
as a fait accompli. Whetherthe hymn tells of an zal-am
annualjourneyby Ninurta is not known9. 10. dnin-urtaeriduki-gaku4-ra-niu4he-gal-amgi6
In the following transliterationof the text, . *

glrlX-zal-am
1 \

correctedreadings are marked with asterisks. 11. me u4-ti-la-ke4sag mu-na-r[ig7]ur-sag-an*-

na-ke4
ColumnI
12. me ni-du7-eki-bi mu-si-[gi4]en-me-sar-ra-ke4
1. ur-sag ............ e-kur-t]a*e-a 13. u4-dulo-ke-en-ge-rae-dam en-[x]x x x
2. [dnin-urta............ Je-kur-ta*e-a 14. dnin-urta dumu-den-lil-la-[k]e4
3. [ ............ -d]b-es-ex*-da 15. nam-lugal-semen mu-un-gur[x] am!*-ma!*-
4. [ur-sagdnin-urtadumu]-den-[lil]-la tum
16. nam-en-semus-za-ginmu-un-kesda[x]-galsu*
6- [ ............ a-a]g-e-da
bi*-in-du8
7. [dnin]-urtaki-de[n*-l]il*-[la-ta eriduk]i*-sena- 17. dalla mu-un-e abzu eri[duki-ga]sag an-se
gin
bi-in-il
8. [na]m-he[na]m*-bitar-re-de 18. 3ul giri-zal-e-kur-ra
gal*-la
9. x-ki-sar-re*gu*[............ ]-de 19. nam-lugal-lax x-ma-bi-im
10. [ki-daga]l-la u-s[i]m girix-zal-la. gu me-er- 20. an-ki-aka-x*-da-bi-im
m[e-r]e-de 21. an-[den-k]i-da kisal-la ul m[u-ne-da-an-ti]x
11. [tur-a]mas-ai-garadugud-de-da
[
12. [l]u-sipahul-e-de (Break)
7. SRT 1 22-24 and duplicates. Other references to
this myth are given by W. H. Ph. Romer SKImp.153. ColurrlnIII
8. See n(}te 4 above.
9. This is suggested as a possibility by Sjoberg RLA (Break of nine lines)
[
pp. 481---482. ]mu xL ]
10.
36.
12.
35.
10.
34.
28. [an-za
[ . .an-usan-ne*
usumgal
du1o-us-sa*
] su]-za
e-igi-su-du8
DIB*[mu-ra-an-si*
...........
nam-he-bi
ki-nam-[t]ar-re*-zu
[ [] ] ] [ ] [me]- 20.
22.
17.
15.
5.
3.
9.
2. So
[In
[Ninurta
[.....
that
May
that
[order
...[...........
the
............
,]to
[ ............
[the
[]whois[
...........
...........
buck,
.............. ], the
so,]that
].....
]wild
may
coming
everywhere,
the
]ed,
[ram,
....
Deep
forth
]lythe
],may
),

REISMAN:
NINURTA'S
JOURNEY
TOERIDU 5

11. dnin-urtake-en-ge-ra*-ke4* bad-gal-b[i]za-e- 20. [gizzu-z]umah<-am kalam-mabi-la

me-en 21. [sig-t]aigi-nim-se[tug-g]imbi-dul
12. nam*-ur-sag-zu*-se* nir* im-te-e*-gal 22. [nam-m]ah<-zu den-lil-lani-sa-ga-na-ka
13. en es-bar-zidumu-den-lil-la 23. [nin-urta] nam-[m]ah<-zu den-lil-la ni-sa-ga-
14. sa-g[a]da-la [x-dingi]r-nam-tar-ranam-en-na na-ka
tum*-ma* 24. [kur-ra]a-gal-aga-e-zu ni-sa-ga-na-ka
15. su-luh-ku-galugal nam-isib-zubara-ku-geh6- 25. [ni]-nam-tar-re-zu ni-sa-ga-na-ka
du7 26. [gisgu-za-n]am-lugal-la gi-ne-zuni-sa-ga-na-ka
16. dnin-urtaabzu eriduki-gaan-da nam-tar-ra 27. [x x] si-sa UD.DUL-la-se na-ga-ga-zu[n]i-sa-
17. dull-dull-ga-zuni-me-gar-am ga-na-ka
18. nam-tar-ra-zuni-nu-kur-ru-dam 28. [sir]-gid*-da-dnin-urta-kam
19. inim*-zu*-a*nam-tar-ra-zu-se 29. [x x ur]-sag-an-naa-na x x zi-kalam-ma
20. dingir-ur-sag-abzu-ke-neKA-su m[a]-r[a-an-
gal]-es Translation
21. lugal abzu-ta sag be-gur-ru-zu-[de]
22. dnin-urtaeriduki-tasag be-il-en ColumnI
23. nam-ur-sag-gami-ni-i-i-ne 1. [Hero............ ,] comingforth
24. dingir-dingir-a-n[un-na-ke4-ne gA-la nu]-mu- fr[omthe Ekur].
un-dag-g[e-ne]
25. lugal [e-kur ................. ]a[ ] from the Ekur.
26. dnin-urtae-k[ur ............. ]
27. x-gal e-bi-tat ................. ] ed,
4. Hero, Ninurta the son of Enlil.
29. inim-den-lil-la-se[x x z]i-i-ziu[r-sag]dnin-urta
30. nam-lugal-zuni-me-lam-biki-balai-dul-e 6. [ ........... inst]ructed,
31. ur-sag-e* gis mi-ni-ib-ur-ur-reuku mi-ni-ib- 7. [Nin]urtasurely proceeds[from]the place [of
ge-en-e Enlil] to [Eridu].
32. ku-za-ginni-ga-bur-sag-ga 8. In order to determine a [des]tiny of abun-
33. a-a-zuden-lil-rakur-sa-tamu-na-[ta-esl-de-en] dance.

10. So that in the [broadland] he make bloom

grasses,vegetation, and magnificence,
37. en-kur-gul-[gu]lA-madull-[dull-ga] 11. So that the [penand s]heepfoldmay be heavy
38. dnin-urtaur-sag-den-lil-laza-e-[me-en] with milk and cream,
39. an-na nir [m]i-ni-galur-[sag-.......................
] 12. So that the shepherdmay rejoice,
13. [He]roNinu[rta]surelyproceedsto Eridu.
ColumnIV 14. So that the [Tig]risand the [Euph]ratesmay
(Breakof nine lines) roar,

11. [en-tur]-ku-gasu-lub-zalag-zalag-ga be fearsome,

16. So that in [the pond the H]I.SUgUR and the
suvhur.mas fish
1 * * fi

ol-nmnu-am
13. [unu]-kin-sigki-gisbansurx x-za* [me]*-bi
ninnu-am 18. So that in [the cane-brake]the dead reed and
14. [ ]lu nu-mu-ni-in-[p]a-de the green reed, first fruits, may .......
15. [x] me-du1O
nu-mu-n;-ib-su-su 19. So that the numerous[animals],the creatures
16. [uru-zum]ah-amd-zumah-am of the steppe,
17. [nam-luga]l-zu x x -bi mah-am
18. [nam-ur]-sag-zu za-pa-[a]ga-bimah-am great [..... ].
19. [dnin]-urtadumu-[dle[n]-lll-lax x mah-am 21. With their [........... ] may [.... ],
e*-[x]um-ta-e
19.
28.
13.
26.
23.He
The
So
that
isthat
that
lord
[the[.......
the
[[ ......
.................
............
],[ so
............
],that a],in]
[]bringing
.......
]ofmay
kingship,
order
take
forth
] of
nothe
justice
tax,
good
toso 39.
36.
10.
26.
27.
12.
25.
28.
14.Ninurta,
King,
Companion
Dragon,
table
[In
Great
[ ............
............
heaven
[the
ofthe
your
its
[Ekur
[Ek[ur
......
[abundance
..............................
you
............
...................................
...................................
]are
,] the
3no
][trusted,
from
,]....................
he
E'igisudu,
olle
itsplaced
itscan
m[e] are
the
house
name
fifty,
the
in
he[ro
them,
place
your
[ ,],],]]]

6 JOURNAL
OFCUNEIFORM
STUDIES,
VOL.24 (1971)

13. The lordwho renderstrue Judgement,the son

of Enlil.
24. So that the [me]of Sumer may not be de- 14. Dressed in fine linen, [....] the god of the
stroyed, determinationof destiny, suited for lordship,
25. So that the [plan]of all the lands may not be 15. Wingof holy laving rites, your divination is
overturned, suited for the holy throne,
16. Winurta,who togetherwith An determinesthe
may be Judged, destiny in the Abzu, in Eridu.
27. [Ninurtathe s]on of Enlil 17. Your utterancesinspireawe,
18. Your determinationof fate is immutable,
makejudgment, 19. Isnowing the matter, at your determination
(Break) of destiny
20. The heroic gods of the Abzu pr[ay to you],
ColumnII 21. Oh king, [when]you raise your head in the
(Breakof four lines) Abzu,
5. [He preparesthe way for]the king [ashe goes 22. Oh ATinurta,may you raise your head in
to the Abzu], Eridu.
6. He preparesthe way for Ninurta as [he]goes 23. In heroismthey praise,
to Eridu, 24. The An[unna gods do not cease] serving.
7. He makes the road festive, he makes the
steppe [....],
8. In joy he bearsNinurtainto the Abzu, Eridu.
9. The king, when he entersthe Abzu, the day is
abundance,the night is magnificence, 29. At the word of Enlil, [....................
] you rise, hero
10. Ninurta, when he enters Eridu, the day is Ninurta,
abundance,the night is magnificence, 30. The awesome glow of your kingship covers
11. The hero of An he presentedhim with the the rebelliousland,
me for life, 31. The hero plows, he establisheshis people,
12. The lord of all the me-he [restored]the me 32. Shining silver, the treasureof the mountain,
properlyto their place, 33. You [bring it down] to your father Enlil
fromthe heart of the mountain,
days of Sumer. 34. The horizon ............
[ ,]
14. Ninurta,the son of Enlil, 35. At evening [............ ,]
15. In the royal mannerhe wore the hat, he bore
the [.... ] 37. Lord who [de]stroysthe foreign land, who
16. In the lordly mannerhe bound the shining achie[ves]victory,
mus, he graspedthe [..............
], 38. [You are]Ninurta,the hero of Enlil,
17. He has come forth radiantly, he raised his
head skywardsin the Abzu, [in Er]idu.
18. The youth who establishesthe magnificence ColumnIV
of the Ekur, (Breakof nine lines)

20. He is the [................. ] of heavenand earth, [hand],

21. With An and [Enki he sits] Joyfully in the 11. [Lord]of the holy [sheepfold],of pure laving
court [...... ] rites,
(Break)
of your determinationof clestiny,its [me] are
ColumnIII fifty,
(Breakof nine lines) 13. [Thehall]of the eveningmeal,the placeof the
10.........................................
11. Ninurta, you are the great wall of Sumer,
12. You are trusted because of your heroism, 15. [ .] doesnot the good me,
29.[ . he]roof An,withhishand
[ .................... ,] the He him into the place of Enki, the Abzu,

JOURNEYTO ERIDU
REISMAN:ATINURTA'S 7

16. [Yourcity is lo]ftr, your house is lofty, 10: The tracesfollowings[i]mpoint to girix-za
17. The ... of your [king]shipis lofty, la, and the end of the line clearlyreadsgu me-er-
18. The roarof your [he]roismis lofty, me-re-de,hanabu,"to growabundantly"(CAD 6,
19. [Oh Nin]urta the son of Enlil, .... is lofty, p. 76). The -la of girix-zal-laprovidesthe post-
you have come forth from the [. . . ] house. position of the indirect object requiredby the
20. Yo[ur shadow]is lofty, it coversthe land, compoundverb.
21. ["From top] to bottom'n, it covers li[lSe a 14: The restorationof the firsthalf of the line is
cloth], certain; following ERIDUki is -bi, and not -ga,
22. Your [lof]tinessis accordingto the wish of confirmingChiera'scopy.
Enlil, ka ga-ga = ragamu, "to roar" (SL 15:200).
23. [Oh Winurta],your [lo]ftinessis accordingto This must refer to the rushingwaters. Another
the wish of Enlil, possible interpretationof the verb is ga-ga =
24. Your great instruction[of the foreignland]is raha.su, "to inundate" (SL 233:35n). This
accordingto his wiish, would then refer to the annual inundationof the
25. Your [de]terminationof destiny is according two rivers; ka might then be understood as
to his wish, "mouth"or "branch"(NSC III, 125).
26. Your establishmentof the [throneof l]ingXship 16: For gI.SUgURkU6, and suhurkU6-mas -
is according;to his wish, pu-ra-du, cf. llISL VIII/2 pp. 96 ff., 114 ff.
27. When you surely establish just [....] ac- 18: The sign precedingnig is nisag;the next to
cordingto . . ., it is accordingto his wish. the last two signs are ak-ak, and not mar-mar,as
28. It is a 'long' song of ATinurta. copied by Chiera. For the meaningof nisag, cf.
van Dijk, JCS XIX, pp. 224 fT.
life of the land. 22: The first preserved sign is not GU, but
looks more like USUM; because of the -la, fol-
and Translation
Notes on Transliteration lowing,perhapsthe firXst three signs readusumgal-
la. The end of the line, read by Falkensteinas
1: For the openingline of this hymn, compare gu-x x-ga-da,is so crampedas to be illegible.
Bell. XVI, pl. lix, line 1: ur-sag a-gal-da-nun- 23: The collationof the third and fourth signs
na-ke4-nee!-kur-ta[e-a],"Hero,mighty one of the from the end of the line indicates that they are
Anunna,comingforthfromthe Ekur" (an adabof neitheridentical,nor to be read as GUL.
N;nurta, cf. SKI p. 6 ff.). While it is unliliely
that this would be the restorationof the first line ColumnII
of this hymn, it is neverthelessnoteworthythat With the beginning of this column missing, it is
the end of the line reads e-kur-ta,and not e-kur- impossibleto ascertainat what point this strophe
ra, which together with the correctedreadingin began.
our text, eliminatesthe necessityof Falkenstein's 5-8: The subjectof theselinesis unknown. Cf.
suggestedsound changeof -r-ta -r-ra (SGLI. pp. UET VI/1, pl. IV, lines 10-14:
87-88). ur-sag-dnin-urtaamar-dIM-DuGuDmusen-de su-ni
3: Becausethe tracesof the next to the last sign bl-in-ti ki-den-ki-ka-seabzu-seim-ma-da-[ ]
do not point to pad, the restorationby Falken- du4-te(var.-ta)-ux-lu amar-dIM-DUGUDmusen de
stein of [zi-d]eis by no means certain. abzu-seba-an-gi4
7: Following dnin-urta ki-, the tablet reads "The offspringof the IMDUGUD took the hero
de[n-l]ll,and not dn[amm]u;contextually, this is Ninurta by the hand.
moresuitable,for Ninurtajourneysfrom Nippur,
the place of Enlil, to Eridu. The offspringof the IMDUGUD returiledUtaulu
8: [na]m-biis restoredat the beginningof the to Abzu.'
line on the basis of the certainreadingtar-re-deat Line 5 is restoredaccordingto line 6, and on the
the end. basis of the parallelismof lines 8-9.
9: The traces of the first sign do not point to 7-8: For these lines compareUET VI/1, pl. IV,
lugal. The tracesof the fourthsign could also be lines 13-14:
read ge, which would call for a readingof ki-dulo- en-e ur-sag-raba-si-hvul
ge, "the good land". a-a-den-ki ur-sag-dnin-urta-ra ba-si-hvul
8 OFCUNEIFORM
JOURNAL VOL.24 (1971)
STUDIES,

"The lord reJoicedover the hero, 14: Following sa-g[a]da-la,the break contains
Father Enki reJoicedover hero Ninurta." space for at least one sign beforerestoreddingir;
11-12: The subjects of both of these lines are the end of the line reads tum-ma, and not ka (as
parallel and presumablythe same person, who copiedby Chiera).
must be other than Ninurta, for the latter is the 19-20: inim-zu-amodifiesthe "heroicgods" of
recipientof the me,not the donor. It seemslikely the following line. For inim-zu, cf. SGL I, p.
that the donoris Enki, for whom the epithet en- 16, lines 104-105;SRT 1, line 117.
me-sar-rawould be suitable. I can find no oc- 23-24: For these lines, cf. UET VI/1, pl. IX7,
currencesof ur-sag-an-naappliedto Enki (the as line 19: dingir-gal-gal-gal-e-rle a-nam-[ur-sag-ga-
is not written on the tablet), but cf. ArOrXXI, zu] me-tes [<he-i-i-ne]
362,25-26, wheredumu-sag-an-nais an epithet of 25-26: e-kur in line 25 is restoredon the basis
Enki. of line 26. For the parallelconstructionof lugal/
14: This line is understoodas the beginningof dninurta,cf. ColumnII, lines 5-6, 9-10, above.
the next strophe. CompareFalkenstein'streat- 31: The third sign is not GiNA, as read by
ment, wherehe connectsit to the precedinglines. Falkenstein. -e is required as a subject post-
15-16: The objectsof the verbs tum and su-du8 positionbecauseof the finite transitiveverb.
are not preserved;one might expect some symbol 34: Perhapsthe first three signs shouldbe read
of kingship. Cf. UMBS v 22 obv. 20: pa su bl- dingirza-dib, "godwho leads".
in-du8;UMBS v 154 rev v 5-6: en sibir-rasu- 36: For du1o(-us)-sa,"companion",cf. Enm.
du8= be-lumsi-bi-ir-rasu-uk-lu-lum, en sibir-ra line 417; Civil, Iraq 23, p. 156, line 20: ku-li-zu
tum-ma = sa a-na (sibirrasuklulum). du1o-us-sa-zu;Schooldays,line 78: du1o-sa-zu(-u)-
18: For this line, cf. HS/SLTNi I 10 v 202: ne, "yourcompanions".
en girix-zal-ama-na tum-ma (referringto Nanna- 39: If ur-sag-an-na-keA in Column II, line 11,
Su'en). refers to Enki, then Falkenstein'srestorationof
19: The readingof silim for the fourthfromthe ur-sag-an-naat the end of this line seemsunlikely.
last sign is uncertain. ColumnIV
20: The traces point to KI for the secondsign,
10: si is writtenonly once at the end of the line.
followedby A (omitted in Chiera'scopy). The
11: For the restoration,cf. MNS I, p. 15, line
fourth sign from the end, although uncertain 45, referringto :\Tanna-Su'en.I have no refer-
(KAx?),is not KES (as emendedby Falkenstein). encesfor Ninurtaas the shepherd,but Ningirsuis
ColumnIII sometimesreferredto as sipa (AnOrXXX, p. 94).
13: The fifth from the last sign is za, not ia (as
11: Grammatically,the post-position-ke4in ke- in Chiera'scopy); it seems to be an anticipatory
seems superfluous.
en-gi-ra-ke4 genitive.
12: For the verb nir-gal,cf. SGL I, p. 18, line 28: The subscripthas a clearGID, and not SUD
132: nam-dingir-zu-senir im-te-gal; and p. 76, (as in Chiera'scopy). For this categoryof hymn,
comment to that line; Hallo, JAOS 88, p. 83: and other examplesof it, see ZANF XV, p. 85,
dlnglr-muza-ramr lm-ta-gal-en. note 4, and p. 86.
. . * * * 1
REISMAN:
A INURTA'S
JOURNEY
TOERIDU 9
10 JOURDVAL
OFCUNEIFORAI
STUDIES,
VOL.24 (1971)

.C