Prophets and Prophecy in the Ancient Near East Writings from the Ancient World Theodore J. Lewis, General Editor Associate Editors Billie Jean Collins Jerrold S. Cooper Edward L. Greenstein Jo Ann Hackett Richard Jasnow Ronald J. Leprohon C. L. Seow Niek Veldhuis Number 12 Prophets and Prophecy of the Ancient Near East by Martti Nissinen Edited by Peter Machinist PROPHETS AND PROPHECY IN THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST by Martti Nissinen with contributions by C. L. Seow and Robert K. Ritner Edited by Peter Machinist Society of Biblical Literature Atlanta Prophets and Prophecy in the Ancient Near East Copyright © 2003 Society of Biblical Literature All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by means of any information storage or retrieval system, except as may be expressly permitted by the 1976 Copyright Act or in writing from the publisher. Requests for permission should be addressed in writing to the Rights and Permissions Office, Society of Biblical Literature, 825 Houston Mill Road, Atlanta, GA 30329 USA. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Nissinen, Martti. Prophets and prophecy in the ancient Near East / by Martti Nissinen with contributions by C. L. Seow and Robert K. Ritner ; edited by Peter Machinist. p. cm. — (Writings from the ancient world ; no. 12) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 1-58983-027-X (paper binding : alk. paper) 1. Prophets—Middle East—History. 2. Prophecy—History. 3. Middle East—Literatures. I. Ritner, Robert Kriech, 1953– II. Seow, C. L. (Choon Leong) III. Machinist, Peter. IV. Title. V. Series: Writings from the ancient world ; no. 12. BF1762 .N58 2003b 133.3'0939'4—dc21 2003007002 11 10 09 08 07 06 05 04 03 5 4 3 2 1 Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper Contents Series Editor’s Foreword................................................................................xi Abbreviations................................................................................................xiii Explanation of Signs ....................................................................................xv Chronological Tables ..................................................................................xvi Maps..............................................................................................................xix Acknowledgments........................................................................................xxi Introduction ..........................................................................................1 Ancient Near Eastern Prophecy ..............................................................1 The Study of Prophecy in Transition......................................................2 The Nature of the Sources ......................................................................4 The Prophets ............................................................................................5 Texts Included and Excluded..................................................................8 Conventions of Transcription and Translation ....................................10 Translations I. Mari Letters ..............................................................................13 1. Nur-Sîn to Zimri-Lim (A. 1121+)..............................................17 2. Nur-Sîn to Zimri-Lim (A. 1968)................................................21 3. La<ûm to Yasma∆-Addu (A. 3760) ..........................................23 4. An åpilum of ⁄ama¡ to Zimri-Lim (ARM 26 194) ..................24 5. Addu-Duri to Zimri-Lim (ARM 26 195) ..................................26 6. ⁄ama¡-naßir to Zimri-Lim (ARM 26 196) ................................26 7. Inib-¡ina to Zimri-Lim (ARM 26 197) ......................................28 8. NN to Zimri-Lim (ARM 26 198) ..............................................29 9. Sammetar to Zimri-Lim (ARM 26 199) ....................................30 10. Ahum to Zimri-Lim (ARM 26 200) ..........................................33 11. Ba∆di-Lim to Zimri-Lim (ARM 26 201)....................................34 12. Kanisan to Zimri-Lim (ARM 26 202)........................................34 13. NN to Zimri-Lim (ARM 26 203) ..............................................35 14. Inib-¡ina to Zimri-Lim (ARM 26 204) ......................................36 15. NN to Zimri-Lim (ARM 26 205) ..............................................37 16. [Yaqqim-Addu?] to Zimri-Lim (ARM 26 206) ..........................38 17. ⁄ibtu to Zimri-Lim (ARM 26 207) ............................................39 18. ⁄ibtu to Zimri-Lim (ARM 26 208) ............................................42 vi Prophets and Prophecy in the Ancient Near East 19. Mukanni¡um to Zimri-Lim (ARM 26 209) ..............................44 20. Kibri-Dagan to Zimri-Lim (ARM 26 210) ................................45 21. ⁄ibtu to Zimri-Lim (ARM 26 211) ............................................45 22. ⁄ibtu to Zimri-Lim (ARM 26 212) ............................................46 23. ⁄ibtu to Zimri-Lim (ARM 26 213) ............................................47 24. ⁄ibtu to Zimri-Lim (ARM 26 214) ............................................48 25. Lanasûm to Zimri-Lim (ARM 26 215) ......................................49 26. Tebi-geri¡u to Zimri-Lim (ARM 26 216) ..................................50 27. Itur-Asdu to Zimri-Lim (ARM 26 217) ....................................51 28. NN to Zimri-Lim (ARM 26 218) ..............................................52 29. NN to Zimri-Lim (ARM 26 219) ..............................................53 30. Kibri-Dagan to Zimri-Lim (ARM 26 220) ................................54 31. Kibri-Dagan to Zimri-Lim (ARM 26 221) ................................55 32. Kibri-Dagan to Zimri-Lim (ARM 26 221bis) ............................56 33. U¡are¡-hetil to Dari¡-libur (ARM 26 222) ................................57 34. La<ûm (?) to Yasma∆-Addu (?) (ARM 26 223) ........................58 35. Addu-duri to Zimri-Lim (ARM 26 227)....................................59 36. Report of Ayala (ARM 26 229) ................................................60 37. Zunana to Zimri-Lim (ARM 26 232) ........................................61 38. Itur-Asdu to Zimri-Lim (ARM 26 233) ....................................62 39. Kibri-Dagan to Zimri-Lim (ARM 26 234) ................................65 40. Kibri-Dagan to Zimri-Lim (ARM 26 235) ................................66 41. ⁄ibtu to Zimri-Lim (ARM 26 236) ............................................66 42. Addu-duri to Zimri-Lim (ARM 26 237)....................................67 43. Addu-duri to Zimri-Lim (ARM 26 238)....................................69 44. ⁄imatum to Zimri-Lim (ARM 26 239) ......................................70 45. Timlû to Addu-duri (ARM 26 240) ..........................................71 46. NN to Zimri-Lim (ARM 26 243) ..............................................72 47. Yarim-Addu to Zimri-Lim (ARM 26 371) ................................73 48. Yasim-El to Zimri-Lim (ARM 26 414) ......................................74 49. Zakira-Ôammû to Zimri-Lim (ARM 27 32)..............................76 50. Manatan to Zimri-Lim (M. 9451)..............................................77 II. Other Documents from Mari ..................................................79 51. Ritual of I¡tar, Text 2 (A. 3165) ..............................................80 52. Ritual of I¡tar, Text 3 (A. 1249+) ............................................82 53. Assignment of a Donkey (A. 3796) ........................................83 54. Outlay of Garment (ARM 9 22) ..............................................84 55. Outlay of Garment (ARM 21 333) ..........................................84 56. Outlay of Garment (ARM 22 167) ..........................................86 57. Extract from a Decree of Expenditures (A. 4676) ................86 58. Outlay of Garment (ARM 22 326) ..........................................87 59. Outlay of Garment (ARM 23 446) ..........................................87 Contents vii 60. Donation of Lances (ARM 25 15) ............................................88 61. Donation of Silver Rings (ARM 25 142)..................................88 62. Outlay of Silver (M. 11436)......................................................89 63. Deed of Donation (T. 82) ........................................................90 64. Epic of Zimri-Lim......................................................................90 65. Report of Criminal Acts (M. 9717) ..........................................91 III. E¡nunna Oracles ......................................................................93 66. Oracle of Kititum to Ibalpiel (FLP 1674) ................................94 67. Oracle of Kititum to Ibalpiel (FLP 2064) ................................95 IV. Nineveh Oracles ......................................................................97 68–77. First Collection of Prophecies (SAA 9 1)..................101 68. Issar-la ta¡iya† to Esarhaddon (SAA 9 1.1)............................102 69. Sinqi¡a-amur to Esarhaddon (SAA 9 1.2)..............................103 70. Remut-Allati to Esarhaddon (SAA 9 1.3) ..............................104 71. Bayâ to Esarhaddon (SAA 9 1.4) ..........................................104 72. Ilussa-amur to Esarhaddon (SAA 9 1.5) ................................106 73. NN to Esarhaddon (SAA 9 1.6)..............................................106 74. Issar-bel-da<<ini to Esarhaddon