L0.7: Exercises#

In this excercise we will read first seven lines of the Akkadian poem of creation Enūma Eliš “When on High” and compare it with the first two verses of Genesis 1 and then practice some cuneiform signs.

A. Reading Enūma Elīš#

Hear this audio record by Victor Hurowitz and try to follow the text.

Normalisation

Translation

Hebrew

1 enūma eliš lā nabû šamāmū

When on high no word was used for heaven,

בְּעַת מִמַעַל לא נָקְרְאוּ שָמִים (בָּשֶם)

2 šapliš ammatu šuma lā zakrat

Nor below was firm ground called by name,

מִפַּחַת אַדְמָה בְּשֶם לא נזְכְרָה

3 apsûm-(ma) rēštû zārûšun

Primeval Apsu was their progenitor,

רק אַפְּסוּ אַבְרְאשִית מִזְרִיעָם

4 mummu tiāmtu muʾallidat gimrīšun

Matrix-Tiamat was she who bore them all,

הָאָם תַאַמַת יוּלָדֶת כֻלָהַם

5 mûšunu ištēniš iḫiqqū-ma

They were mingling their waters together,

;ממִיִהֶם נְבְלְלוּ יחָדָּו

6 gipāra lā kiṣṣurū ṣuṣâ lā šēʾū

No lea was packed together, no canebrake matted close.

סְבַףְַַ–קְנָה לא נִרְאֶה גמָא לא נודע

7 enūma ilū lā šūpû manāma

When no gods at all had been brought forth,

בְּעֶת אֶלִים לא נוצרו גַּם אֶחָד

B. Syllabification#

Syllabify the following words and translate them:

Example

enzum = en-zum = goat

  • For syllabification 👉L0.5

  • For the Akkadian words 👉L0.6:A

  • qaqqadum

    Answer

    qaq/qa/dum = head

  • šarratum

  • amtum

  • šarrum

  • bītum

  • wardum

  • ilum

  • šarrum

  • iltum

  • peṣûm

  • u

  • abum

  • mārtum

  • mārum

  • bēlum

  • šarratum

  • tukultum

  • ūmum

C. Writing in Cuneiform#

Warning

For Neo-Assyrian sings you may install a Neo-Assyrian font. 👉Cuneiform font

Write the words in exercise B using the cuneiform signs, sometimes more than one option, and then transliterate them:

Example

enzum = 𒂗𒍪𒌝 = en-zu-um = goat

  • For writing in cuneiform 👉L0.4

  • For the sign list 👉L0.6:C

  • qaqqadum

    Answer

    𒆕𒋡𒁺𒌝 ; 𒋡𒀝𒋡𒁺𒌝 qaq-qa-dum; *qa-aq-qa-du-um = head

D. Logograms#

Write the logographic value of the following signs and translate:

Example

  • 𒌓 = UTU = šamaš = sun (god)

  • For Logograms in Cueniform 👉L0.4

  • For examples of Akkadian Logograms 👉L0.6:C

  • 𒌓

    Answer

    U₄ = ūmu = day

  • 𒌓

  • 𒆳

  • 𒀭

  • 𒄑

  • 𒀀

  • 𒂍

  • 𒂗

  • 𒃲

E. Writing with Logograms#

Transliterate, normalize and translate the following words:

Example

𒃲𒌑 = GAL-u₂ = rabû(m)

  • For Logograms in Cueniform 👉L0.4

  • For the m in parenthesis (m) see 👉mimation

  • 𒂍𒌑

  • 𒂗𒌑

  • 𒄑𒆪𒌑

  • 𒀭𒌓

What could it be❓

𒂍𒃲

Think on the word in ancient Hebrew for palace or temple

F. Translating Sentences#

The Assyrian kings present themselves as: 𒁹𒀭𒊹𒁀𒉌𒌉𒍑𒎙𒃲𒎙𒆗𒉡

Tips

  • 𒁹𒀭𒊹𒁀𒉌𒌉𒍑 = mA>.ŠAR₂-ba-ni.IBILA = Assurbanipal.

  • 𒎙 = MAN = šarrum = king.

  • 𒆗𒉡 = dan-nu = mighty.