Early Dynastic Incantation Catalogue [Sticky]

e n e n u r u:








In the above post, posted February 2008, I reproduced the list of Early Dynastic incantations that was given in Cunninghams 1996 survey of incantations. This list consisted of 39 ED incantations translated by M. Krebernik in his 1984 dissertation (Beschworungen von Fara und Ebla). Additionally, 5 incantation published by Edzard in ARET 5 (numbers 1-5) were listed as well as a text containing "incantation like" material from Lagash (CIRPL URN 49). The numbering in the above post follows Cunningham 1996.



Today however, I would like to expand this original list with some recently published incantations and a few that weren't listed by Cunningham because they were (and remain) unpublished. I wrote a paper recently on the topic of operation force in early incantation, during the research for this paper I became aware of these additional incantations. While I hope to share that work at enenuru shortly, this incantation catalog should be updated so that the thread remains a useful and relevant guide.











- - - Published texts

• Two New incantations from Ebla: M. Krebernik made these available in the 1996, transliteration and commentary. #1 is Sumerian, #4 in Semitic (Eblaite). (numbers 2 and 3 are duplicates of already published ED incantations).
  
  
  VO 10 #1
  1 PpPub: Neue Beschwörungen aus Ebla, VO 10, 7–28
  2 Mus# N/A. Excavation # TM.75.G.01315 Cdli entry P240887
  4 Enenuru: Pending.
  
  
  VO 10 #4
  1 PpPub: Neue Beschwörungen aus Ebla, VO 10, 7–28
  2 Mus# N/A. Excavation # TM.75.G.02303 Cdli entry P382661
  4 Enenuru: Pending.
  
  
  
  
• In 2006 Veldhuis published two new Sumerian incantation, from unknown provenience. While we already have these trainslations up, the texts should be cataloged.
  
  
  Veldhuis 2006 # 1
  1 PpPub: cdli.ucla.edu/pubs/cdlb/2006/cdlb2006_002.html
  2 Mus# MRAH O.1920 Cdli entry P272783
  4 Enenuru: See Early Dynastic Incantations thread, reply #3
  
  
  Veldhuis 2006 # 2
  1 PpPub: cdli.ucla.edu/pubs/cdlb/2006/cdlb2006_002.html
  2Mus# MRAH O.1920 Cdli entry P272783
  4 Enenuru: See Early Dynastic Incantations thread, reply #3
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• In 2009, Krebernik and Postgate published 1 Sumerian
  incantation from Abu Salabikh - very exciting to see an ED incantation emerge from this site.
  
  
  Krebernik/Postgate 2009
  1 PpPub: Iraq 71, 026 IAS 549
  2 AbS-T 2714 Cdli entry P010007
  4 Enenuru: Pending.
  
  
  
  
• A Sumerian text from Nippur was published by Bendt Alster who believed the text was Sargonic or later - however Michalowski classified the text as ED in 1992. I remain uncertain about it.
  
  
  Alster 1996
  1 PpPub: OSP 1 6
  2 N 1235 + N 6283 Cdli entry P216083
  3 B. Alster: Early Patterns in Mesopotamian Literature (AOAT 25), pgs 14-18.
  4 Enenuru: Pending.
  
  
  
  
  
• A Semitic texts from ED Mari was published by Bonechi and Druand in 1992. It's classification as an incantation is controversial (Cunningham calls it a "literary text") however it does begin with a variant of the enenuru rubric.
  
  
  Bonechi/Durand
  1 PpPub: QuadSem 18, pl. 1 and pl. 2
  2 Excavation number TH 80-111 Cdli entry P221705
  4 Enenuru: Pending.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  - - - Unpublished texts
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Cunningham’s 1996 study listed an unprovenienced incantation apparently dating to the later ED period and written in Sumerian, RIAA 51. While this incantation technically not "unpublished" per se, it did appear in RIAA 51 (Louis Speelers 1925), there is no recent or sufficiently updated treatment of the text.
  
  
  Speeler's 1925
  1 PpPub: RIAA 51
  2 MRAH O.0084 Cdli entry P216414
  3 No recent treatment available.
  4 Enenuru: Pending.
  
  
  
  
• Michalowski 1992 lists an unpublished ED incantation from Adab. This would be fascinating to read and consider however the text unfortunately is unpublished an inaccessible sitting in collection somewhere in Istanbul. Neither has it been scanned for CDLI (in so far as I can tell).
  
  
  Unpublished - Adab
  1 PpPub: N/A
  2 Ad 504
  3 N/A
  4 Enenuru: Pending.
  
  
  
  
• A set of three soon to be published tablets, each containing up to 9 incantations, is stored in the Schøyen collection in Norway. These tablets have been assigned the museum numbers MS 4549/1, MS 4549/2 and MS 4550. Each tablet may contain up to 9 incantations each! So this is a major collection of ED incantations, representing a significant addition to a relatively small corpus. The incantations are expected to soon be published, likely by Andrew George.
  
  
  George forthcoming a
  1 PpPub: N/A
  2 MRAH O.0084 Cdli entry P253640
  3 N/A
  4 Enenuru: Pending.
  
  
  
  George forthcoming a
  1 PpPub: N/A
  2 MRAH O.0084 Cdli entry P253641
  3 N/A
  4 Enenuru: Pending.
  
  
  George forthcoming a
  1 PpPub: N/A
  2 MRAH O.0084 Cdli entry P253642
  3 N/A
  4 Enenuru: Pending.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Finally, I made a note in my recent paper about 'incantation like' texts, or material with may be associated with the ED incantation corpus with further study:
  
  
  Note 46: "These texts include: ii) CBS 8797 (cited in Michalowski 1992 pg. 323) is an unpublished incantation which may turn out to be of Ur III date (see CDLI P263617; OBO 160/3 note 352 states that the text is to be treated in a forthcoming volume – OSP III). iii) RBC 2000 which was cited in Michalowski 1992 pg. 323 but has been reclassified as an Ur III prayer: see Velhuis 2003: cdli.ucla.edu/pubs/cdlb/2003/cdlb2003_006.pdf . Not included in this study are further two texts deemed to contain “incantation like” material. They are CIRPL URN 49 from Lagash (see Cunningham 1996 #17); and Bey 00-002 is a ED text from Tell Beydar that eludes classification: it lacks the en2-e2-nu-ru rubric, but has some features that echo the incantation text tradition. The text was treated Sallaberger in Subartu 12, 37-42 (2004). Beyond this, Krebernik has identified two ED texts which possibly contain ritual instructions: “Eine Kultmittelbeschworung mit Ritualanweisung ist vielleicht SF 30 ii 2 iii 3 - SF 50” (Krebernik OBO 160/1 pg 318)."