Prayers of the Common People in Ancient Mesopotamia Ancient Sumer Babylonia Assyria YouTube

Did you ever wonder what the people of ancient Mesopotamia prayed for? Let's take a look at some texts from Babylonia and see if we can find out. In ancient Mesopotamia, whether one was Sumerian, Akkadian, Babylonian, Assyrian, or Hurrian, prayers were a central part of daily life and offered for various reasons. Many of these prayers took the form of laments, complaints, or requests for the gods to rectify injustices. Others sought blessings for themselves or loved ones, protection against spells, the effects of eclipses, bad omens, or nightmarish dreams. Some prayers appealed to a deity's mercy to have their requests granted, while others resorted to flattery to gain divine favor. In Mesopotamian society, as in other ancient cultures, the deities of the Sumero-Babylonian- Assyrian pantheon were seen as active participants in the world and ultimately responsible for an individual's prosperity or misfortune. Consequently, everyone, from mighty kings to humble farmers, prayed to the gods for protection and success in life. Archaeologists have uncovered numerous hymns and prayers that offer deep insights into their religious beliefs. Typically, these prayers followed a straightforward format, beginning with an invocation praising the god or goddess, followed by the worshiper's complaint or request. After making their prayer, the supplicant would again praise the deity and express gratitude. Despite this general structure, each prayer was personal and tailored to the worshiper's specific needs. Let's explore the prayers of some of the inhabitants of Mesopotamia throughout the ages. The first prayer dates to between 1850-1500 BC and was addressed to the He had loaned money to a certain Ilali without a written agreement or contract, relying instead on a verbal promise that Ilali would repay him when able. Why might Kusulu have done this? Perhaps he was too cheap to hire a scribe to draft a loan contract. Nonetheless, Kusulu believed in Ilali's good intentions because their agreement was made within the sacred precinct of Nana's great temple, the Ekishnugal, in the city of Ur. With no other recourse, Kusulu appealed to Nana to help him recover his money. It's ironic. Kusulu didn't have a scribe to write up a contract, but his prayer was somehow documented. It goes like this. Oh Nana, you are king of heaven and earth. I put my trust in you. Ilali, son of Gemisa, has wronged me. Judge my case. Having no money, he approached me. He paid his debts with my money. He married. He had a son and daughter. He did not satisfy me. He did not repay my money in full. He has wronged me. But I put my trust in Nana. In the orchards facing Ekishnugal, he swore. May I be damned if I wrong you. He swore at the main gate. He swore inside the main court facing Ekishnugal, facing Ningal of Igadi, before Ninshubur. He swore. May I be damned if I wrong you or your sons. He said. These gods be my witness. Moreover, in the orchards facing Ekishnugal, before Nana, before Shamash, he swore this. May I, Ilali, be damned if I wrong Kusulu. May Ilali have no heir before Nana and Shamash if he wrongs Kusulu. The false swearer by Nana and Shamash shall be a leper. He shall be destitute and shall not have a male heir. Ilali swore by Nana and Shamash and has wronged me. May Ninshubur, master of property rights, stand as witness. May Nana and Shamash judge my case. Let me see the greatness of Nana and Shamash. The fact that Ilali had both a son and a daughter indicates that the gods had yet to curse him for breaking his oath. The next prayer dates to around the same period as Kusulu's and was offered by a man named Ur-Utu from a village near Sipar. In his prayer to the goddess, Ninsiana, he implores the deity to ensure a favorable outcome from an oracle's verdict on his fate. The prayer reads, Oh Ninsiana, accept this offering. Stand by me when this offering is made. Place there an oracle of well-being and life for Ur-Utu, your servant. Concerning Ur-Utu, your servant, who is now standing by this offering, from April 20th until April 20th of the coming year, six times sixty days, six times sixty nights, by command of a god, by command of a goddess, by command of a king, by command of a noble, by command of a commoner, by command of fate or regulation, by any command whatsoever, will Ur-Utu be alive and well? From April 20th until April 20th, six times sixty days, six times sixty nights, until next year, will Ur-Utu be alive and well? In his household, his wife, his sons, his daughters, his brother, his sister, his near and distant kin, his neighbor, anyone on his street who likes him, in the ritual I perform, will Ur-Utu be alive and well? Place an oracle of well-being and life for Ur-Utu. The next prayer, simply titled Against Illness by its translator, dates to between 1500 to 1000 BC. It's addressed to the god Marduk, the patron deity of Babylon, and was compiled, perhaps as a general prayer, for any individual to recite in order to seek relief from various afflictions. It's one of the longer prayers of this type, part of which reads, O Marduk, lord of the world, raging, terrifying, stately, ever-renewing, perfect, capable, lofty, magnificent, whose command cannot be altered, capable one, profound of understanding, noble one, sage. You are the lord, you are like father and mother in people's speech. You are the one who, like the sun, illumines their darkness. Each day you give justice to the oppressed and abused. You administer the destitute, the widow, the wretched and anxious. You are what they listen for, the shepherd who leads them. At your weighty command, the numerous lands and peoples prosper. You are merciful, lord. You rescue the weak from danger and hardship. You look upon the exhausted and desperate. The one whom his god punished. You know the illness from which I suffer. I do not. It flattens me like a net, shrouds me like a mesh. Torment, head pain and fatigue, inflammation, anxiety. O my lord, stand by me this day. Hear what I say. Judge my case. Render my verdict. Banish the disease that is set upon me. Drive the head pain from my person. At your command, may no evil approach me from the schemes of sorcerer or sorceress. May no spell, enchantment, sorcery nor wicked scheme of humankind approach me. May no evil from dreams, signs or omens approach me. May no evil omens for city or land affect me personally. May I be safe in your presence from evil thought and speech of humankind. May I, your servant, so and so, son of so and so, live in well-being. May I exalt your divinity and sound your praises. May my personal god exalt your valor. These are just a few prayers from ancient Mesopotamia. There are thousands of others. If you'd like for me to do more programs like this, let me know in the comments. Thanks for watching. I'd also like to thank the channel's patrons for making videos like this possible. These include, but are certainly not limited to, GrandKick69, Yapti Graf, PastaFrola, Michael Lewis, Daniel Allen, Danny Van Eck, WannixTV, Robert Morgan, Strobex, Frank, Tim Lane, Sebastian Hurtado Correa, Michael Trudell, LeaderTitan, Micah G, John Scarberry, Andrew Bomer, Connor Dolson, Krish, David R, Stephen Ball, Gabe, Monty Grimes, Franz Robbins, Cyrus Meir, Dianastra, Nimrod Nier, Hypnosan, Brendan Redman, Faridun Dadachanji, Jimmy Daruwala, Inajita Debu, Gulistan Debu, Sherkam, Farhad Kama, and all of the channel's patrons on Patreon for helping to support this and all future content. Check out the benefits to being a Patreon member, and if you'd like to join, feel free to click the link in the video description. You can also follow History with Sai on Instagram, Facebook, and X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as continue to listen to special audio programs on the History with Sai podcast. Thanks again and stay safe.