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Tuesday, September 6, 2016

2600 BC--KESH TEMPLE HYMN- The oldest religious text found so far

The oldest known religious text is the Kesh Temple Hymn of Ancient Sumer, the oldest version of which dates to around 2600 BCE.


The Kesh temple hymn: translation

1-9The princely one, the princely one came forth from the house. Enlil, the princely one, came forth from the house. The princely one came forth royally from the house. Enlil lifted his glance over all the lands, and the lands raised themselves to Enlil. The four corners of heaven became green for Enlil like a garden. Kec was positioned there for him with head uplifted, and as Kec lifted its head among all the lands, Enlil spoke the praises of Kec.
10-20Nisaba was its decision-maker (?); with its words she wove it intricately like a net. Written on tablets it was held in her hands: House, platform of the Land, important fierce bull! House Kec, platform of the Land, important fierce bull! Growing as high as the hills, embracing the heavens, growing as high as E-kur, lifting its head among the mountains! Rooted in the abzu (2 mss. have instead: Colourful as the abzu), verdant like the mountains! Will anyone else bring forth something as great as Kec? Will any other mother ever give birth to someone as great as its hero Acgi? Who has ever seen anyone as great as its lady Nintud?
21The first house.
22-30Good house, built in a good location, house Kec, (some mss. add here: good house,) built in a good location, floating in the heavens like a princely barge, like a holy barge furnished with a ...... gate, like the boat of heaven, the platform of all the lands! ...... from the riverbank like a ...... boat cabin! House roaring like an ox, bellowing loudly like a breed-bull! House in whose interior is the power of the Land, and behind which is the life of Sumer!
31-43House, great enclosure, reaching to the heavens, great, true house, reaching to the heavens! House, great crown reaching to the heavens, house, rainbow reaching to the heavens! House whose platform extends into the midst of the heavens, whose foundations are fixed in theabzu, whose shade covers all lands! House founded by An, praised by Enlil, given an oracle by mother Nintud! House Kec, green in its fruit! Will anyone else bring forth something as great as Kec? Will any other mother ever give birth to someone as great as its hero Acgi? Who has ever seen anyone as great as its lady Nintud?
44The second house.
45-57House, 10 car at its upper end, 5 car at its lower end; house, 10 bur at its upper end, 5 bur at its lower end! House, at its upper end a bison, at its lower end a stag; house, at its upper end a wild sheep, at its lower end a deer; house, at its upper end a dappled wild sheep, at its lower end a beautiful deer! House, at its upper end green like a viper, at its lower end floating on the water like a pelican! House, at its upper end rising like the sun, at its lower end spreading like the moonlight; house, at its upper end a warrior mace, at its lower end a battle-axe; house, at its upper end a mountain, at its lower end a spring! House, at its upper end threefold indeed: Will anyone else bring forth something as great as Kec? Will any other mother ever give birth to someone as great as its hero Acgi? Who has ever seen anyone as great as its lady Nintud?
58The third house.
58A-58Q (1 ms. adds here the following lines: House ...... inspiring great awe, called with a mighty name by An; house ...... whose fate is grandly determined by the Great Mountain Enlil! House of the Anuna gods possessing great power, which gives wisdom to the people; house, reposeful dwelling of the great gods! House, which was planned together with the plans of heaven and earth, ...... with the pure divine powers; house which underpins the Land and supports the shrines! House, mountain of abundance which passes the days in glory; house ofNinhursaja which establishes the life of the Land! House, great hillside worthy of the purification rites, altering (?) all things; house without whom no decisions are made! House, good ...... carrying in its hands the broad Land; house which gives birth to countless peoples, seed which has sprouts! House which gives birth to kings, which determines the destinies of the Land; house whose royal personages are to be revered! Will anyone else bring forth something as great as Kec? Will any other mother ever give birth to someone as great as its hero Acgi? Who has ever seen anyone as great as its lady Nintud?
58RThe ...... house.)
59-73It is indeed a city, it is indeed a city! Who knows its interior? The house Kec is indeed a city! Who knows its interior? The heroes make their way straight into its interior and perform its oracle rites perfectly. Frisking cattle are gathered at the house in herds. The house consumes many cattle; the house consumes many sheep.
1 line unclear
Those who sit on daises bow their necks before it. It wears a crown to vie with the boxwood tree, it spreads out to vie with the poplar ......; it is (1 ms. adds here: growing) as green as the hills! Will anyone else bring forth something as great as Kec? Will any other mother ever give birth to someone as great as its hero Acgi? Who has ever seen anyone as great as its lady Nintud?
74The fourth house.
75-86House given birth by a lion, whose interior the hero has embellished (?)! House Kec, given birth by a lion, whose interior the hero has embellished (?)! The heroes make their way straight into its interior. Ninhursaja sits within like a great dragon. Nintud the great mother assists at births there. Cul-pa-ed the ruler acts as lord. Acgi the hero consumes the contents of the vessels (?). Urumac, the great herald of the plains, dwells there too. Stags are gathered at the house in herds. Will anyone else bring forth something as great as Kec? Will any other mother ever give birth to someone as great as its hero Acgi? Who has ever seen anyone as great as its lady Nintud?
87The fifth house.
88-102House positioned over its foundations like a storm, like white bulls standing about on the plain; house founded by the prince, in praise on the tigi instrument! House in whose interior is the power of the Land, and behind which is the life of Sumer (some mss. have instead: it is filled with life); at whose gate is a lion reclining on its paws, at whose gate is the ruler who decides cases (?)! House at whose door is the Great Mountain without adversary; at whose bolt (some mss. have here instead: at whose bar) is a great frisking wild bull (some mss. add here the line: , at whose bolt is a beast ...... a man (1 ms. adds here instead the line: , at whose ...... is an awe-inspiring lion))! Whose well-founded storehouse is a corner of heaven, a corner of earth (1 ms. has here instead: Whose storehouse established as a household ......); whose terrace is supported by lahama deities; whose princely (1 ms. adds: great) wall ...... the shrine of Urim! Will anyone else bring forth something as great as Kec? Will any other mother ever give birth to someone as great as its hero Acgi? Who has ever seen anyone as great as its lady Nintud?
103The sixth house.
103A-103K (1 ms. (which uses a different numbering of the sections) adds here the following lines: House embued with radiance, ...... excellence! House ......! Lord Nudimmud in heaven and earth ...... brickwork of the Land, brickwork ...... grandly in the abzu. Terrace, relaxing abode, ...... holy splendour ...... of the people! House which is seemly for the foreign lands! Will anyone else bring forth something as great as Kec? Will any other mother ever give birth to someone as great as its hero Acgi? Who has ever seen anyone as great as its lady Nintud?
103LThe eighth house.)
104-115The holy house whose ...... is the shrine, the holy house Kec, whose ...... is the shrine; the house whose lords are the Anuna gods, whose nuec priests are the sacrificers of E-ana! In the house the king places stone bowls in position; the good en priest ...... holds the lead-rope dangling. The a-tu priests holds the staff; the ...... brings the ...... waters. The ...... takes his seat in the holy place; the enkum priests bow down ....... The pacec priests beat the drumskins; they recite powerfully, powerfully.
116-126The bull's horn is made to growl; the drumsticks are made to thud. The singer cries out (1 ms. has instead: declaims) to the ala drum; the grand sweet tigi is played for him (some mss. have instead: the sweet tigi is well tuned). The house is built; its nobility is good! The houseKec is built; its nobility is good! Its lady has taken a seat in its ....... Ninhursaja, its lady, has taken her seat in its ....... Will anyone else bring forth something as great as Kec? Will any other mother ever give birth to someone as great as its hero Acgi? Who has ever seen anyone as great as its lady Nintud?
127The seventh house.
128-133Draw near, man, to the city, to the city -- but do not draw near! Draw near, man, to the house Kec, to the city -- but do not draw near! Draw near, man, to its hero Acgi -- but do not draw near! Draw near, man, to its lady Nintud -- but do not draw near! Praise be to well-builtKec, O Acgi! Praise be to cherished Kec and Nintud!
134The eighth house.






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Thursday, September 1, 2016

Literature and the birth of religious scriptures

To understand religious scriptures we must understand the history of early languages and literature. 



      In the 3rd millennium BC a new form of writing was born. This system of writing was called Sumerian cuneiform.




     Soon thereafter the first two known oldest religious scriptures were conceived. This new language and writing system helped revolutionize the way ancient people conveyed meaning and understanding. I will have link to a list of ancient texts in the post.

    This list will serve as a guide for those who want to know the real essence and origin of religious practices. This list will also show how the major world religions have been influenced by more noble and ancient traditions.

List of ancient texts

Bronze Age

See also: Sumerian literature, Akkadian literature, Ancient Egyptian literature, Hittite texts, Vedic Sanskrit
Early Bronze Age: 3rd millennium BC (approximate dates shown). The earliest written literature dates from about 2600 BC (classical Sumerian).[1] The earliest literary author known by name is Enheduanna, dating to ca. the 24th century BC. Certain literary texts are difficult to date, such as the Egyptian Book of the Dead, which was recorded in the Papyrus of Ani around 1240 BC, but other versions of the book probably date from about the 18th century BC.
Middle Bronze Age: ca. 2000 to 1600 BC (approximate dates shown)
Late Bronze Age: ca. 1600 to 1200 BC (approximate dates shown)

Iron Age[edit]

See also Sanskrit literature, Chinese literature
Iron Age texts predating Classical Antiquity: 12th to 8th centuries BC

Classical Antiquity[edit]

See also Ancient Greek literature, Syriac literature, Latin literature, Indian literature, Hebrew literature, Avesta
See also: centuries in poetry: 7th, 6th, 5th, 4th, 3rd, 2nd, 1st
8th century BC
7th century BC
6th century BC
5th century BC
4th century BC
3rd century BC
2nd century BC
1st century BC
See also: Pahlavi literature, centuries in poetry: 1st, 2nd and 3rd
1st century AD
2nd century
3rd century

Late Antiquity[edit]

See also: 4th century in poetry, 5th century in poetry
4th century
5th century
6th century


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