The Prayer of Nabonidus is a short Aramaic narrative from Qumran Cave 4 — the confession of Nabonidus, king of Babylon, who was struck with a malignant inflammation for seven years in Teiman. A Jewish exorcist forgave his sin and instructed him to write a proclamation to the God Most High. The text is widely regarded as a precursor to the story of Nebuchadnezzar's madness in Daniel 4, preserving an older and historically more accurate tradition: it was Nabonidus, not Nebuchadnezzar, who withdrew to Teiman (Tayma in Arabia). This translation works directly from the Aramaic transcription of García Martínez and Tigchelaar.
Words of the prayer which Nabonidus, king of the land of Babylon, the great king, prayed when he was afflicted by a malignant inflammation, by decree of the God Most High, in Teiman.
I, Nabonidus, was afflicted by a malignant inflammation for seven years, and was banished far from men. I prayed to the God Most High, and an exorcist forgave my sin. He was a Jew from the exiles, who said to me: "Make a proclamation in writing, so that glory, exaltation, and honour be given to the name of the God Most High."
And I wrote as follows: "When I was afflicted by a malignant inflammation [...] in Teiman, by decree of the God Most High, I prayed for seven years to all the gods of silver and gold, of bronze and iron, of wood, of stone, and of clay — because I thought that they were gods [...]"
Fragment 4
[...] outside of them, I had dreams [...] from him I was changed [...] have mercy — I am not able [...] how like you are [...]
Colophon
Text: Prayer of Nabonidus (4Q242)
Source: Qumran Cave 4
Language: Aramaic
Translation Method: Blind translation from Aramaic transcription (García Martínez & Tigchelaar, Dead Sea Scrolls Study Edition, Brill, 1997). No published English translations were consulted.
Translator: NTAC + Claude (Good Works Translation)
Scribe: Tulku Ezra, New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026
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Source Text (4Q242)
Aramaic transcription from the Dead Sea Scrolls. Transcription follows García Martínez & Tigchelaar (Dead Sea Scrolls Study Edition, Brill 1997). Scholarly apparatus: [...] marks lacunae; [] marks editorial reconstructions; vacat marks intentional blank spaces.
Fragments 1–3
] מלי צ]ל[תא די צלי נבני מלך א]רעא די בב[ל מלכא 1 Frags. 1-3
בשחנא באישא בפתגם א]להא עלי[א בתימן] אנה 2 [רבא כדי כתיש הוא
כתיש הוית שנין שבע ומן] אנשיא[ שוי א]נה 3 [נבני בשחנא באישא
וחטאי שבק לה גזר והוא] גבר [יהודי מ]ן בני 4 [וצלית קדם אלהא עליא
החוי וכתב למעבד יקר ור]בו והד[ר לשם א]להא 5 [גלותא והוא אמר לי
כתיש הוית בשחנא ב]אישא … [בתימן] בפתגם 6 [עליא וכן כתבת כדי
שנין שבע מצלא הוי]ת קדם כל [אלהי כספא ודהבא ]נחשא 7 [אלהא עליא
[… אעא אבנא הספא מן די] הוית סבי[ר די אלהין ה]מון 8 [פרזלא
[…]…[…] 9
Fragment 4
…] 1 Frag. 4 מ[לבר המון אחלמת […] 2מנה אח]ל[ף שלם של]…[
[…].[…] 3נו רחמי לא יכלת] …[ […] 4 כמה דמא אנתה ל[…].
[…]…[…] 5
Source Colophon
Text: Prayer of Nabonidus (4Q242)
Source: Qumran Cave 4
Transcription: García Martínez, F. & Tigchelaar, E.J.C., The Dead Sea Scrolls Study Edition, Brill, 1997
Scribe: Tulku Ezra, New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026
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