Tuesday, April 21, 2026 · 天火 · tianmu.org

The Foundation Ritual

✦ ─── ⟐ ─── ✦

A complete ritual tablet from the library of Ashurbanipal at Nineveh (K.48), seventh century BCE. The text prescribes the ceremony for laying a temple foundation — from the initial groundbreaking through the offerings, the invocation of gods at the four cardinal directions, the incantation to Enmesharra (Lord of the Underworld), and the burial of a royal figurine beneath the foundation wall.

The theological structure is remarkable: the stability of the building above depends on the cooperation of the dead below. Enmesharra — primordial ruler of the netherworld, “great bond of the depths,” without whom even Ningirsu cannot make the furrow straight — is asked to anchor the foundation from his side. The king buries his own image beneath the walls, dressed in gold, crowned, adorned like a living monarch — a permanent emissary to the underworld, holding the building up from below.

This ritual is the ancestor of all foundation-deposit ceremonies: the cornerstone, the time capsule, the coin beneath the threshold. The Mesopotamians understood that every building stands on the dead. The incantation makes this literal.

The Ritual Instructions

When you lay a brick foundation —

when you demolish a brick structure and build anew, or you open fallow ground and found upon it afresh, and you set in order the dais of the great gods — you shall found [...] the grounds. The house of the craftsman [...] ten rods. And the king [...] the designs — the plan which is the wisdom of Ea and the great gods [...] the place of the great gods [...] the design, true and right [...] the knowing builders [...] at the place of the design, the pickaxe.

Let him cast it down. Let the field be leveled.

You lay the brick foundation: twenty rods long, twenty rods wide — this you set as your foundation.

The Apotropaic Ritual

Its counter-ritual: when you lay a brick foundation, before you set the bricks, this is its rite:

At the place of the design, you set up fifteen offering-tables. You sacrifice fattened sheep. You set a censer of juniper. Fine oil, honey, wine, milk, and clarified butter — in separate vessels you fill and set them out. Shoulder-meat, entrails, and roasted flesh you set out. Fifteen censers of juniper you set. You scatter flour-offerings.

Seven reed-bundles — for Ea and Shamash, Asalluhi, Madanu, Ara, and Bunene — toward the north you tie. In one bundle [...] for Nabu you tie. A white sheep, pure and unblemished [...]. White honey, milk, and dates you heap up — for Ea, Shamash, and Asalluhi you scatter the flour-offering, and after that for Nabu you pour; after that for Madanu, Ara, and Bunene you pour.

Toward the south, six reed-bundles — for Enlil, Ninlil, Anu, Antu, Nergal, and Ninurta you pour.

Toward the east, for Antu, [...] and Nuska.

In total: fifteen reed-bundles for the south, north, and east.

Toward the west, nine bundles you tie — for Anshar, Enmesharra, Utaulu, Igalima, and Shulshagana, Endashurimma, Nindashurimma, Endukuga, and Nindukuga.

You perform the offering. You set up the offering-table. Bread soaked in oil, honey, and ghee you set out. The exorcist takes the prince by the hand and recites thus:

The Incantation to Enmesharra

Enmesharra, Lord of the Underworld, Prince of Aralli!

Lord of the Place and the Land of No Return — mountain of the Anunnaki! Who decides the verdicts of the netherworld, great bond of the depths!

Great lord without whom Ningirsu cannot make straight the field and canal, cannot fashion the furrow!

Lord of commands who in his strength rules the netherworld — commander who strengthens, who holds the circumference of the great below!

Who gives the scepter and the reign to Anu and Enlil!

That place — by your command, may its foundation endure before you. That brick structure — like your lordly dwelling in the netherworld, may it be established. Above it, may Anu, Enlil, and Ea bless the dwelling firmly.

And I, So-and-so, the prince, your servant — before your great divinity, for all time, may my name be sweetly spoken. May it establish the dwelling of the great gods, and may all my land dwell in a peaceful dwelling.

The Foundation Deposit

This the prince recites three times. Then all the reed-bundles are untied.

A figurine of mēsu-wood you make — the likeness of the king. You bind it with gold. A gold diadem on his head you fasten. A gold ring on his right hand. A silver ring at his left. A cape and a sash — you adorn him like a king.

Beneath the brick foundation, you bury him.

After that, you lay the bricks and construct the foundation wall.

If a man cuts a wall that has no gate and makes a gate straight — this ritual also applies.

Palace of Ashurbanipal, King of the World, King of the Land of Ashur.

Colophon

Translated from Akkadian (cuneiform transliteration) by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026. Source: Electronic Babylonian Literature corpus (eBL), Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München. Fragment K.48: “Lower part of a clay tablet: containing a ritual for building a temple written in cuneiform, including incantations and hymns to various gods. The tablet has been pieced together from six different fragments and is nearly complete.”

This is the first freely available English translation of K.48. The text is a complete Neo-Assyrian building ritual — one of the few surviving ritual prescriptions for temple foundation ceremonies. The incantation to Enmesharra reveals a theology in which the underworld sustains the world above: Enmesharra gives the scepter to Anu and Enlil, and without his cooperation even the god of agriculture cannot plough.

The nine deities invoked toward the west (the direction of the setting sun and of death) are all chthonic/ancestral figures: Anshar (the distant ancestor), Enmesharra (the primordial underworld lord), and seven underworld deities associated with cosmic foundations. The western orientation of the dead-gods, facing the sunset, anchors the building to the cosmic below.

The “NENNI” (So-and-so) in the incantation is a placeholder — the priest would insert the reigning king’s name during the actual ceremony.

Reference consulted: CAD (Chicago Assyrian Dictionary) for lexical verification. No English translation was used as source — the English is derived independently from reading the cuneiform transliteration.

Good Works Translation. Translated from Akkadian by NTAC + Claude (Sagasu, Expeditionary Tulku Life 188). First freely available English translation.

Compiled and formatted for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.

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Source Text: K.48 (ATF Transliteration)

Akkadian cuneiform transliteration from the Electronic Babylonian Literature corpus (eBL), Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München. CC BY 4.0. Fragment K.48, Neo-Assyrian, from the library of Ashurbanipal at Nineveh. Presented here for reference, study, and verification alongside the English translation above.

@obverse

  1. e-nu-ma IM.DU₃.A ta-pat-ti-q[u]
  2. IM.DU₃.A ta-na#-qa-ru-ma GIBIL-eš ta-ban-nu-u₂#
  3. lu A.ŠA₃ ki-šup-pa-a BAD-ma GIBIL ta-nam-du-u
  4. u₃ tuš-tam-sa#-ku#-ma# BARA₂# DINGIR-MEŠ GAL-MEŠ
  5. ta-nam-du#-u₂# [x x x x] x a-re-e
  6. E₂ um-ma#-[a?-ni? x x x x x] 10 NINDA
  7. u₃ LUG[AL? x x x x x x x] x GIŠ#.HUR-MEŠ
  8. x x [x x x U]R₅-tu₂# ša₂?# ne₂?#-me-qa {d#}e₂-a
  9. x [x] x [x x] u₃ DINGIR-MEŠ GAL-MEŠ#
  10. [x x x x x]-u₂-ti# a-šar DINGIR-MEŠ GA[L-MEŠ]
  11. [x x x x x U]R₅-tu₂ an-nam ki-nam#
  12. [x x x x x] x mu-du-u₂ {lu₂}ŠIDIM-MEŠ#
  13. [x x x x x] x aš₂-ri UR₅-tu₂ {giš}al-[l]a
  14. x [x x x] x lid-di-ma A.ŠA₃ BI liš-tam-sik-[m]a?
  15. IM#.D[U₃.A ta-pat-t]i-iq# 20 NINDA UŠ 20 NINDA SAG.KI#
  16. ana IM.[DU₃.A-k]a GAR-an#
    $ single ruling
  17. NAM.B[UR₂-BI e-n]u-ma IM.DU₃.A ta-pat-ti-q[u]
  18. IM#.DU₃.A# l[a?-am?] SIG₄ ta-nam-du-u₂ DU₃.DU₃-[BI]
  19. [ina U]GU aš₂#-r[i U]R₅?-tu₂ 15 GI.DU₈-MEŠ GUB-a[n]
  20. UDU#.NITA₂#-MEŠ# NIGA#-MEŠ# BAL#-qi₂# NIG₂#.NA {šim}L[I GAR-a]n
  21. [I₃.S]AG LAL₃# GEŠTIN GA I₃.NUN#.NA {dug}A.DA.[GU]R₅
  22. [a-he-e]n-na#-a DIRI-ma GAR-an {uzu}ZA₃# {uzu}[ME.H]E₂
  23. u# {u[zu}K]A.NE GAR-an 15 NIG₂.NA {šim}L[I GAR-a]n
  24. ZI₃.DUB#.DUB# ŠUB.ŠUB 7 KEŠ₂-MEŠ ana {d}e#-[a u {d}UT]U
  25. {d}ASAL.LU₂#.HI {d}DI.KU₅ {d}ARA u {d}b[u-ne₃-n]e₃
  26. ana A₂ {tum₉}SI#.SA₂ KEŠ₂ ina 1-en KEŠ₂ [x x KE]Š/K]A
  27. ana {d}+NA₃ tara-[k]as₂ UDU.NITA₂ BABBAR-a eb-ba giš x [x x] a?#
  28. LAL₃ BABBAR G[A Z]U₂.LUM.MA DIRI-MEŠ ana {d}[e₂]-a#
  29. {d}UTU u {d}ASA[L.L]U₂.HI ZI₃.DUB.DUB.BU [ŠUB-d]i-ma
  30. u₃ ana {d}na-bi#-um DUB-aq EGIR-<šu₂> ana [{d}D]I.KU₅
  31. {d}ARA u {d}bu#-ne₃#-ne₃ DUB ana A₂ {t[um₉}]U₁₈#.LU
  32. 6 KEŠ₂-MEŠ ana# {d#}+en-lil₂ {d}nin-lil₂ {d#}a#-nim
  33. an-tu₄# {d#}U#.GUR {d}nin-urta DUB#-aq
  34. ina A₂# {tum₉}KUR.R[A ana] an-tu₄# {d#}x-x u {d}nuska
    $ single ruling
  35. PAP 15 KEŠ₂-MEŠ ša₂# {tum₉#}U₁₈?#.LU?# [{tum₉}]SI#.SA₂ {tum₉}KUR.RA
    $ single ruling
  36. ina A₂ {tum₉}MAR.TU 9 KEŠ₂ KEŠ₂ ana an-šar₂
  37. {d}+en-me-šar₂-ra {d}U₄..U₁₈.LU {d}ig-alim-ma
  38. u {d}šul-ša₃-ga-na₂ {d}+en-da-šurim-ma
  39. {d}nin-da-šurim-ma d+en-du₆-ku₃-ga {d}nin-du₆-ku₃-ga
  40. SISKUR₂ BAL-qi₂ GI.DU₈ GUB-an NINDA.I₃.DE₂.A LAL₃ I₃.NUN.NA
  41. GAR-an MAŠ.MAŠ ŠU NUN DAB-ma ki-a-am DUG₄.GA
    $ single ruling
    @end of obverse

@reverse

  1. EN₂ {d}+en-me-šar₂-ra EN KI-ti₃ NUN ša₂ a-ra#-al#-li#
  2. EN aš₂-ri u KUR.NU.GI₄ ša₂-du-u₂ ša₂ {d}a-nun-na-ki
  3. pa-ri-is EŠ.BAR KI-ti₃ mar-kas₂ GAL-u₂ ša₂ an-durun#-na
  4. EN GAL-u₂ ša₂ ina ba-li-šu₂ {d}nin-gir₂-su AŠ.GAN₂ u pal#-gi
  5. ($___$) la uš-te-eš-še-ru la i-ban-nu-u₂ ab-še-na
  6. EN u-ma-ši ša₂ ina dan-nu-ti-šu₂ KI-ti₃ i-bi-lu
  7. RAB-ša₂ x-dan-ni-nu ṣa-bit kip#-pat ki-gal-li
  8. na-din {giš}GIDRU# u BALA ana {d}a-nu u {d}+en-lil₂
  9. aš₂-ri ša₂-a-šu₂ ina qi₂-bi-ti-ka te-me-en-šu₂
  10. ina mah-ri-ka li-bur IM.DU₃.A BI
  11. GIN₇ šu-bat be-lu-ti-ka ina KI-ti₃ lu ki!(DI)-na-at₂
  12. UGU-šu₂ {d}a-num {d}+en-lil₂ u {d}e₂-a šub-ti ki-niš li-ir-mu-u
  13. u₃ a-na-ku NENNI NUN IR₃-ku-nu ina ma-har DINGIR-ti-ka GAL-ti
  14. ($___$) ana u₄-me ṣa-a-tu₂ šu-ma ṭa-biš lu-u₂ na-ba-ku
  15. šu-bat DINGIR-MEŠ GAL-MEŠ li-kum₂-ma nap-har KUR-ia₂
  16. šub-tu₂ ne-eh-tu₂ TUŠ-ba
    $ single ruling
  17. an-na-a NUN 3#-šu₂# DUG₄#.GA-ma kal KEŠ₂ DU₈-ma
  18. ṣa#-lam# {giš#}MES#.MA₂.GAN.NA NU LUGAL DU₃-uš-ma
  19. [x x K]U₃.SIG₁₇ KEŠ₂-s[u] ma#-am-me-e KU₃.SIG₁₇
  20. [ina? SAG].DU#-šu₂ KEŠ₂-su HAR# KU₃.SIG₁₇ ina ŠU 15-šu₂
  21. [HAR? K]U₃.BABBAR ina UR₂ 150-šu₂ GAR-šu₂ {tug₂#}GU₂.E₃ {tug₂}BAR.SI
  22. [pu?]-u₂#-su GIN₇ LUGAL GAR-su ina KI#.TA IM.DU₃.A
  23. te#-te-mi-ir EGIR-šu₂ SIG₄ ŠUB-ma IM.DU₃#.A ta-pat-ti-iq
    $ double ruling
  24. DIŠ NA E₂.GAR₈ ša₂ KA₂ la GAR-nu i-na-ak-ki-is-ma# KA₂# u₂-še-eš-še-er
    $ blank
    @colophon
  25. [KU]R {m}{d}AN.ŠAR₂-DU₃-A MAN ŠU₂ MAN KUR A[N.ŠAR₂]{ki}
    $ blank
    $ end of reverse

Source Colophon

Source text from the Electronic Babylonian Literature corpus (eBL), Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Germany. Available under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.10018951. Fragment K.48, British Museum, London. Neo-Assyrian period, from the library of Ashurbanipal at Nineveh (c. 650 BCE).

The ATF (ASCII Transliteration Format) above preserves the scholarly transliteration conventions: uppercase = Sumerian logograms, lowercase = Akkadian syllabic readings, {d} = divine determinative, {giš} = wood determinative, {šim} = aromatic determinative, {uzu} = meat determinative, {tug₂} = textile determinative, {tum₉} = wind determinative, {dug} = vessel determinative.

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