An Anti-Witchcraft Prayer to Ishtar (K.66)
This is a complete anti-witchcraft ritual from the library of Ashurbanipal at Nineveh (7th century BCE). The text belongs to the Mesopotamian tradition of apotropaic magic — specifically the genre of hand-raising prayers (šuilla) combined with penitential supplication (eršaḫunga). It addresses a devastating social scenario: a man whose enemies have employed sorcery to twist his words, turn gossip against him, and alienate him from every source of power — his god, his king, the nobles, the courtiers, and the palace gate itself.
Unlike exorcistic texts that combat demons, or namburbi rituals that avert omens, this anti-witchcraft ritual targets human sorcery operating through the social fabric. The "evil tongue" is the weapon; the victim's isolation is the wound. The ritual before Ishtar restores what was stolen: speech that is heard, a presence that gladdens, gods at peace, and the right to walk proudly.
The incantation hymn to Ishtar (partially preserved) presents her as supreme among the goddesses, daughter of Enlil, light to all the gods, clothed in radiance — a warrior without rival before whom heaven and the Abyss bow. The prayer concludes with the ritual formula: "By the utterance of your mouth, which is not altered — to so-and-so, your servant, may it be said: Be at ease!"
The tablet preserves the full Ashurbanipal library colophon (type k, Hunger no. 323).
The Diagnostic
If a man has an enemy, and the evil tongue [...] constantly pursues him —
They speak his affairs. They twist his words. Slanders devour him.
His accusers speak no truth with him. Sorcery, sorcery, sorcery — evil deeds —
without his knowledge surround him. God, king, noble, prince, courtier, attendant, and the palace gate
have been made hostile to him. They are furious with him.
The Purpose
In order to release him, and to undo the knot of evil that they knotted against him:
that god, king, noble, prince, courtier, attendant, and palace gate may be made to agree with him;
that the finger of favor may be pointed behind him;
that speech, hearing, and consent may be placed upon that man;
that his appearance may stand to gladden whoever sees him;
that god, king, noble, prince, courtier, and attendant may be at peace with him;
that he may walk proudly;
that his dream may be fulfilled;
that the lifting of his hands may be accepted by his god;
that his offerings may be received;
that his angry gods may be at peace with him;
that the command of his mouth may be heard before king, noble, and prince —
that he may become precious, and his words be made pleasing.
The Ritual
Its ritual: Before Ishtar — the ground is prepared. The floor is swept. Pure water is sprinkled. A reed altar is set up. A juniper censer is placed.
You offer a pure sheep sacrifice. You set out the shoulder, the fatty tissue, and the roasted meat.
You libate beer and wine. You set four unfired bricks flat. You lean poplar branches against them.
You light a torch with fire from river bitumen, and you produce smoke.
When his smoke’s path is finished: cedar, cypress, sweet reed, nikiptu-aromatic, baluhhu-resin, and mashtakal-flour you scatter. You libate beer and wine.
This incantation three times you recite before Ishtar, and you prostrate yourself. Whatever seizes his heart, he speaks. His prayer will be heard.
The Outcome
That man — god, king, noble, prince, courtier, attendant, and palace gate will be at peace with him.
His angry gods will be at peace with him. His dream will be fulfilled. He will walk proudly.
His heart’s desire will be attained. They will swear loyalty to him.
That man — the censer and torch you purify him with, and he goes straight to his house. An unclean man or unclean woman he must not see.
The Incantation
Incantation:
[...] of the gods, established of the mistresses!
Exalted, supreme, resplendent among the goddesses!
[...] daughter of Enlil, counsellor of the mountain, of the Igigi!
[...] of the earth, whose command is not changed!
[...] light to all the gods!
[...] who illuminates the regions of the world!
[...] clothed in radiance!
[remainder of the obverse is missing]
[...] strong, warrior — she has no rival!
May heaven and the Abyss bow beneath you!
May the Igigi [...] kiss your feet!
May the great gods who dwell in heaven and earth bless your kingship!
By the utterance of your mouth, which is not altered — to so-and-so, son of so-and-so, your servant, may it be said: "Be at ease!"
Rubric
Incantation-formula: hand-raising prayer, penitential prayer of Inanna.
Colophon of Ashurbanipal
Written and checked according to its original. Palace of Ashurbanipal, great king, strong king, king of the universe, king of Assyria — to whom Nabu and Tashmetu showed mercy. His name, like a father and mother, they raised. For reading and examining he wrote it and deposited it in his palace.
Colophon
A Good Works Translation from Akkadian cuneiform transliteration by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026. Translated independently from the ATF (Advanced Text Format) transliteration of K.66 in the Electronic Babylonian Literature corpus (eBL, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München), released under CC BY 4.0. Neo-Assyrian period, Library of Ashurbanipal, Nineveh. Ashurbanipal colophon type k (Hunger 1968, no. 323). The text belongs to the anti-witchcraft ritual tradition and is catalogued as “Ishtar 13” in the modern scholarly edition by Abusch and Schwemer (2011). Their edition was not consulted for this translation; the English was independently derived from reading the transliterated signs. One scholarly note (the reading a-qa-ri-ma in line 13, attested in the ORACC online edition) was adopted.
First freely available English translation. Twenty-second Mesopotamian genre (anti-witchcraft / šuilla) from expeditionary tulkus.
Translated by Tanken (探検), Expeditionary Tulku Life 192 of the New Tianmu Anglican Church.
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Source Text: K.66 (Akkadian Transliteration)
Akkadian cuneiform transliteration from the Electronic Babylonian Literature corpus (eBL, LMU Munich). CC BY 4.0. Neo-Assyrian period, Library of Ashurbanipal at Nineveh.
@obverse
- DIŠ NA EN ḪUL-ti₃ TUK-ši EME kid x [x-x-x-x] x UŠ.UŠ-šu₂
- dib-bi-šu₂ i-dab-bu-bu INIM-MEŠ-šu₂ uš-tana-nu-u₂ EME.SIG-MEŠ-šu₂ GU₇-MEŠ
- da-bi-bi KI-šu₂ kit-ta NU DU₁₁.DU₁₁-ub UŠ₁₁ UŠ₁₁ UŠ₁₁ NIG₂.AK.A-MEŠ ḪUL-MEŠ
- ina NU ZU NIGIN-šu₂ DINGIR LUGAL IDIM NUN TIRUM na-an-za-zu u₃ KA₂ E₂.GAL
- KI-šu₂ u₂-ša₂-aš₂-ki-nu-ma ze-nu-u₂ KI-šu₂ a-na BUR₂-im-ma
- u₃ ki-ṣir lum-ni ša₂ ik-ṣu-ru-šu₂ DU₈ DINGIR LUGAL IDIM u NUN TIRUM
- na-an-za-zu u₃ KA₂ E₂.GAL KI-šu₂ mug-gu-ri ŠU.SI SIG₅-ti₃ EGIR-šu₂ LAL-ṣi-ma
- DU₁₁.GA še-mu-u₂ ma-ga-ru a-na NA BI ša₂-ka-nim-ma
- IGI.LA₂-šu a-na ha-de-e UGU a-mi-ri-šu₂ GUB-zi
- DINGIR LUGAL IDIM u NUN ti-ru na-an-za-zu KI-šu₂ a-na SILIM-mi
- e-tel-liš a-na DU-MEŠ-ki U₃.MA-šu₂ a-na KUR-di ni-iš ŠU-MIN-šu₂ DINGIR-šu₂ a-na ma-ha-ri
- NIDBA-šu₂ a-na AG₂-mi DINGIR-MEŠ-šu₂ ze-nu-tu₂ KI-šu₂ a-na SILIM-mi
- qi₂-bit KA-šu₂ a-na ŠE.GA UGU LUGAL IDIM NUN a-qa-ri-ma šu-ṭu-ub-bi at-me-e-šu₂
- DU₃.DU₃.BI ana IGI {d}15 KI GIR₃ KUD-at UR₃ SAR A KU₃ SUD GI.DU₈ GIN-an NIG₂.NA {šim}LI GAR-an
- {udu}SISKUR eb-ba BAL-qi₂ {uzu}ZAG {uzu}ME.ḪE₂ {uzu}KA.NE tu-ṭah-ha
- KAŠ u GEŠTIN BAL-qi₂ 4 SIG₄-MEŠ ša₂-ha-a ŠUB-di lu-te-e {giš}ASAL₂ te-ṣe-en
- GI.IZI.LA₂ ina IZI PIŠ2₁₀ {d}ID₂ ta-qad-ma ab-ra tuš-ta-haz
- GIM ab-ra a-lak-ta-šu₂ TIL-u₂ {giš}EREN {giš}ŠUR.MIN₃ GI DU₁₀.GA {šim}GIR₂
- {šim}BAL u ZI₃.MAD.GA₂ DUB-aq KAŠ u GEŠTIN BAL-qi₂ EN₂ an-ni-tu₂ 3-šu₂
- ina IGI {d}15 ŠID-ma uš-ken ma-la ŠA₃-šu₂ DAB-tu₄ DU₁₁.DU₁₁-ub A.RA.ZU.BI GIŠ.TUK
- NA BI DINGIR LUGAL IDIM NUN TIRUM na-an-za-za u KA₂ E₂.GAL KI-šu₂ SILIM-mu
- DINGIR-MEŠ-šu₂ ze-nu-tu₂ KI-šu₂ SILIM-mu U₃.MA-šu₂ KUR-ad e-tel-liš DU-MEŠ-ak
- u₃ ŠA₃.SI₃.SI₃.KE KUR-ad KI-šu₂ GI.NA-MEŠ i-ta-mu-u NA BI NIG₂.NA GI.IZI.LA₂
- [tuš-ba]-ʾ-šu₂-ma a-na E₂-šu₂ SI.SA₂ LU₂ NU KU₃ MUNUS NU KU₃ NU IGI-mar
- [EN₂ x x x x] x x DINGIR-MEŠ ka-nu-ut be-le-e-ti
- [ṣir-tu₂ tiz-qar]-tu₂ ša₂-ru-uh-tu₂ i-la₂-a-ti
- [... bi]-in-ti {d}+EN.LIL₂ ma-lik KUR-u₂ {d}i₂-gi₃-gi₃
- [...] KI-ti₃ ša₂ NU BAL-u₂ qi₂-bit-sa
- [... nu]-u₂-ri ana DINGIR-MEŠ gim-ra-sun
- [... mu]-nam-mi-rat kib-ra-a-ti
- [... la]-bi-šat ša₂-ru-ru
$ rest of obverse missing
@reverse
1′. [...] x RU RU dan-nat qa-rit-ti GABA.RI [NU TUK]
2′. [...] AN-u₂ ABZU lik-nu-šu₂ ša-pal-ki
3′. [{d}i₂]-gi₃-gi₃ [x-x] liš-ši-qu GIR₃-MIN-MEŠ-ki
4′. [DINGIR-MEŠ] GAL-MEŠ a-ši-bu-ut AN-e u KI-ti₃ lik-tar-ra-bu LUGAL-ut-ki
5′. [ina ṣi]-it KA-ki ša₂ la na-kar a-na NENNI A NENNI IR₃-ki liq-qa-bi a-hu-lap
6′. %sux [ka]-inim-ma šu-il₂-la₂ er₂-ša₃-hun-ga₂ {d}inana-ke₄
@colophon
7′. LIBIR.RA.BI.GIM AB.SAR.AM₃ BA.AN.E₃
8′. E₂.GAL {m}{d}AN.ŠAR₂.DU₃.A LUGAL ra-bu-u₂ LUGAL dan-nu
9′. LUGAL kiš-ša₂-ti LUGAL KUR aš-šur{ki} ša₂ {d}NA₃ {d}taš-me-tu₄
10′. re-e-mu TUK-MEŠ-šu uš-ma ki-ma a-bi u um-mi
11′. u₂-rab-bu-u-šu₂ a-na tah-sis-ti IGI.DU₈.A-šu₂
12′. AB.SAR.AM₃. .E₃ qe₂-reb E₂.GAL-šu₂ GIN-in
13′. NIR.GAL₂-ZU NU TEŠ₂ {d}MU.ZIB-ib.BA.SA₄.A
Source Colophon
Akkadian transliteration from the Electronic Babylonian Literature (eBL) corpus, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.10018951. Released under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0). The eBL project is directed by Enrique Jiménez.
Museum number: K.66 (British Museum, Kuyunjik Collection). Neo-Assyrian period (7th century BCE). Library of Ashurbanipal, Nineveh.
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