FORBIDDEN KNOWLEDGE - THE ERRA EPIC Part 2

sandalphon (62)in #knowledge • 6 years ago

Preamble: How old is our civilization? The answer to this question keeps changing over the last 2,000 years and will continue to change as we learn more and more about “our past”. One thing is clear – our “civilization” isn’t the first to have existed on this planet.

Just how many civilizations existed before us? The “oldest” civilization that is widely accepted at this time is the Sumerian which is believed to have existed around 4000 BC. Not everyone agrees though since several other pieces of “history” are not accounted for. The giants mentioned in the bible, the “fluvial” erosion in the body of the Sphinx in Egypt that could not have occurred before 10,000 BC, the Nephilim mentioned in Genesis (6:4) who took earthy women for wives who gave birth to the “giants”, the Anunnakis - believed to have created humans by altering ape’s DNA and ruled over earth for over 400,000 years plus the recent discovery of a 700,000-Year-Old Stone Tools found in the Philippines used to butcher a Rhino.

History as we know it is incomplete and convoluted with mythology. But advances in technology is allowing us to separate history from myths.

Who or what created us and for what purpose? I think this is the ultimate riddle that sentient beings like us should strive to get an answer for. Imagine that you woke up one day with no memory of who you are. Would you not spend the rest of your life finding out who you really are, who your parents were, whether you have a family etc.? In a way, this is what happened to us. We forgot. Or maybe something tricked us to forget our true nature and our rightful place in the universe.

It is clear that "higher knowledge" has been deliberately hidden from us for thousands of years. Therefore, you and me are beholden to uncover and bring this information out to enlighten the world. To end the battle between knowledge and ignorance. To free us from the obstruction caused by established dogmas and lies; for this knowledge could lead us to a greater understanding of our universe and of ourselves.

The Babylonian poem of Erra and Ishum, a literary composition in Akkadian, written by a Babylonian priest named Kabti-Ilani-Marduk. This poem describes the god Marduk as turning away from his city, angry with its people, thus leaving it to Erra’s destructive wrath. The tablets are currently in the process of reconstruction and it was last subjected to a critical edition 40 years ago. Most of the tablets are still in existence but further discoveries of text are needed in order to gain complete knowledge of it. There are five sections (‘tablets’) with a total of nearly 700 lines of poetry although the middle of the poem is especially fragmentary (Tablets II–III). The poem was probably about 800 lines when complete.

The poem’s date of composition is disputed. The oldest manuscripts come from the royal library of Nineveh dated around mid-seventh century BCE, but scholars have judged variously from the poem’s content that it is anything from 400 to 100 years older. The content is mainly a succession of long speeches which describe the destruction of Babylonian cities in a combination of civil war and foreign invasion. The historical background is a long period of weak rule in Babylonia punctuated by violent disorder, which began with the Aramean incursions of the eleventh century and continued to the eighth century.

The Erra Epic continued...

TABLET III
Erra's speech continues, as he glories in the horrors of war, anarchy and privation. There follows a gap in the text.
"[ ] heeds no one,
"What he (?) reasoned [ ]
"Lions [ ]
"[ ]
"I make [ ] go towards [ ]
"I confiscate their households and cut short their lives,
"I assassinate the righteous man who intercedes,
"I set the wicked cutthroat in the highest rank.
"I estrange people's hearts so father listens not to son,
"And daughter cavils spitefully to mother.
"I make their utterances evil, they forget their gods,
"They speak gross blasphemy to their goddesses,
"I stir up the robber and so cut off travel absolutely,
"People rifle one another's belongings in the heart of the city.
"Lion and wolf fell the livestock.
"I aggravate [ ] and she cuts off birth-giving,
"I deprive the nurse of the wail of toddler and infant,
"I banish the work song of harvest home from the fields,
"Shepherd and herdsman forget their field shelters.
"I cut the clothes from the bodies of men, the young man I parade naked through the city street,
"The young man without clothes I send down to hell,
"The ordinary fellow has not so much as a sheep to offer up for his life,
"For the nobleman's divination lambs are few and precious.
"The patient yearns for a bit of roast to offer for his recovery,
"It does him no good, so he gets up and walks till he dies.
"I incapacitate the nobleman's mount like [ ],
"I cut [ ]
fragmentary lines, then gap
(The deed spoken and done, Ishum is remonstrating that Enlil has forsaken his city. Erra, in a frenzy, cries for more, and, having done enough himself, lets loose the Seven. Ishum, distressed at Erra's overkill, demands the reason for it.)
"The strong [ ]
"Like the blood [ ]
"You homed their weaponry upon the people under special protection, sacred to Anu and Dagan,
"You made their blood course like ditchwater in the city streets,
"You opened their arteries and the watercourses bear their blood away,
"Enlil cried, 'Woe!' his heart was hardened,
"He [ ] from his dwelling,
"An irreversible curse rose to his lips,
"He swore that he would not drink from the watercourses,
"He was revolted by their blood, and ould not enter Ekur,"
Erra said these words to Ishum his vanguard,
"The Seven, warriors unrivalled [ ]
"For all of them [ ]
"Which noble [ ]
"O my vanguard [ ]
"Who can speak [ ]
"Who can [ ] like fire?
"Who can [ ] before [ ]
"Who can [ ] like [ ]
"Who [ ]
"Who can [ ] Erra?
"The face of a ravening lion [ ]
"In the rage of [ ] heart [ ]
"Lead the way, let me begin the campaign!
"Muster the Seven, warriors unrivalled,
"Make them fierce weaponry, go at my side,
"And do you be my vanguard and rear guard."
When Ishum heard this speech of his,
He felt pity and said to himself,
"Alas for my people, victim of Erra's fury [ ],
"Whom the warrior Nergal overwhelmed like th storm of battle against the demons,
"As if to kill that conquered god, his arms lose no tension,
"As if to snare wicked Anzu, his net is spread!"
Ishum made ready to speak, saying to warrior Erra these words.
"Why have you plotted evil against god and man?
"And why have you remorselessly plotted evil against the black-headed folk?
Erra made ready to speak, saying to Ishum his vanguard these words,
"You who know the reasoning of the Igigi gods, the counsel of the Anunna gods, would you give guidance to the black-headed folk, and try to make them understand?
"Why are you, indeed, talking like a know-nothing?
"You are advising me as if you knew not Marduk's command!
"The king of the gods has risen from his dwelling!
"What of all lands has endured?
"He has removed his lordly diadem:
"King and prince [ ] forget their duties.
"He has undone his girdle:
"The bond of god and man is undone, impossible to tighten it again.
"Fierce fire made his precious image glow like the day and heightened his protective splendor,
"His right hand grasped the mace, his enormous weapon,
"Noble Marduk's glare is terrifying!
"As for me, what you said to me [ ].
"O vanguard of the gods, wise Ishum, whose commands are sound,
"Why, just now, did you ... such speech?
"Marduk's command is not satisfactory to you?"
Ishum made ready to speak, saying to the warrior Erra:
"O warrior Erra.... [ ]
"Mankind [ ]
"The livestock [ ]
"Swamps and reedbanks [ ]
"Now then, what you siad, warrior Erra,
"One stood forth and you [ } sven,
"You killed seven and did not let go a single one,
"Take away the livestock [ ]...
"O Erra, when you strike with your weapons,
"Mountains totter, the sea convulses,
"Such a flash of your stanchion, they look east, as if to see the sun rise!
"The palace [ ]
(gap of unknown length)
(Ishum continues: Erra has taken over the universe, even Marduk's sanctuary. How can he now say that no one respects him?)
Ishum made ready to speak, saying to the warrior Erra,
"O warrior Erra, you hold the leadrope of heven,
"You are master of all the earth, lord to the land!
"You convulse the sea, obliterate mountains,
"You rule over man and herd beasts.
"The primeval sanctuaries are in your hands,
"You control Shuanna and command Esagila,
"You have gathered to yourself all authority, the gods revere you,
"The Igigi gods stand in awe of you, the Anunna gods are in dread of you,
"When you set forth counsel, even Anu heeds you,
"Even Enlil agrees with you, aside from you, is there opposition?
"Except for you, is there battle?
"The armor of strife is yours alone!
"But you have said to yourself, 'They hold me in contempt'".

TABLET IV
"O warrior Erra, you are the one who feared not noble Marduk's name!
"You have undone Dimkurkurra, the bond of the world (Babylon)
"You changed your divine nature and made yourself a mortal
"You girded on your weaponry and entered Babylon.
"Inside Babylon, you spoke like a rabble-rouser, as if to take over the city,
"The citizenry of Babylon, like reeds in a thicket, had no one in chargeso they rallied around you
"He who knew nothing of weapons - his sword was drawn,
"He who knew nothing of archery - his bow was taut,
"He who knew nothing of fighting - set to the fray,
"He who knew nothing of wings - flew off like a bird.
"The cripple could surpass the fleet of foot, the weakling could overpower the strong.
"They give voice to gross insolence against the governor who provides for their holy places,
"With their own hands they blockaded the gate of Babylon their lifeline,
"They have torched the santuaries of Babylon like marauders of the land,
"You, the vanguard, took their lead!
"You aimed your shaft at the innermost wall,
'Woe! My heart!' it exclaims,
"You flung the seat of Muhra, its gatekeeper, into the blood of young men and girls,
"The inhabitants of Babylon themselves - they the bird, you the decoy -
"You snared in a net, caught and killed them, warrior Erra!
"You quit the city and have gone out to the outskirts,
"You took a lion's face and have entered the palace.
"When the troops saw you, they girded on their weapons,
"The heart of the governor, avenger of Babylon, turned to fury,
"He issued orders to his army to plunder, as if plundering enemies,
"He incited the commander to atrocities,
' You, my man, for that city I am sending you to,
' Fear no god, respect no man!
' Do young and old alike to death!
' Spare no one, not even the baby sucking milk!
' You shall plunder the accumulated wealth of Babylon!'
"The royal troops drew up and have invaded the city,
"With flashing shafts and outstretched blades,
"You homed their weapons upon those under special protection, sacred to Anu and Dagan,
"You made their blood course like ditchwater in the city streets,
"You opened their arteries and let the watercourses hear their bood away.
"When the great lord Marduk saw that, he cried 'Woe!' and his heart was hardened,
"An irreversible curse rose to his lips,
"He swore that he would not drink from the watercourses,
"He was revolted by their blood and would not enter Esagila,
'Alas for Babylon, whose crown I fashioned luxuriant as a palm's,
but which the wind has scorched,
'Alas for Babylon, that I had laden with seed, like an evergreen, but of
whose delights I could not have what I hoped for!
'Alas for Babylon, that I tended like a thriving orchard, but whose fruit I could not taste!
'Alas for Babylon, that I suspended like a gemstone on the neck of the sky!
'Alas for Babylon, that I clasped in my hand like the tablet of destinies,
not handling it over to anyone else!'
"And this too has noble Marduk said,
'[ ] from former days [ ]
'Let one quit the wharf: he shall cross at two cubit's depht of water on foot,
'Let one go down sixty fathoms in a well, not one man shall keep himself alive on the water,
'Let them still have to punt the fishing boat 100 leagues out in the open sea!'
"As for Sippar, the primeval city, through which the lord of the world did not allow the deluge to pass, became it was precious to him,
"You destroyed her ramparts against the will of Shamash and threw down her fortifications.
"As for Uruk, the dwelling of Anu and Ishtar, the city of courtesans, harlots, and prostitutes for the cult,
"Whom Ishtar deprived of husbands and reckoned as her own,
"There Sutean nomads, men and women, bandy war whoops!
"They turned out the actors and singers of Eanna,
"Whose manhood Ishtar changed to womanhood to strike awe into the people,
"The wielders of daggers and razors, vintner's shears and flint knives,
"Who take part in abominable acts for the entertainment of Ishtar,
"A haughty, remorseless governor you placed over them,
"He harassed them and interfered with their rites.
"Ishtar was angered, she flew into rage against Uruk,
"She stirred up the enemy and swept clean the country, like granules on the water's face,
"The dweller of Parsa had no respite from lamenting the destroyed Eugal-santuary,
"The enemy you roused has no desire to stop.
"Ishtaran responded thus,
' You turned the city Der into a wasteland,
' You fractured her populace like reeds,
' You extinguished their clamor like the dying hiss of foram on the water's face!
'And as for me, you did not spare me, but have me over to the Sutean nomads"
'For the sake of my city der, I will judge no disputed truth, nor make any ruling for the land.
'I will give no guidance nor aid in understanding,
'Men forsook truth and took up violence,
'They abandoned justice and were plotting wickedness,
'Against but one country I raised up seven winds,
'He who did not die in battle will die in an epidemic,
'He who did not die in the epidemic, the enemy will plunder him,
'He whom the enemy has not plundered, the bandit will murder him,
'He whom the bandid did not murder, the king's weapon will vanquish him,
'He whom the king's weapon did not vanquish, the prince will slay him,
'He whom the prince did not slay, a thunderstorm will wash him away,
'He whom the thunderstorm did not wash away, the sun will parch him,
'He who has gone out into the world, the wind will sweep him away,
'He who has gone into his home, a demon will strike him,
'He who has gone up to a high place, will perish of thirst,
'He who has gone down to a low place, will perish in the waters
'You have obliterated high and low place alike.
'The man in charge of the city says to his mother,
" If only I had stuck in your womb the day you bore me,
" If only our lives had come to an end,
" If only we had died together,
" For you gave me a city whose walls are destroyed!
" Its people are the beasts, their god is who hunts them down.
" He it is whose net is right-meshed: those engaged cannot slip through but die a violent death"
'He who begot a son, saying.
"This is my son, when I have reared him, he will requite my pains."
'I will put that son to death, his father must bury him,
'Afterwards I will put that father to death, but he will have none to bury him.
'He who built a house saying
"This is my house, I built it for myself, I shall spend my leisure in it,
"On the day fate claims me, I shall fall asleep inside".
'I will put him to death and wreck his home,
'Afterwards though it be wreackage, I will give it to another'.
"O warrior Erra, you have put the righteous man to death,
"You have put the unrighteous man to death,
"He who sinned against you, you put him to death,
" He who did not sin against you, you put him to death,
"The high priest, assiduous with divine offerings, you put to death,
"The functionary who served the king you put to death,
"The old man on the doorstep you put to death,
"The young girls in the bedrooms you put to death,
"Even then you found no appeasement whatsoever!
"Even then when you told yourself,'They hold me in contempt!'
"Even then you said to yourself, O warrior Erra,
'I will strike down the mighty, I will terrorize the weak,
'I will kill the commander, I will scatter the troops,
'I will wreck the temple's sacred chamber, the rampart's battlement, the pride of the city I will destroy!
'I will tear out the mooring pole so the ship difts away,
'I will smash the rudder so she cannot reach the shore,
'I will pluck out the mast, I will rip out the rigging.
'I will make breasts go dry so babies cannot thrive,
'I will block up springs so that even little channels can bring no life-sustaining water,
'I will make hell shake and heaven tremble,
'I will make the planets shed their splendor, I will wrench out the stars from the sky,
'I will hack the tree's roots, so its branches cannot burgeon,
'I will wreck the wall's foundation so its top tumbles,
'I will approach the dwelling of the king of the gods, that no direction be forthcoming."
The warrior Erra heard him.
The speech that Ishum made pleased him like finest oil.
Thus spoke the warrior Erra.
"The Sealand, the Sealand, Subartu Subartu, Assyrian Assyrian,
"Elamite Elamite, Kassite Kassite,
"Sutean Sutean, Gutian Gutian,
"Lullubaean Lullubaean, land land, city city,
"House house, man man, brother brother must not spare one another, let them kill each other!
Then, afterwards, let the Akkadian arise to slay them all, to rule them, everyone."
The warrior Erra said these words to Ishum, his vanguard:
"Go, Ishum, the matter you spoke of, do as you wish".
Ishum set out for the mountain Hehe, the homeland of the Suteans.
The Seven, warriors unrivalled, fell in behind him.
When the warriors reached the mountain Hehe, he raised his hand, he destroyed the mountain,
He recknoned the mountain Hehe as level ground, he cut away the trunks of the cedar forest,
The thicket looked as if the deluge had passed over,
He laid waste cities and turned them into open spaces,
He obliterated mountains and slew their wild life,
He convulsed the sea and destroyed its increase
He brought the stillness of death upon swamp and thicket, burning like fire,
He cursed the wildlife and returned to clay.

TABLET V
After Erra was calmed and took up his own abode,
All the gods were gazing at his face,
All the Igigi-gods and the Anunna-gods stood in awe,
Erra made ready to speak, saying to all the gods:
"Quiet, all of you learn what I have to say!
"No doubt I intended evil in the bygone lapse,
"I was angry and wanted to lay waste the people.
"Like a hireling, I took the lead ram from the flock,
"Like one who did not plant an orchard, I was quick to cut it down,
"Like a scorcher of the earth, I slew indiscriminately good and evil.
"One would not snatch a carcass from the jaws of a ravaging lion,
"So too no one can reason where one is in a frenzy.
"Were it not for Ishum, my vanguard, what might have happened?
"Where would your provider be, where your high priest?
"Where your food offering? You would smell no incense".
Ishum made ready to speak, saying to the warrior Erra these words:
"Quiet, warrior, hear what I have to say,
"No doubt this is true, now, calm down, let us serve you!
"At a time you are angry, where is he who can face you?"
When Erra heard this, his face beamed, like radiant daylight his features glowed.
He entered E-meslam and took up his abode,
He called Ishum to tell him the sign, to give instructions concerning the scattered peoples of Akkad,
"Let the people of the country, who had dwindled, become numerous again,
"Let short and tall alike traverse its paths,
"Let weak Akkadians fell mighty Suteans,
"Let one drive off seven like sheep.
"You shall make his cities into ruins and his highlands into open ground.
"You shall tkae massive booty from them, and put it in Shuanna,
"You shall reconcile the angry gods with their own abodes,
"You shall make gods of livestock, and grain descend once more to the land.
"You shall make mountain deliver its yield, sea its produce,
"You shall make the ruined fields deliver produce
"Let the governors of all cities haul their massive tribute into Shuanna,
"Let the ruined temples lift their heads like the rays of the sun,
"Let the governors of all cities make the provider for Esagila and Babylon their lord."
Praise to the great lord Nergal and warrior Ishum for years without number!
How it came to pass that Erra grew angry and set ou to lay waste the lands and destroy their peoples,
But Ishum, his counsellor calmed him and left a remnant,
The composer of its text was Kabit-ilani-Marduk, of the family Dabibi.
He revealed it at night, and just as he (the god?) had discoursed it while Kabit was coming awake, he, Kabit-ilani-Marduk, ommitted nothing at all.
Not one line did he add.
When Erra heard it he approved, what pertained to Ishum his vanguard, satisfied him.
All the gods praised this poem, then the warrior Erra spoke thus:
"In the sanctuary of the god who honors this poem, may abundance accumulate!
"But let the one who neglects it never smell incense.
"Let the king who extols my name rule the world,
"Let the prince who discourses the praise of my valor have no rival,
"Let the singer who chants it not die from pestilence,
"But his performance be pleasing to king and prince
"The scribe who masters it shall be spared in the enemy country and honored in his own land.
"In the sanctum of the learned, where they shall constantly invoke my name, I shall grant them understanding
"The house in which this tablet is placed, though Erra be angry and the Seven murderous,
"The sword of pestilence shall not approach it, safety abides upon it.
"Let this poem stand forever, let it endure till eternity.
"Let all lands hear it and praise my valor,
"Let all inhabitants witness and extol my name,"

Sources:source 1; ; ; ; .

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6 years ago in #knowledge by sandalphon (62)

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FORBIDDEN KNOWLEDGE - THE ERRA EPIC Part 2

Preamble: How old is our civilization? The answer to this question keeps changing over the last 2,000 years and will continue to change as we learn more and more about “our past”. One thing is clear – our “civilization” isn’t the first to have existed on this planet.

History as we know it is incomplete and convoluted with mythology. But advances in technology is allowing us to separate history from myths.

Follow me @sandalphon for more esoteric knowledge.

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