Enlil and Ninlil: The Marriage of Sud

Abstract

THIS ARTICLE IS AN EDITION OF A RELATIVELY COMPLETE MYTHICAL TALE, known since 1967 (JNES 26, 200ff.). The publication by 0. R. Gurney of a NeoAssyrian bilingual tablet in 1964 with a substantial part of the first third of the text (STT 151-54) prompted a reexamination of unpublished duplicates from Nippur and two published pieces (VAS 10 177 and HA V 16) that resulted in a preliminary, and in many points incorrect, proposal of reconstruction (JNES 26, 201). Subsequent work led to the identification of further duplicates and to an almost complete recovery of the text. Noteworthy among the new texts are two tablets from Susa made available by the late Maurice Lambert, and three Kouyunjik pieces identified by W. G. Lambert. There remain a number of partially broken lines, some weak spots (notably from line 137 on), and two very short gaps (lines 52-56 and 124), but the main outline of the plot is now clear. The tale had a wide diffusion attested not only by the relatively high number of sources preserved and their geographical distribution, but also by its long survival through Middle-Babylonian times and into the Assyrian libraries. We hope that this edition, although limited in scope because of space restrictions, will please Samuel Noah Kramer who has done more than anyone else to revive Sumerian mythology and without whose inspiration this work would not have been started. To him it is respectfully dedicated.