WELD-BLUNDELL COLLECTION.

20. The . . . . . shepherd of . . . . .
21. Them with the breath of life thou . . . .
22. The vast shadow which
23. filleth the lands,
24. The grand prince,
25. Whom great Anu named.
26. Whom the great mother Nintud [bore].
27. The heroic . . . . . . . . . .
28. Enlil-bani
29. Thee may she encourage.
30. With sweet words,
31. And prayers which render the (divine) commands favorable.

Col. II.

1. [May she before Enlil
2. [. . . . . . intercede . . . . . for thee.]
3. Thee the . . . . . . . of holy Innini
4. Marduk
5. Wisdom unto thee has . . . . .
6. Nidaba,
7. The priestess Nidaba,
8. The grey-haired,
9. Mother-in-law of Enlil,
10. The queen who . . . . . . . .
...

1. Cf. RTC. 27 II 1; DP. 113 XI.
2. Or read "Gal-e" = Anu. Cf. "Gula," "The great god," SBP. 12, 3; 38, 3, et passim.
3. Cf. PBS. X 258, 13.
4. Written "KA + NUN".
5. "puršumu" is rendered into Semitic by the loan-word "puršumu," a cupbearer, an office apparently confined to old men and women. Nidaba is called the "puršumtu" of Nippur, PSBA. 1911, 86, 23 and in CT. 17, 22, 132 a "puršumtu" priestess grinds the grain (of Nidaba) in a ritual. The "puršumu" is associated with the "pašišu," RA. 15, 63, 9 and the priestly office "nam-bur-šu-ma" is frequently mentioned; BE. VI², 36, 2; 39, 2; 66, 2; PBS. VIII 12, 2; 15, 4. Hence "puršumu," elder, is of Sumerian origin. The word contains the noun "bur" = "pûru," a bowl.
6. The sign represents a confusion of two ancient signs: 1) "ÙR-gunu", with value "ušbar" = father-in-law, "êmu". 2) "azu" = "barû", prophet.