Babylonian Poems of Pious Sufferers

Ludlul Bel Nemeqi and the Babylonian Theodicy

by Takayoshi Oshima

Book cover: Babylonian Poems of Pious Sufferers

Extent: 572 pages

Publisher: Mohr Siebeck

Subjects: Ancient Near East, Biblical Studies

Series: Orientalische Religionen in der Antike

Series volume number: 14

Language: English

Hardback (Published)

(December 2014)

ISBN: 9783161533891

6.57 x 9.13 inches

Price: $193.00

Out of stock

Takayoshi Oshima analyses the two most important Babylonian wisdom texts: Ludlul Bel Nemeqi (also known as the Babylonian Job or the Babylonian Righteous Sufferer) and the so-called Babylonian Theodicy. On the basis of the hitherto published as well as newly available, unpublished cuneiform manuscripts, the author establishes a new critical text for each poem and gives an English translation. He offers detailed philological and critical notes to the texts, discussing both the textual and the interpretive issues evoked by individual words and passages. In addition, however, each poem is preceded by a lengthy discussion of its origins, intention, and plot, as well as by more general considerations of its cultural and historical background, including short but important observations on the relationship to Old Testament wisdom literature.


Takayoshi Oshima analyses the two most important Babylonian wisdom texts: Ludlul Bel Nemeqi (also known as the Babylonian Job or the Babylonian Righteous Sufferer) and the so-called Babylonian Theodicy. On the basis of the hitherto published as well as newly available, unpublished cuneiform manuscripts, the author establishes a new critical text for each poem and gives an English translation. He offers detailed philological and critical notes to the texts, discussing both the textual and the interpretive issues evoked by individual words and passages. In addition, however, each poem is preceded by a lengthy discussion of its origins, intention, and plot, as well as by more general considerations of its cultural and historical background, including short but important observations on the relationship to Old Testament wisdom literature.

  • By (author) Takayoshi Oshima