The Akkadian Namburbi Texts

Namburbi is the title of a group of typical Babylonian incantations, used to “undo” or avert portended evil. This book explains the nature of the texts and the ritual associated with them, and provides translations of 14 representative texts.

Namburbi is the title of a group of typical Babylonian incantations, used to “undo” or avert portended evil. Consisting of both rituals and prayers, they provide a response to the observed events taken by the Mesopotamians to be signs of future happenings; thus they are the practical correlate of the “omen texts,” which list such portents and their significance. The fascicle by Caplice includes a long introduction, which explains the nature of the texts and their ritual Sitz im Leben, and the translation, with notes, of 14 representative texts, ranging from a Ritual for the Evil of a Snake to a Ritual to Secure Brisk Trade.

• By (author) R. I. Caplice