agricultural-deities

"Nisaba has placed in your hand the honour of being a teacher. For her, the fate determined for you will be changed and so you will be generously blessed. May she bless you with a joyous heart and free you from all despondency."

"In the abzu, the great crown of g, where sanctuaries are apportioned [...] -- when Enki, the great princely farmer of the awe-inspiring temple, the carpenter of Eridug, the master of purification rites, the lord of the great en priest's precinct, occupies E-engur, and when he builds up the abzu of Eridug; when he takes counsel in Hal-an-kug, when he splits with an axe the house of boxwood; when the sage's hair is allowed to hang loose, when he opens the house of learning, when he stands in the street of the door of learning; when he finishes the great dining-hall of cedar, when he grasps the date-palm mace, when he strikes the priestly garment with that mace, then he utters seven [words] to Nisaba, the supreme nursemaid: "O Nisaba, good woman, fair woman, woman born in the mountains! Nisaba, may you be the butter in the cattle-pen, may you be the cream in the sheepfold, may you be keeper of the seal in the treasury, may you be a good steward in the palace, may you be a heaper up of grain among the grain piles and in the grain stores!" Because the Prince Enki cherished Nisaba, O father Enki, it is sweet to praise you!"

"Hoe, do not start getting so mightily angry! Do not be so mightily scornful! Is not Nisaba the Hoe's inspector? Is not Nisaba its overseer? The scribe will register your work."

"On the day when the bowls of rations are inspected, Nance also inspects the servants during the appointments. Her chief scribe Nisaba places the precious tablets on her knees and takes a golden stylus in her hand. She arranges the servants in single file for Nance and then it will be decided whether or not a leather-clad servant can enter before her in his leather, whether or not a linen-clad servant can pass before her in his linen. Any registered and hired person about whom observers and witnesses claim to witness his fleeing from the house will be terminated in his position."

"Lady coloured like the stars of heaven, holding a lapis-lazuli tablet! Nisaba, great wild cow born by Urac, wild sheep nourished on good milk among holy alkaline plants! [...] Perfectly endowed with fifty great divine powers, my lady, most powerful in E-kur! Dragon emerging in glory at the festival, Aruru (mother goddess) of the Land (𒌦), [...] lavishing fine oil on the foreign lands, engendered in wisdom by the Great Mountain (Enlil)! Good woman, chief scribe of An, record-keeper of Enlil, wise sage of the gods!"

"In order to make barley and flax grow in the furrows, so that excellent corn can be admired; to provide for the seven great throne-daises by making flax shoot forth and making barley shoot forth at the harvest, the great festival of Enlil -- in her great princely role she has cleansed her body and has put the holy priestly garment on her torso. In order to establish bread offerings where none existed, and to pour forth great libations of alcohol, so as to appease the god of grandeur, Enlil, and to appease merciful Kusu and Ezina, she will appoint a great en priest, and will appoint a festival; she will appoint a great en priest of the Land. He approaches the maiden Nisaba in prayer. He has organised pure food-offerings; he has opened up Nisaba's house of learning, and has placed the lapis-lazuli tablet on her knees, for her to consult the holy tablet of the heavenly stars. In Aratta he has placed E-zagina at her disposal. You have built up Erec in abundance, founded from little [...] bricks, you who are granted the most complex wisdom!"

"Great hero, strongest in heaven and earth! Ninurta, who controls perfectly the fifty divine powers in the E-kur! Governor for his father, rising raging storm, who extends terror towards the foreign countries. Who casts fear upon the people, who has no rival! Ninurta, surpassing in vigour! Great and majestic strength, ornament of the august shrine! Lord, the son of Enlil, who has come forth from the hills, and rides upon the numerous divine powers. Great hero, surpassing dragon, perfect lord, without rival! Great hero confident in his strength! His words are precious, and what he says is true. Ninurta, lion raging against the disobedient! Authoritative one, who makes the foreign countries submit. May Ninurta look upon Icme-Dagan with a life-giving gaze! Uta-ulu, riding on fearsome radiance, greatest amongt the great lords! Ninurta, perfect in authority, caretaker of heaven and earth, Lord who was given great strength by Nunamnir, confident in his strength, striding into battle! Adviser, whose decisions cannot be countermanded! Ninurta, whose utterances are firm! Hero, lord, august son of Enlil! Ninurta, prominent in the E-kur. Coveting and spying are abominations to Ninurta. To take revenge is the of Ninurta. The chasing away of a younger son from the house of his father is an abomination to Ninurta. Violent cursing and chasing away a son from his father's house are abominations to Ninurta. To take revenge is an abomination to Ninurta."

"The king who measured up the hoe and who passes his time in its tracks, the hero Ninurta, has introduced working with the hoe into the rebel lands. He subdues any city that does not obey its lord. Towards heaven he roars like a storm, earthwards he strikes like a dragon (ucumgal)."