Appendix 1: The moral canon: Šurpu

Marco De Pietri, Stefania Ermidoro – March 2022

Sources:
     Autograph: Rawlinson 1861- 1884 C I W A = Rawlinson, Henry Creswicke 1861-1884, The Cuneiform Inscriptions of Western Asia, London: R.E. Bowler (vol. IV, under Tablets' nos. = Pls. 51-52, with Addenda on pp. 9-10).
     Akkadian text and English translation (columns 1-2 and 3): Reiner 1958 Surpu = Reiner, Erica 1970, Šurpu: A Collection of Sumerian and Akkadian Incantations, Archiv für Orientforschung. Beiheft 11 (second facsimile reprint after 1958 edition, Graz: im Selbstverlage des Herausgebers), Osnabruck: Biblio Verlag.
     Hebrew text [BHS] and English translation (columns 5-6): Tanakh Project.

NB₁: Please note that almost all the phonemic transcriptions are by M. De Pietri and S. Ermidoro (the source indicated in the top table refers to the original source of the syllabic transcription).

NB₂: Please note that for an editorial decision and for uniformity to what is stated in Buccellati 1996 Grammar = Buccellati, Giorgio 1996, A Structural Grammar of Babylonian, Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, pp. 20-21, in the phonemic transcription the use of the circumflex ( ＾ ) is avoided and instead only the macron ( ¯ ) is used.

Šurpu, Tablet II II B = K. 5495 [CDLI: P396044] + (K. 6423a + K. 12000 1 + K. 12000m + K. 6423 [CDLI: P396521] + K. *10058 + K. 13257)				Ex. 19-20
Akkadian text (syllabic transcription)	Akkadian text (phonemic transcription)	English translation Rainer	English translation gB	Hebrew text	English translation Tanakh Project	English translation gB
1. [ÉN lu-u paṭ-ra] DINGIR.MEŠ GAL.MEŠ 2. [DINGIR u] ^dEŠ₄.DAR EN.MEŠ tap-šìr-ti 3. [NENNI A] NENNI šá DINGIR-šú NENNI ^dXV-šú NENNI-tum	1. [šiptum lū paṭra] ilūm rabūtum 2. [ilum u] iltum bēlū tapširti 3. [mamman A] mamman ša ilišu mamman iltišu mammatum	1. Incantation: May it be released, great gods 2. [god and] goddess, lords of absolution. 3. [NN, son of] NN, whose god is NN, whose goddess is NN,	Incantation, O great gods, lords of absolution, for the deliverance of NN, son of NN, whose personal god is NN, whose personal goddess is NN,	וּמֹשֶׁ֥ה עָלָ֖ה אֶל־הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים וַיִּקְרָ֨א אֵלָ֤יו יְהוָה֙ מִן־הָהָ֣ר...	And Moses went up unto God, and the LORD called unto him out of the mountain...	Then Moses went up before God, and Yahweh called him from the mountain...
5. NÍG.G[IG] DINDIR-šú i-ku-lu NÍG.GIG ^dXV-šú i-ku-lu	5. ikkibam ilišu īkulu ikkibam iltišu īkulu	5. who has eaten what is tab[oo] to his god (who has eaten what is taboo to his goddess)	5. who has eaten that which is taboo to his god	[3] זָכֹ֛ור֩ אֶת־יֹ֥֨ום הַשַּׁבָּ֖֜ת לְקַדְּשֹֽׁ֗ו	[3] Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.	[3] Remember the Sabbath day and keep it sacred.
6. a-na an-na ul-la iq-bu-u a-na ul-la an-na iq-bu-u 7. [ar-ki mi-iḫ-ri]-šú ŠU.SI it-ru-ṣu 8. [kar-ṣa i-ku-lu] nu-ul-la-tú i-ta-mu-u 14. [x x x x] ṣa-lip-ta ú-šad-bi-bu 15. [la na-ṭa-a-at]um da-a-a-nu ú-šá-ḫi-zu	6. ana anna ulla iqbu ana ulla anna iqbu 7. [arki miḫri]šu ubāna itruṣu 8. [karṣa īkulu] nulliātu itamū 14. [x x x x] ṣalipta ušadbibu 15. [lā naṭāt]um dayyānu ušāḫizu	6. who said "no" for "yes", who said "yes" for "no". 7. who pointed (his) finger (accusingly) [behind the back of] his [fellow-man], 8. [who calumniated], spoke what is not allow to speak, 14. [who, as witness,] caused wicked things to be spoken, 15. who caused the judge to (pronounce) [incorrec]t (judgement)	6. who said "no" instead of "yes." Who said "yes" instead of "no." 7. Who secretly spied on his neighbor; 8. who slandered and said what he shouldn't have; 14. who, as a witness, said bad things; 15. who was the cause of wrong verdicts by the judge;	[8] זלֹֽא־תַעֲנֶ֥ה בְרֵעֲךָ֖ עֵ֥ד שָֽׁקֶר	[8] Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.	[8] You will not give false testimony against your neighbor.
11. [šá DINGIR-šú i-da-ṣu] ^dXV-šú i-me-šú 32. ul i-di šèr-ti DINGIR 34. a-na DINGIR-šú ar-nu-šú	11. [ša ilišu idāṣu] iltišu imēšu 32. ul īdi šērti ili 34. ana ilišu arnūšu	11. [who scorned his god], despised his goddess → 32. He does not know what is a crime against god → 34. his sins are against his god	11. who disgraced his god, despised his goddess; → 32. he doesn't know what a crime against god is; → 34. his sins are against his god	[1] לֹֽ֣א יִהְיֶֽה־לְךָ֛֩ אֱלֹהִ֥֨ים אֲחֵרִ֖֜ים עַל־פָּנָֽ֗יַ׃ לֹֽ֣א תַֽעֲשֶׂ֨ה־לְךָ֥֣ פֶ֣֙סֶל֙׀ לֹֽא־תִשְׁתַּחְוֶ֥֣ה לָהֶ֖ם֘ וְלֹ֣א תָעָבְדֵ֑ם֒ כִּ֣י אָֽנֹכִ֞י יְהוָ֤ה אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙ אֵ֣ל קַנָּ֔א...	[1] Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God...	[1] You will have no other gods but me. You will not have a sculpted image. You will not kneel before them or serve them. Because I, Yahweh, am a jealous God...
18. [x x x x] e-niš-tum da-a-ṣu 19. [x x x x] pa-ni URU-šá ú-saḫ-ḫi-ru 20. [KI] ⸢AD⸣ DUMU ip-ru-su 21. [KI] DUMU AD ip-ru-su 35. [a-na] be-en-ni da-ṣa-a-tum 36. AD AMA im-te-eš a-na NIN.GAL-ti ug-dal-lil	18. [x x x x] eništum dāṣu 19. [x x x x] pāni ālišu usaḫḫiru 20. [itti] ⸢abi⸣ māra iprusu 21. [itti] māri aba iprusu 35. [ana] benni dāṣātum 36. aba umma imtēš ana aḫāti rabūti ugdallil	18. [who ........], has oppressed the weak woman 19. who turned [a ... woman] away from her city 20. who estranged son [from] [father] 21. who estranged father [from] son → 35. He is full of contempt [against] his father → 36. He despised his parents, offended the elder sister	18. who oppressed the weak woman; 19. who drove a woman from her city; 20. who estranged the son from his father, 21. the father from the son; → 35. he is full of contempt for his father; → 36. he has despised his parents, offended his elder sister.	[4] כַּבֵּ֥ד אֶת־אָבִ֖יךָ וְאֶת־אִמֶּ֑ךָ	[4] Honour thy father and thy mother.	[4] Honor your father and mother.
29. ṣab-ta la ú-maš-ši-ru ka-sa-a la ú-ram-mu-u 30. a-na ṣa-ab-ti la á-kal-li-mu nu-á-ru	29. ṣabta lā umašširi kasā lā urammu 30. ana ṣabti lā ukallimu nūru	29. who did not free a captive, did not release a man in bond 30. who did not let the prisoner see the light (of day)	29. that didn't free the prisoner, 30. didn't let the prisoner see the light of day;	⸺	⸺	⸺
37. i-na ṣe-ḫer-ti it-ta-din i-na ra-bi-ti im-da-ḫar 42. GIŠ zi-ba-nit la ket-ti iṣ-[ṣa-bat 43. ka-sap la ket-ti il-te-qí ka-[sap ket-ti ul il]-qí 45. ku-dúr-ru la ket-ti uk-ta-dir	37. ina ṣeḫerti ittadin ina rabīti imdaḫar 42. zibānīt lā ketti iṣ[ṣabat 43. kasap lā ketti ilteqi ka[sap ketti ul il]qi 45. kudurru lā ketti uktadir	37. gave with small (measure) and received with big (measure) 42. he us[ed] an untrue balance 43. he took money that was not due to him 45. he set up an untrue boundary.	37. that he gave with the small measuring cup and received with the big one; 42. who used the adjusted scale; 43. who took silver that did not belong to him; 45. who set a false boundary.	[7] לֹ֣֖א תִּֿגְנֹֽ֔ב׃	[7] Thou shalt not steal.	[7] Do not steal.
47. an-a É tap-pe-e-šú it-te-ru-ub	47. ana bīt tappēšu īt-te-ru-ub	47. He entered his neighbor's house;	47. who broke into his neighbor's house;	[9] לֹ֥א תַחְמֹ֖ד בֵּ֣ית רֵעֶ֑ךָ	[9] Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house.	[9] Do not desire your neighbor's house.
48. a-na DAM tap-pe-e-šú iṭ-ṭe₄-ḫi	48. ana aššati tappēšu iṭṭeḫi	48. had intercourse with his neighbor's wife;	48. who pursued his neighbor's wife;	[10] לֹֽא־תַחְמֹ֞ד אֵ֣שֶׁת רֵעֶ֗ךָ	[10] Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife.	[10] Do not lust after your neighbor's wife.
49. ÚŠ.MEŠ tap-pe-e-šú it-ta-bak	49. dāmī tappēšu ittabak	49. shed his neighbor's blood;	49. who spilled his neighbor's blood;	[5] לֹ֥֖א תִּֿרְצָֽ֖ח׃	[5] Thou shalt not kill.	[5] Do not kill.
52. eṭ-lu dam-qa ina kim-ti-šú úšē-lu-ú 53. qin-na pu-ḫur-ta ú-sap-pi-ḫu 100. ina GIŠ.NÁ ta-mi-i it-ta-til 103. ina DUG.GÚ.ZI ta-mi-i il-ta-t[i]	52. eṭlu damqa ina kimtišu ušelū 53. qinna puḫurta usappiḫu 100. ina eršī tamī ittatil 103. ina kās tamī iltat[i]	52. He ousted a well-to-do young man from his family 53. scattered a gathered clan → 100. he slept in the bed of an accursed person → 103. he dran[k] from the cup of an accursed person	52 who alienated a young man from his family; 53. who dispersed a close-knit family group; → 100. slept in a cursed person's bed; → 103. drank from a cursed person's glass.	[6] לֹ֣֖א תִּֿנְאָֽ֑ף ׃ תִּֿנְאָֽ֑ף׃	[6] Thou shalt not commit adultery.	[6] Do not commit adultery.
75. ina sur-qí MU DINGIR-šú i-me-šu 76. ú-qad-di-šu ú-na-az-zi-mu ik-lu-u	75. ina surqi šum ilišu imēšu 76. uqaddišu unazzimu iklū	75. omitted the name of his god in his incense-offering; 76. made the purifications, (then) complained and withheld (it).	75. who omitted the name of his god in his incense offerings; 76. who did the purifying rituals, but then complained and retracted his god's name.	[2] לֹ֥א תִשָּׂ֛א אֶת־שֵֽׁם־יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ לַשָּׁ֑וְא כִּ֣י לֹ֤א יְנַקֶּה֙ יְהוָ֔ה אֵ֛ת אֲשֶׁר־יִשָּׂ֥א אֶת־שְׁמֹ֖ו לַשָּֽׁוְא׃	[2] Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain	[2] You shall not speak the name of Yahweh, your god, in vain so as to abuse it.