The ancient city of Harran is located on the west bank of the
Balikh River, a
tributary of the Euphrates, in Northern Mesopotamia.{1} Its’
location is a major crossroad for primary trade routes from
Mesopotamia to the west and the northwest.{2} The city was an
important trade center in ancient times.{3} It appears to be
named after it’s geographic function. Harran is derived from the
Akkadianharranu which means road or caravan.{4} The
Bible
refers to Harran as Paddan-aram which is Aramean for
highway.
{5}
A city by the name of Haran has been continuously inhabited
Since at least 3000 BCE.{6} The city is written about in the
Cappadocian tablets (19th century BC) and Mari texts (19th and
18th centuries BCE). On these tablets it is referred to as a
thriving city. The primary deity for Harran was the moon god
Sin. The city is found in the biblical record of Abraham’s
migration from Ur to Canaan (Genesis 12) and it was visited by
Rebecca (Gen. 24:10-61) and Jacob (29:1-31:21).{7}
Harran was conquered by Sennacherib king of Assyria (2 Kings
19:12; Isaiah 37:12) Ezekiel 27:23. It survived under various
dynasties, Assyrian, Babylonian, Persian, until 1260 when it was
destroyed by ten Mongols. Its’ ruins laid untouched until
1951.{8} In 1951 Dr. D. S. Rice oversaw excavation of the
ancient city of Harran. {9} In the late 1950’s the only
archeological evidence that could be associated with any time
period was found: The ruins Pottery dated the Middle Bronze I
period (2000-1800 BCE). It is believed that the earlier levels
of archeology lay beneath the ruins of a medieval castle and
mosque. {10} They remain unexcavated. Therefore beyond the
information that can be deduced from the pottery there is little
evidence of the inhabitants of Harran except in writings found
at other sites. {11}
However in August-September of 1956 Dr. D. S Rice did make an
important discovery in the pavement (steps) of the mosque. While
examining the ruins of the medieval mosque he discovered some
Babylonian Stele with inscriptions which were dated the sixth
century BC. These stele were turned face down and used as steps
at the North, East and West entrances to the Mosque.{12} The
inscriptions were by the Babylonian ruler, Nabonidus and his
mother during the time of Daniel’s captivity.
There is no archeological evidence of Abraham or any of the
patriarch’s habitation of this city. As has been noted, nowhere,
in Harran or Ur or any other Babylonian city, have their names
appeared in ancient texts.{13}
The date of Harran’s transfer of control from Aramaean’s to the
control of the Assyrians is uncertain. It is known that it was
one of the first distance provinces to move. The community
remained loyal to the king even when other provinces
insurrected. It is the city where the last Assyrian King
attempted to restore his kingdom. Olmstead comments, with the
defeat of Ashur-uballit at Harran, Cyaxares destroyed the last
presence of Assyrian rule and won all northern Mesopotamia. {14}
It appears from inscriptions that sometime around the sixth
century under Nabonidus, vise-a-vie Cyrus, the Babylonians
gained control. Under the neo-Babylonians it recovered some of
its’ former glory. It served as the center for worship of the
moon god Sin for many centuries. According to Adad-Guppi’s
biography, Harran lay desolate (in the possession of the Medes)
for fifty-four years (610-556) until, at the beginning of
Nabonidus’ reign (555-539) a vision informed him that Marduk was
to raise up his young servant Cyrus to scatter the Medes. Out of
obedience to the divine order Nabonidus rebuilt the temple and
committed it to Sin. (CR. Isaiah 44:28-45:1). He further built
centers of worship for Sin in Ur and in Teiba, Arabia. The work
in Arabia moved Babylonian militia to Yatribe (Median). This was
an ominous venture by the king. This act was later viewed as
self-imposed exiling of the king and an act madness. In Daniel
this journey is said to have been a seven year prolongation by
the king Nebakadnezar (Nabonidus’ predecessor)
The Qumran
scrolls redirect the work to Nabonidus. The veneration of Sin
was seen as a forsaking of the national deity, Marduk, in the
eyes of the people. Thus the Marduk priesthood led a rebellion
against Belshazzar, Nabonidus’ son who left to rule in the
capital while Nabonidus was campaigning in Arabia for some ten
of his 17 year rule. The control was then given to Cyrus of the
Persians (539). With his control of all of Babylonia He rang
down the curtain on the last native Akkadian state. {15}
Major Discoveries from
the site:
Description of the
find: In this section I will focus primarily on the Stelae found
at the Harran site by Dr. Rice. The sole resource used in this
discussion is C. J. Gadd’s article in Anatolian Studies.
In August-September of 1956 Dr. D. S Rice made an important
discovery at the Harran site. Rice was examining the ruins of a
medieval mosque when he discovered some Babylonian Stele with
inscriptions dating back to the sixth century BC. The stele were
turned face down and used as steps at the North, East and West
entrances to the Mosque.{16} These are now believed to be part
of a set of four inscriptions that probably once hung at the
doors to the temple of the Babylonian moon god-Sin.
Dr. Rice’s find makes the probable location from which the
fourth had been moved fairly certain. This was believed to have
been removed by bandits. It was found near Harran in 1906 by H.
Pognon. In the ensuing discussion the stele
(below image)
will be referred to as H1.A, H1.B, H2.A and H2.B.
H1.A - stele
found by H. Pognon and believed to be the misSing stele
for the South entrance.
H1.B - stele
found at the North entrance to the Mosque.
H2.A - stele
found at the East entrance to the Mosque.
H2.B - stele
found at the West entrance to the Mosque.
H1 A & B are
inscriptions authored probably uSing an amanuensis by the
Royal
mother of a sixth century Babylonian king, Nabonidus. It is
important to note that both inscription A and B appear to be
copies of the same information. For the complete translation of
the inscription see
(below insert).
1.
I (am) the lady Adda-guppi’, mother
2. of Nabium-na’id, king of Babylon,
3. votaress of the gods Sin, Nin-gal, Nusku, and
Sadarnunna, my deities
5. who, from my childhood, have sought after
6. their godheads. Whereas in the i6th year of
Nabopolassar,
7. king of Babylon, Sin, king of the gods, with
his city
8. and his temple was angry and went up to
heaven-the city and
9. the people that (were) in it went to ruin.
10. (Now) forasmuch as the shrines of Sin, Nin-gal,
Nusku,
11. and Sadarnunna I sought after and was
worshipper of their godhead,
12. (and) that I laid hold on the hem of the
robe of Sin, king of the gods, night and daytime
13. I had ever in mind his great godhead@aily,
without ceaSing,
14. of Sin, gamag, Igtar, and Adda, so long as I
am alive,
15. I (am) their votaress (both) in heaven and
earth. My blesSings,
16. the goodly things which they gave me, I
(too) by day, night, month, and year, gave
(back) to them.
17. I laid hold on the hem of the robe of Sin,
king of the gods, night and daytime
18. my two eyes were with him, in prayer and
humility of face
19. was I bowed before them (and) thus (I
prayed), " May thy return
20. to thy city be (vouchsafed) to me, that the
people, the black-headed,
21. may worship thy great godhead." For calming
22. the heart of my god and my goddess, a dress
of fine wool, jewels,
23- silver, gold, a new shift, perfumes, sweet
oil,
24. 1 applied not to my body, (but in) a torn
shift
25- I went clothed, my goings-out were
noiseless, I proclaimed
26. their praises : the glory of my city and of
my goddess
27. was (ever) set in my heart, I kept watch
upon them,
28. anything good of mine I did not omit, but
carried it (ever) before them.
29. From the 2oth year of Assurbanipal, king of
Assyria, that I was born (in)
30. until the 42nd year of Assurbanipal, the 3rd
year of Asur-etillu-ili,
31 .his son, the 2 I St year of Nabopolassar,
the 43rd year of Nebuchadrezzar,
32. the 2nd year of Awel-Marduk, the 4th year of
Neriglissar,
33. in 95 years of the god Sin, king of the gods
of heaven and earth,
34. (in) which I sought after the shrines of his
great godhead,
35. (for) my good doings he looked upon me with
a smile
36. he heard my prayers, he granted my saying,
the wrath
37. of his heart calmed. Towards E-hul-hul the
temple of Sin
38. which (is) in Harran, the abode of his
heart’s delight, he was reconciled, he had
39. regard. Sin, king of the gods, looked upon
me and
40. Nabu-na’id (my) only son, the issue of my
womb, to the kingship
41. he called, and the kingship of Sumer and
Akkad
42. from the border of Egypt (on) the upper sea
even to the lower sea
43. all the lands he entrusted hither
44. to his hands. My two hands I lifted up and
to Sin, king of the gods,
45. reverently with imploration [(I prayed)
thus, " Nabu-na’id
46. (my) son, offspring of my womb, beloved of
his mother,]
Col. II.
1.
thou hast called him to the kingship, thou hast
pronounced his name,
2. at the command of thy great godhead may the
great gods
3. go at his two sides, may they make his
enemies to fall,
4. forget not, (but) make good E-hul-hul and the
finishing of its foundation (?)
5. When in my dream, his two hands had been laid
on, Sin, king of the gods,
6, 7. spoke to me thus, " With thee I will put
into the hands of Nabu-na’id, thy son, the
return of the gods and the habitation of Harran
;
8. He shall build E-hul-hul, shall perfect its
structure, (and) Harran
9. more than (it was) before he shall perfect
and restore it to its place.
10. The hand of Sin, Nin-gal, Nusku, and
Sadarnunna
11. I. he shall clasp and cause them to enter E-hul-hul
". The word of Sin,
12. king of the gods, which he spoke to me I
honoured, and I myself saw (it fulfilled);
13. Nabu-na’id, (my) only son, offspring of my
womb, the rites
14. forgotten of Sin, Nin-gal, Nusku, and
15. Sadarnunna he perfected, E-hul-hul
16. anew he built and perfected its structure,
Harran more
17. than before he perfected and restored it to
its place ; the hand
18. of Sin, Nin-gal, Nusku, and Sadarnunna from
19. Suanna his royal city he clasped, and in the
midst of Harran
20. in E-hul-hul the abode of their hearts’ ease
with gladness
21. and rejoicing he let them dwell. What from
former times Sin, king of the gods,
22. had not done and had not granted to anybody
(he did) for the love of me
23. who had ever worshipped his godhead, laid
hold on the hem of his robe-Sin, king of the
gods,
24. uplifted my head and set upon me a good name
in the land,
25. long days, years of heart’s ease he
multiplied upon me.
26. From the time of Assurbanipal, king of
Assyria, until the 9th year
27. of Nabu-na’id king of Babylon, the son,
offspring of my womb
28. 104 years of happiness, with the reverence
which Sin, king of the gods,
29. placed in me, he made me flourish, my own
self : the sight of my two eyes
30. is clear, I am excellent in understanding,
my hand and both feet are sound,
31. well-chosen are my words, meat and drink
32. agree with me, my flesh is goodly, glad is
my heart.
33. My descendants to four generations from me
flourishing in themselves
34. I have seen, I am fulfilled (with)
offspring. O Sin, king of the gods, for favour
35. thou hast looked upon me, thou hast
lengthened my days : Nabu-na’id, king of
Babylon,
36. my son, to Sin my lord I have devoted him.
So long as he is alive
37. let him not offend against thee ; the genius
of favour, genius of favour which (to be) with
me
38. thou hast appointed and they have caused me
to attain offspring, with him (too)
39. appoint (them), and wickedness and offense
against thy great godhead
40. endure not, (but) let him worship thy great
godhead. In the 2I years
41. of Nabopolassar, king of Babylon, in the 43
years of Nebuchadrezzar,
42. son of Nabopolassar, and 4 years of
Neriglissar, king of Babylon,
43. (when) they exercised the kingship, for 68
years
44. with all my heart I reverenced them, I kept
watch over them,
45. Nabu-na’id (my) son, offspring of my womb,
before Nebuchadrezzar
46. son of Nabopolassar and (before) Neriglissar,
king of Babylon, I caused him to stand,
47. daytime and night he kept watch over them
48. what was pleaSing to them he performed
continually,
49. my name he made (to be) favourite in their
sight, (and) like
50. [a daughter of] their [own] they uplifted my
head
Col. III.
(Translation of lines1-19 is supplemented from the
duplicate inscription, as rendered by B.
Landsberger, loc. cit.)
1.
I nourished (their spirits), and incense
offering
2. rich, of sweet savour,
3. I appointed for them continually and
4. laid ever before them.
5. (Now) in the 9th year of Nabu-na’id,
6. king of Babylon, the fate
7. of herself carried her off, and
8. Nabu-na’id, king of Babylon,
9. (her) son, issue of her womb, . . . . . . . .
. . .
10. her corpse entombed, and [robes]
11. splendid, a bright mantle. . . . . . . . . .
.
12. gold, bright. . . . . . . . . . .
13. beautiful stones, [precious] stones,
14. costly stones. . . . . . . . . . .
15. sweet oil her corpse he [anointed]
16. they laid it in a secret place. [Oxen and]
17. sheep (especially) fattened he [slaughtered]
18. before it. He assembled [the people]
19. of Babylon and Borsippa, [with the people]
20. dwelling in far regions, [kings, princes,
and]
21. governors, from [the border]
22. of Egypt on the Upper Sea
23. (even) to the Lower Sea he [made to come
up],
24. mourning and
25. weeping he performed, [dust ?]
26. they cast upon their heads, for 7 days
27. and 7 nights with. . . . . . . . . . .
28. they cut themselves(?), their clothes
29. were cast down(?). On the seventh day. . . .
. . . . . . .
30. the people(?) of all the land their hair(?)
31. shaved, and. . . . . . . . . . .
32. their clothes. . . . . . . . . . .
33. the . . . . . . . . . . . of their clothes.
. . . . . . . . . .
34. in(?) their places(?). . . . . . . . . . .
35. they ? to. . . . . . . . . . .
36. at meat (?). . . . . . . . . . .
37. perfumes refined he amassed (?). . . . . . .
. . . .
38. sweet oil upon the heads [of the people]
39. he poured out, their hearts. . . . . . . . .
. .
40. he made glad, he [cheered (?)]
41. their minds, the road [to their homes]
42. he did not(?) withhold(?). . . . . . . . . .
.
43. to their own places they went.
44. Do thou, whether a king or a prince. . . . .
. . . . . .
(Remainder too fragmentary for translation
until: --)
51. Fear (the gods), in heaven and earth
52. pray to them, [neglect] not [the utterance]
53. of the mouth of Sin and the goddess
54. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . .
55. - - -. . . . make safe the . . . . . . . . .
. . of thy seed
56. [ever(?)] and for [ever(?)].
H2 A & B are inscriptions authored probably uSing an
amanuensis by King Nabonidus. It is important to note that both
inscription A and B appear to be copies of the same information.
H1 B and H2 A & B are all mostly readable
accept for the edge of the third column which is illegible. For
a complete translation of the inscription see
(below insert).
1.
The operation of Sin, greatest of the gods and
goddesses,
2. nobody knows it, Since from distant days
3. it came not down to the land, (wherefore) the
people of the land saw it (indeed), but
4. wrote it not on a tablet and set it not
(down)
5. for days to come. Sin, lord of the gods and
goddesses, dwellers
6. of the heavens, (thou art he) who, in front
of Nabonidus king of Babylon,
7. earnest from the heavens. I (am) Nabonidus,
8. who have not the honour (?) of (being a)
somebody, and kingship
9. is not within me, (but) the gods and
goddesses prayed for
10. me, and Sin to the kingship
11. called me. In the night season he caused me
to behold a dream
12. (saying) thus " E-hul-hul the temple of Sin
which (is) in Harran quickly
13. build, (seeing that) the lands, all of them,
to thy hands
14. are verily committed ". (But) the sons of
Babylon, Borsippa,
15. Nippur, Ur, Erech, Larsa, priests (and)
16. people of the capitals of Akkad, against his
great
17. divinity offended, whenever(?) they sought
after (anything) they did wickedly,
18. they knew not the wrath, (the resentment),
of the king of the gods, (even) Nannar,
19. they forgot their duty, whenever(?) they
talked (it was) treason
20. and not loyalty, like a dog they devoured
21. one another ; fever and famine in the midst
of them
22. they caused to be, it minished the people of
the land. But I
23. hied myself afar from my city of Babylon
24. (on) the road to Tema’, Dadanu, Padakku[a],
25. Hibra, Iadihu, and as far as Iatribu
26. ten years I went about amongst them, (and)
to
27. my city Babylon I went not in. At the word
of Sin,
28. king of the gods, lord of lords of the gods
and goddesses, dwellers
29. of the heavens, they accomplished the word
of Sin-Nannar,
30. of Samas, Istar, Adda, and Nergal ; a guard
of (my) safety and life
31. they appointed (to be) with me. In that
year, in the month of Nisannu
32. and the month of Tasritu, the people of
Akkad and of the Hatti-land the produce of the
plains
33. and of the sea received. In the rigour of
summer,
34. the month(s) of Siwanu, Du’uzu, Abu, Ululu,
Tasritu, in these months
35. in all these years without ceaSing.
36. at the command of Sin the god Adda,
lockkeeper of heavens and earth, waters
37. of rain gave them to drink, their property
and possessions
38. in peace they brought before me. At the word
39. of Sin also Istar, lady of battle, without
whom hostility and peace
40. exist not in the land, and a weapon
41. is not forged, her hand(s) over them
42. she crossed(?) and the king(s ?) of the
land(?) of Egypt, the city of the Medes,
43. the land of the Arabs, and all the kings
(who were) hostile, for
44. peace and good relations sent (messengers)
45. before me. People of the land of the Arabs,
who weapons
46. . . . . . . . . . . . of the land of Akkad
47. and . . . . . . . . . . . for
48- plunder and capture of property they. . . .
. . . . . . .
Col. II.
1.
at the word of Sin, Nergal their weapons
2. shattered and all of them he bowed down at
[my feet].
3. Samas, lord of the oracle, without whom a
mouth
4. is not opened and a mouth is not shut,
5. (he), accomplishing the command of Nannar,
the father who created him,
6. made the people of the land of Akkad and the
Hatti-land, whom he had committed
7. to my hands, (to be) of true mouth and heart
with me
8. they kept guard for me
9. they accomplished my command in the seclusion
of tracts
10. far distant and roads secluded which I
traveled.
11. (In) ten years arrived the appointed time
12. the days were fulfilled which Nannar, king
of the gods, had spoken
13. on the I 7th day of the month Tasritu, the
day when Sin vouchsafes
14. his revelation, Sin, lord of the gods, who
on the 1st (of the month)
15. (as) the scimitar of Ann his name invoked
attacks the heavens
16. and shatters the earth—uniting the functions
17. of Anu’s office, completing the functions of
Enlil’s office,
18. occupying the functions of Ea’s office,
19. in whose hands all of every function of
heaven
20. is held, Enlil of the gods, king of kings,
lord of lords,
21. upon whose command they go not back
22. and his word is not spoken twice,
23. with the fear of whose great godhead heavens
24. and earth are filled, like his countenance
heavens
25. and earth are outspread ; without thee who
26. does anything ? A land whereof thy heart has
devised its habitation
27. 28. thou puttest into it the fear of thy
great godhead and for days to come
29. its foundations are secure. (But) a land
whereof thy heart
30. has devised its ruin, the fear of thee from
31. the heart of it thou sunderest, thou
overthrowest it
32. for days to come: of whom all the gods and
goddesses,
33. inhabitants of heaven, observe
34. what proceeds from his mouth, they
accomplish the command
35. of Nannar, the father who created them;
completing
36. the functions of heaven and earth,
without(?) whose exalted command
37. which day by day in heaven
38. they pronounce the land is not founded(?)
39. and there is no light in the land.
40. The gods like ? ? quake and tremble,
41. the Anunnaki who before the command of his
great
42. godhead, which (is) not . . . . . . . . . .
.the mountains
(Rest of column fragmentary and unintelligible)
Col. III.
1.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . with diviners
2. and interpreters I instructed myself (in) the
way, I laid (my hands to it ?)
3. In the night season a dream was disturbing,
until the word. . . . . . . . . . .
4. Fulfilled was the year, came the appointed
time which. . . . . . . . . . .
5. from the city of Tema’ I (returned ?) . . . .
. . . . . . .
6. Babylon, my seat of lordship, (I entered) . .
. . . . . . . . .
7. they beheld me, and. . . . . . . . . . .
8. reconciliation, presents they took to. . . .
. . . . . . .
9. . . . . . . . . . . .the kings (that were)
near
10. came up and kissed my feet
11. and those far away heard it, and feared his
great godhead.
12. The gods and goddesses who had appeared and
were afar off
13. returned back and spoke good for me,
14. and in the oracle of the diviner the organs
were disposed favourably for me. In plenty
15. and wealth and abundance my people in the
distant tracts
16. I spread abroad and in prosperity I took the
road
17. to my own land. The word of his great
godhead I observed,
18. I stayed not, I shrank not, I rested not ; I
let summon
19. the peoples of Akkad and of the Hatti-land
from the border of Egypt
20. on the Upper Sea as far as the Lower Sea,
whom Sin, king of the gods,
21. had committed to my hands. E-hul-hul the
temple of Sin anew
22. I built, I finished its work. The Hands of
Sin,
23. ’of Nin-gal, Nusku, and of Sadarnunna from
24. Nuanna my royal city I clasped, and with joy
25. and gladness I made them enter and dwell in
their lasting sanctuary,
26. generous libations before them I poured out
and
27. I multiplied gifts. The " head " of E-hul-hul
28. I supported, I brought pleasure to the
hearts of its people,
29. I accomplished the command of Sin, king of
the gods, lord of lords,
30. dwelling in the heavens, who, in comparison
of the gods in heaven, his name is surpasSing :
31. (also) of Samas, who is his brightest
(peer), of Nusku, Istar, Adda, Nergal,
32. (those) who accomplish the command of Nannar
33. their surpasser. Wheresoever I put on my
arms
34. (even) to wheresoever (I put them off?), I
have set before me
35. to accomplish the command of Nannar. Whoso
thou (art)
36. whom Sin shall call to the kingship and
37. shall say to thee "O son, my son", the
shrine of Sin
38. dwelling in the heavens (thou shalt seek ?)
39. and his word thou shalt not (disregard. . .
. . . . . . . .
The Stelae are about 2 meters high, 1 meter wide and 20
centimeters thick. H2 A & B have detached semi-circular head
piece which is about 0.93 meters wide and 0.68 meters high.
These sculptured tops depict the king carrying a scepter, a
declaration of divinity, while worshipping three deities,
represented by the Moon, Sun and Venus. The moon is symbolized
by a whole circle with crescent at the bottom, the sun by a disc
with an internal pattern of four points and Venus by a seven
pointed star in a circle. {17} The representative deities are
Sin, Shamash, and Ishtar.{18}
sculpted
top number 1
sculpted
top number 2
It speaks of the praises of Nabonidus’ mother, Adda-Gruppi for
the gods, line 1--27
I (am) the lady
Adda-Gruppi’, mother of Nabium-na’id king of Babylon
votaress of the gods Sin, Ningal, Nusku, and
Sadarnunna, my
deities; who, from my childhood have sought after their
godheads. Whereas in the 16th year of Nabopolassar, king of
Babylon, Sin, king of the gods, with his city and his temple
was angry and went up to heaven-the city and the people that
(were) in it went to ruin. (Now) forasmuch as the shrines of
Sin, Ningal, Nusku and Sadarnunna I sought after and was
worshipper of their godhead (and) that I laid hold on the
hem of the robe of Sin, king of the gods, night and daytime.
I had ever in mind his great godhead-daily, without ceaSing,
of Sin, Samas, Istar, and Adda, so long as I am alive I (am)
their votaress (both) in heaven and earth. My blesSings, the
goodly things which they gave me, I (too) by day, night ,
month, and year, gave (back) to them. I laid hold on the hem
of the robe of Sin, king of the gods, night and daytime my
two eyes were with him, in prayer and humility of face was I
bowed before them (and) thus (I prayed), ‘May thy return to
thy city be (secured) to me that the people, the
black-headed, may worship thy great godhead.’ For calming
the heart of my god and my goddess, ad dress of fine wool,
jewels, silver, gold, a new shift, perfumes, sweet oil, I
applied not to my body, (but in) a torn shift I went
clothed, my goings-out were noiseless, I proclaimed their
praises: the glory of my city and of my goddess was (ever
set in my heart, I kept watch upon them anything good of
mine I did not omit, but carried it (ever) before them. {19}
They were also used
to empower kings for example in column 2,
"When in my
dream his two hands had been laid on, Sin, king of the gods,
spoke to me thus, "with thee I will put into the hands of
Nabuna;id thy son, the return of the gods and the habitation
of Harran. He shall . . ." {20}
Similar claims are
made by Nabonidus himself. In his own testimony he acknowledges
his own non-heridetary rights to the throne and compensates for
this by calling out that it was the god Sin who choose him. It
all seems very perfect for his taking of the throne. A god who
is separate from the priesthood of Marduk endorses him, in turn
Nabonidus endorses that god, the moon god-Sin as the god of
gods. The inscription of this reads
"The operation
of Sin, greatest of the gods and goddesses, nobody knows it,
Since from distant days it came not down to the land,
(wherefore) the people of the land saw it (indeed), but
wrote it not on a tablet and set it not (down) for days to
come. Sin, lord of the gods and goddesses, dwellers of the
heavens, (thou art he) who, in front of Nabonidus king of
Babylon, camest from the heavens. I (am) Nabonidus, who have
not the honour of (being a) somebody, and kingship is not
within me, (but) the gods and goddesses prayed for me, and
Sin to the kingship called me. In the night season he caused
me to behold a dream (saying) thus . . ."(column 1:1-12)
{21}
He further tells of
his reverence toward his god, Sin. The reading is
reminiscent of a Psalm.
". . . in whose
hands all of every function of heaven is held, Enlil of the
gods, king of kings, lord of lords, upon whose command they
go not back and his word is not spoken twice, with the fear
of whose great godhead heavens and earth are filled like his
countenance heavens and earth are outspread; without thee
who does anything?" (column 2:19-26) {22}
