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EN
In this paper we would like to investigate the historicity of Nergal of Cuth in the context of Mesopotamian literature and religion. The deity Nergal of Cuth appears only once in the Hebrew Bible (2 Kings 17:30). He is mentioned among a list of some Assyrian gods, which new repopulated settlers in Samaria “made” for themselves after the fall of the Northern Kingdom. He is mainly perceived as a god of war and pestilence and his name can be explained “the lord of the netherworld”. His cult is mentioned in a prosaic way in the Hebrew Bible. On the other hand, there are many hymns and written texts, praising his glory and might, which support the existing cult of Nergal. His cult is further attested in Greek and Roman cultures.
EN
The various Semitic peoples of the Ancient Near East all embraced similar beliefs concerning the anger of the deities of the underworld. Above all, such an anger was viewed as lethal to both people and to other gods. In the surviving textual sources one can find word-images of the deities themselves, of their demonic helpers, and even of the dead under their orders to devour their victims (gods or people). The anger of the divine rulers of the underworld is not presented as irrevocable, but can be appeased by offering sacrifices and prayers, or by praising particular gods. Some elements of this imagery, though modified to align with a monotheistic background, can also be found in the Bible.
PL
Semici starożytnego Bliskiego Wschodu w sposób dość podobny wyobrażali sobie gniew bóstw świata podziemnego. Przede wszystkim ów gniew miał być śmiercionośny zarówno dla ludzi, jak i dla bogów. W takim kontekście często używanym obrazem jest przedstawienie czy to samych bóstw, czy to ich demonicznych pomocników, czy wreszcie pozostających pod ich rozkazami zmarłych jako pożerających swe ofiary (bogów albo ludzi). Gniew boskich władców podziemia nie jest przedstawiany jako nieodwołalny i można go ułagodzić poprzez składanie ofiar, modlitwę czy też wysławianie konkretnych bogów. Pewne elementy tego obrazu, choć zmodyfikowane ze względu na monoteistyczne tło, można znaleźć także w Biblii.
Mäetagused
|
2012
|
vol. 51
101–112
EN
The current short Sumerian literary text, which was written in Old Babylonian time and which consists of only 16 lines, is a dedicatory inscription. This text was written on a bronze axe that was dedicated to Nergal, the main Mesopotamian god of the netherworld. The text reflects the imaginations of ancient Sumerians and Akkadians concerning afterlife in the netherworld. In ancient Egypt the fate of people after death was decided by the great gods of the netherworld and people could be happy if they had not committed any serious sins. In Mesopotamia life after death in the kingdom of Nergal was quite different from that of ancient Egypt – people suffered under very bad conditions. They were in pain, frozen and hungry, and their drinking water was very dirty. Some other literary texts, such as “Gilgamesh, Enkidu and the Netherworld” also describe these harsh conditions in the netherworld of Mesopotamia. Of course, if a person had donated to gods, especially to Nergal, abundant gifts and offered sacrifices, they might have been given a possibility to drink clean water. Nibrutalu, the author of this text, which was called by researchers “An Axe for Nergal”, dedicated this axe with inscriptions to god Nergal. With this act he hoped to be given the possibility to drink clean water.
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