Epics of Sumerian Kings
The Matter of Aratta
Series: - SBL - Writings from the Ancient World, Volume: 20
Author:
Editor:
Epics of Sumerian Kings presents for the first time both the authoritative Sumerian text and an elegant English translation of four epics which are major works in the Sumerian literary canon and the earliest epics known in any language. The epics revolve around the conflict between the cities of Uruk (biblical Erech) in ancient Iraq and Aratta in neighboring Iran. The introduction discusses the intellectual and cultural context of the epics, their poetics and meaning, and the significance of the cycle as a whole. The volume will interest scholars and students of Assyriology and of the ancient Near East, biblical scholars, and general readers, and will be an invaluable resource for courses on ancient Near Eastern literature or history.
Paperback edition is available from the Society of Biblical Literature (www.sbl-site.org)
Paperback edition is available from the Society of Biblical Literature (www.sbl-site.org)
Herman Vanstiphout is Associate Professor in the Department of Languages and Cultures of the Middle East at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands.
Introduction
General
The Stories
Time and Space
Actors
Intention and Message
Structure and Style
The Literary Context
Texts, Authors, and Public
Concluding Remarks
About This Book
I. Enmerkar and Ensuhgirana
Introduction
Composite Text
Translation
II. Enmerkar and the Lord of Aratta
Introduction
Composite Text
Translation
III. The Lugalbanda Poems
Introduction
Lugalbanda in the Wilderness
Introduction
Composite Text
Translation
The Return of Lugalbanda
Introduction
Composite Text
Translation
Bibliography
Glossary
General
The Stories
Time and Space
Actors
Intention and Message
Structure and Style
The Literary Context
Texts, Authors, and Public
Concluding Remarks
About This Book
I. Enmerkar and Ensuhgirana
Introduction
Composite Text
Translation
II. Enmerkar and the Lord of Aratta
Introduction
Composite Text
Translation
III. The Lugalbanda Poems
Introduction
Lugalbanda in the Wilderness
Introduction
Composite Text
Translation
The Return of Lugalbanda
Introduction
Composite Text
Translation
Bibliography
Glossary