The book under review contains an edition and study of the Sumerian, Sumero-Akkadian and Akkadian diĝir-šà-dab(5)-ba compositions. These compositions are relatively short prayers addressed to the personal deity of an individual. They emphasize that the petitioner has suffered hardship but is unaware of any sin that he has committed. The petitioner asks his personal god to be appeased and to redirect his favour towards him.
The designation of the compositions as diĝir-šà-dab(5)-ba is conventional and does not do justice to the long and complex transmission history of these prayers. While in the Old Babylonian period they are written in Sumerian and designated as Eršaḫuĝa prayers (“laments for appeasing the heart [of the god]”), they appear in two forms in the first millennium bce: as Sumero-Akkadian Eršaḫuĝa prayers, consisting of the repertoire of the kalû priest; and as Akkadian incantations, grouped together with other similar incantations, mostly designated KA.INIM.MA DINGIR ŠÀ.DAB(5).BA GUR.RU.DA.KAM, “incantations for turning the angry-hearted god”, and belonging to the repertoire of the āšipu priest.
Much of the material, especially from the first millennium bce, was previously published by W.G. Lambert, “Dingir.šà.dib.ba incantations”, JNES 33, 1974, 267–322. But the present book adds much information to these publications, including editions of the earlier materials from the second millennium bce, as well as a contextualization of this genre and a thorough discussion.
The first chapter (I) is an introduction to the diĝir-šà-dab(5)-ba prayers. The corpus (in its three versions: Sumerian, Sumero-Akkadian, Akkadian, as well as Hittite parallels) is described, including its relationship with other genres.
The following chapter (II) presents philological editions of the diĝir-šà-dab(5)-ba prayers. It begins with editions of six very similar Old Babylonian Sumerian prayers, most of which are edited for the first time. Two of these texts are designated in their subscripts as Eršaḫuĝa prayers. Next, Jaques presents three bilingual texts from Nineveh, of which the third is probably designated as an Eršaḫuĝa. In this chapter Jaques also notes a bilingual Eršaḫuĝa text from Mari that was unavailable to her. This Sumero (mostly syllabically written)-Akkadian text, known from two tablets (preserving the two parts of the text), was recently published (along with a score of the parallel texts edited by Jaques) by M. Guichard, “Une prière bilingue inédite de Mari l'art d'amadouer son dieu et seigneur de la littérature à la pratique”, in J.-M. Durand, L. Marti and Th. Römer (eds), Colères et repentirs divins: Actes du colloque organisé par le Collège de France, Paris, les 24 et 25 avril 2013 (Orbis Biblicus et Orientalis 278), Fribourg and Göttingen 2015, 343–76. It should be noted that the text does not contain a genre rubric designating it as an Eršaḫuĝa.
Following the bilingual texts from Nineveh, Jaques edits the standard first-millennium bce Akkadian version, which contains a section that is a translation of the Sumerian version. These texts are designated as incantations (beginning with ÉN, “incantation”).
Chapter III deals with the classification of the prayers. Jaques discusses the various rubrics appended to them, especially DINGIR.ŠÀ.DAB(5).BA, mentioned also in magical and medical texts, and then indicates where these prayers are mentioned in ancient catalogues. She adds a detailed analysis and discussion of the structure (and rubrics) of the Akkadian version.
Chapter IV analyses the literary motifs and religious ideas found in the prayers. The chapter deals with the four main elements comprising the prayers according to the sequence in which they occur, namely: interpellations (i.e. the questions to the god in the introduction formulas to the prayers, e.g. “my god, what have I done?”); protestations (i.e. the supplicant's claim that he is unaware of any sin he may have committed); a supplication; and a demand that the personal god be placated. The characteristic phrases associated with each of these elements are discussed, and Jaques supplies many parallels and similar phrases from other texts and genres.
Chapter V consists of two parts, not directly connected to each other. The first deals with the addressee of the diĝir-šà-dab(5)-ba prayers, namely the personal god. Other genres related to the personal god are discussed, and editions of some of these texts are given. The second part deals with prayers to other gods that are related in various ways to the diĝir-šà-dab(5)-ba incantations. Here too, many editions are included in the discussion.
Chapter VI explores the ritual context of the diĝir-šà-dab(5)-ba incantations. The purpose of the main ritual text, edited in full, is to reconcile the personal god with an individual. The ritual text prescribes the recitation of many of the incantations known from the Akkadian version of the group of diĝir-šà-dab(5)-ba incantations. This chapter also deals with passages from other rituals prescribing the recitation of Akkadian incantations from the same group.
Chapter VII is a discussion of the general tradition and context of the diĝir-šà-dab(5)-ba prayers: it explores, among other topics, the personal god in Mesopotamia. It also deals with the legacy of the religious traditions in the diĝir-šà-dab(5)-ba prayers, which are reflected in the Jewish liturgy of the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) and in Greek steles from Lydia and Phrygia.
The book concludes with an edition by Daniel Schwemer of Hittite prayers aimed at appeasing an angry personal god. These prayers share affinities with the diĝir-šà-dab(5)-ba prayers.
The book is an important contribution to the study of Mesopotamian religion, specifically the study of personal prayers. It presents a very interesting and complex case of transmission, and handles it in a clear and in-depth manner. The author is to be thanked for this important contribution.
