Fate, Destiny & the Allotted Lot
Each life came with a 'lot' the gods had fixed — yet a decree, unlike blind fate, can be read in advance and begged to change.
Mesopotamians believed each person and thing received a 'destiny' (shimtu) — a lot decreed by the gods that shaped one's character, station, and the day of one's death. To 'go to one's fate' was an idiom for dying. Yet destiny was not blind fate: it was a decree, issued by gods who could in principle confirm, postpone, or alter it, and which the diviner might read in advance and the worshipper might plead to change. This tension — between a fixed allotment and a divine decree open to appeal — runs through the whole of Mesopotamian piety, divination, and prayer.
Key passages(20)
Nam-zid-tara walked by Enlil, who said to him: Where have you come from, Nam-zid-tara? From Enlil's temple. My turn of duty is finished. I serve at the place of the gudug priests, with their sheep. I
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An adab to An for Ur-Ninurta (Ur-Ninurta E)
An the powerful, great among the gods, An the respected, brilliantly manifest god! In fixing a great fate for the king, An has laid his hand truly upon Ur-Ninurta. barsud. As he passes, alone, as fa
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Lacuna of about 5 or 6 lines [ governor of B ] abylon, king of [ the land of Sumer and Akkad; grands ] on of Sennacherib, [ great ] kin [ g, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria; de ] scen
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A šir-namgala to Ninisina for Lipit-Eštar (Lipit-Eštar E)
He told her, Ninisina, the great daughter of An, the great daughter-in-law, ……: That Lipit-Eštar should be your provider -- so let it be! Šagbatuku. Ninisina (?) paid attention to Enlil's utterance.
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…… shining ……. He spoke to her tenderly ……: He will accomplish precisely the fate determined for him. Your father holy An will make his branches spread as if he were a sappy cedar planted among hašur
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A šir-namgala (?) to Inana for Ur-Ninurta (Ur-Ninurta A)
……, when she augustly appears, no one can keep pace with her, …… glowing in the night, …… with awe-inspiring splendour. The great gods are filled with fear at her ……. Her …… utterances are as grand as
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A praise poem of Sîn-iddinam (Sîn-iddinam A)
…… who respects ……. Sîn-iddinam …… his departing boat. He provided flour, gold and grain, befitting the great lady. …… this choice (?) grain, …… the lapis lazuli E-kur. He transported this cargo to t
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The king sailed to Unug towards the princely divine powers. Sumer and Akkad marvelled at him as he moored the boat at the quay of Kulaba. With a large wild bull of the mountains with uplifted horns, a
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Shepherd, called by name, for whom holy An has determined in heaven a great destiny! Rīm-Sîn, called by name, for whom holy An has determined in heaven a great destiny! Prince who achieved kingship wh
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A prayer to Enki for Ḫammu-rābi (Ḫammu-rābi B)
May Lugal-Šubur place on your head the desert crown of kingship! May Enki, the lord of life, …… life, and in the E-unir, the house of the plans of heaven and earth which rides upon all the divine powe
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A prayer to Nanna for Rīm-Sîn (Rīm-Sîn G)
May Lord Nanna, king of heaven and earth, your good protective deity, accept the holy food offerings that you prepare, and the holy pure drink offerings that you proffer with holy hands; the sacrifice
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An adab to Enlil for Būr-Suen (Būr-Suen B)
…… who alone surpasses heaven and earth, the exalted one, prominent among the Anuna gods, whose utterances cannot be overturned! Nunamnir, whose decisions cannot be altered, proud one imbued with terr
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Lacuna [... I allowed... to dw ] ell (as safely) as if on a meadow [... te ] rror in the steppe [... ]... well-being (5´) [... who ] constantly [ a ] chieves his heart’s wish [... ] s, birds, and fish
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(If there is a solar eclipse) on the 17th day: [... ]. (If) on the 18th day (or) the [ nth ] day: [... ]. (If) on the 19th day: a king will die in that year. [... ]. (If) on the 20th day: the king of
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A prayer to Asarluḫi for Ḫammu-rābi (Ḫammu-rābi D)
…… the reverent one, who takes care ……, (The gods are addressed:) Give him the sceptre ……! …… the name of Babylon, the city of lordship! Make the king pre-eminent in the world ……! O Asarluḫi, …… dest
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An adab to Ninurta for Ur-Ninurta (Ur-Ninurta C)
Hero, terror-inspiring dragon of exceptional fearsome terror, powerful Ninurta! Rising hurricane, ……, mighty possessor of august strength, who lets no foreign land escape! Fitted for heroism from the
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A prayer to Nanna for Rīm-Sîn (Rīm-Sîn E)
……, who is fitted for holy lustration rites, Rīm-Sîn, purification priest of An, who is fitted for pure prayers rites, whom you summoned from the holy womb ……, has been elevated to lordship over the L
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A tigi to Enki for Ur-Ninurta (Ur-Ninurta B)
Lord of complex divine powers, who establishes umderstanding, whose intentions are unfathomable, who knows everything! Enki, of broad wisdom, august ruler of the Anuna, wise one who casts spells, who
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An adab to Nanna for Išme-Dagan (Išme-Dagan M)
…… what he orders is faithfully executed, …… endowed with beauty in the E-kur, …… among the great gods, the great and august lord …… in the heavens, …… whose seat (?) no other god ……! August ……, lord
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[... ] the great gods provided the power of Ellil with the breath of humanity and set up its (humanity's) sayings to accompany it constantly: (If he says) " I shall die!": he will not die. (If) " I sh
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