The Šuilla (Hand-Lifting Prayer)
Hands lifted to a high god: 'I am sick, I have sinned, your servant cries — turn back your anger.'
The shuilla — literally 'lifting of the hand' — is the classic Mesopotamian prayer of personal petition. The worshipper raises their hands and addresses a great god: first praising the god's power and mercy, then laying out their trouble, begging relief from sickness, sin, or the anger of a god, and promising future praise. These prayers were typically embedded in rituals conducted by the exorcist-priest (ashipu). Dignified, intimate, and formally structured, they are among the most moving texts of Mesopotamian piety — the voice of an individual reaching up to a god for help.
Key passages(14)
Incantation: Formidable one, perfect one, son of Namraṣit! Light constantly renewing itself, bringing happiness to the people, discloser of light! Šamaš, bringer of order to the dead and the living, s
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At the command of Anu [... ]. 1. O gods [... ] (Akkadian: O great gods [... ]), who establish shrines, [... ], who decree fates, [... ] (Akkadian: who decree fates, who design [... ]), who put in orde
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Incantation: Nisaba, friendly queen, Creator of god and king and mankind, Net of the Anunnaku, the fierce gods, [ She who reconciles ] the angry god, the angry goddess. [ Let ] me send you to (my) ang
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(Too broken for translation) [... ]... on me. Listen to me graciously [... ]. [... ] accept (my) prayer. [... ]... reward, [... ] Zarpanitu [ in ] my hands... [... ] [... ] to forgive my sins. [... ].
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[ Incantation: ] Strong one, resplendent one, lord of Eridu, Exalted [ prince ], son of Nudimmud, Wise Marduk, one who gives the Bit-Engur cause for rejoicing, [ Lord ] of the Esaggil, trust of Babylo
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[ Incantation: ] Ištar the elevated, she who brightens the (four) edges, Creator of mankind, She who firmly establishes the settlements, Giver of the crown (s) to kings, She who puts in order the lame
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[ Incantation: ] King of wisdom, creator of sagacity, Exalted leader, one worthy of the Bit-Apsu, Competent Ellilbanda, reverently greeted one, Hero of Eridu, sage of the Igigi, Lord of the Engur, pro
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[... ]. May mouth and tongue pray devoutly for me. May... [... ] not [... ]. May anything evil, anything unfavourable not come near me; and as for them, let [ the magical procedures ] of the sorceror
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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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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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[ For the goddess ] Ištar, the exalted lady who resides in the city Ar [ bela,... ]..., who subjugates [... ] Ashurbanipal, who (m) to/for... [... ], (whom) you gave the just scepter, which expands th
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[... ]... [... ]... [... ] will not approach him. You dry (and) pound [... ].... You anoint [... ]... and [... ] reconciling an angry god with him. [... ] juniper (and) the censer [... ] the evils [..
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Lacuna (No translation possible) [... ]... [ he (Teumman) s ] ent insolent words to me. [ During the month Abu (V) — the month of the heliacal rising of the Bo ] w Star — I made an appeal to the godde
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[... ] the god [... ], [... ] a šuʾillakku - prayer to [... ]. [... ] Anu, [... ] a šuʾillakku - prayer to Papsukkal. [... ] exalted [... ]..., [... ] a šuʾillakku - prayer to the Arrow. [... ], the p
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