Relevance of Instructions of Shurrupak to Modern Religious Studies: Parallels to the Old Testament

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The instructions of Shuruppak and the Liturgy to Nintud, or the Kesh Temple Hymn, are the oldest surviving forms of Sumerian literature in the world. They both date roughly around Sumerian 2600 BCE (Hilprecht, 1904). The Instructions of Shuruppak is an example of Sumerian wisdom literature. Wisdom literature was intended to instruct on piety, virtue and the preservation of community standards (Buchanan, 2012). The Instructions of Shuruppak is a mixed context of sayings and admonishments by Shuruppak, son of Ubar-Tutu, to his son and future hero of the flood, Ziusudra (Lambert, Milliard & Civil, 1996).

In observation, the book of Genesis, and the chronicle of Sumerian Kings try to illuminate the early history of man, where the divinely sent flood brings about ten successions or generations to an end. The flood wipes out the human race apart from one man, who had been forewarned and thus escaped destruction via a specially made boat. This narrative is obviously reminiscent of the story of the flood in Genesis. In Biblical scripture, Noah is the hero of the flood, managing to save his family as well as the rest of God’s creations by taking a pair of each into Ark. In the Sumerian text, which predates the biblical scriptures, Ziusudra, the Sumerian Noah, is informed that man was going to be destroyed. It is then that he is given the assignment to build a special boat that would save him and his family (Barton, 1937).

The similarities between the narrative about the Noah’s Ark and the Sumerian text are demonstrated by corresponding lines in the different versions: “the storm had swept…for seven days and seven nights” (Powell, 1995), which outlines the ancient Sumerian story of the flood, and “rain fell upon the earth forty days and forty nights” (Genesis 7:12). From this, it can be deduced that the Hebrews were not completely original in their story of the deluge.

The Instructions of Shuruppak can also be seen as the Sumerian prelude to the Ten Commandments that were handed down by God to Moses, as well as to some Proverbs cited in the Bible (Alster, 1974). On the 50^th line of the inscriptions are the words “Do not curse with powerful means” which corresponds to the 3^rd Commandment, while the 28^th line “Do not kill” relates to the 6^th Commandment. The 33^rd and 34th lines “Do not laugh with or sit alone in a chamber with a girl that is married” could be the basis for the 7^th Commandment and lines 28 to 31 “Do not steal or commit robbery” being synonymous with the 8^th Commandment, as is the 36^th line, “Do not spit out lies” and the 9^th Commandment.

Similarly, the lines contained in Proverbs 6:1-5; 7:21-27; 22:26-27; 23:27-28 relate to many of the instructions in the Sumerian text. Lines 19 through 20 “You should not vouch for someone: that man will have a hold on you; and you yourself, you should not let somebody vouch for you” are vividly similar to Proverbs 6:1-5

My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor,

if you have shaken hands in pledge for a stranger,

you have been trapped by what you said,

ensnared by the words of your mouth.

So do this, my son, to free yourself,

since you have fallen into your neighbor’s hands:

Go – to the point of exhaustion –

and give your neighbor no rest!

Allow no sleep to your eyes,

nor slumber to your eyelids.

Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter,

like a bird from the snare of the fowler. (Holy Bible: New International Version, 1984).

In terms of structure, these instructions are framed in an idiom and placed in a discourse setting, which may have signified a familial relationship. This suggestion is supported by other texts, where the idiom is used as a literary device in several Near Eastern instructions. It may have been used to signify a relationship by blood or one between a teacher and his student. Inasmuch as both notions could be true, the father-son idiom is more likely since Sumerian wisdom texts were framed usually as instructions from a father to his son, who is usually named in the text. Since bureaucratic titles were hereditary in Mesopotamia, the blood relationship framed between Ziusudra and Shuruppak is highly possible (Kitchen, 1977).

The content of this Sumerian text suggests that they only have material related to the official class. The advice handed down from Shuruppak to Ziusudra specified the social virtues that were needed to establish order in society. Therefore, these instructions were not only intended or limited to the ruling class but also contained themes that addressed prominent figures in the bureaucracy. As literary works, these instructions were not, however, available to the general public. This was because most of the populace was illiterate, and writing was used to further the bureaucratic and social hold.

The Instructions of Shuruppak is a suitable base for relating with other people in the society as they instruct on such social virtues as honesty and good morals. They instruct on the meaning of wisdom, breaking it down to personal rules for good dealings in order to be well perceived by other members of society. The Instructions also offer importance to piety, and the concept of the deity, the creator or Supreme Being, is given prominence.

References

Alster, B. (1974). The instructions of Shuruppak: a Sumerian proverb collection. Copenhagen: Akademisk Forlag.

Barton, G. A. (1937). Archæology and the Bible. (7th ed.). Philadelphia: American Sunday-School Union.

Buchanan, R. Pop quiz, Jeopardy-style: the Instructions of Shuruppak and the Kesh temple hymn. Web.

Hilprecht, H. V. (1904). The excavations in Assyria and Babylonia. Philadelphia: Department of Archæology of the University of Pennsylvania.

Holy Bible: New International Version. (1984). Grand Rapids: Zondervan House.

Lambert, W. G. (1996). Babylonian wisdom literature. Winona Lake (Indiana): Eisenbrauns.

Kitchen, K. A. (1977). Proverbs and wisdom books of the ancient Near East: the factual history of a literary form. London: Inter-Varsity Press.

Lambert, W. G., Millard, A. R., & Civil, M. (1999). Atra-ḫasīs: the Babylonian story of the flood. Winona Lake, Ind.: Eisenbrauns.

Powell, Barry B. (1995). Classical myth. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice Hall.

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Relevance of Instructions of Shurrupak to Modern Religious Studies: Parallels to the Old Testament

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