ll one, and does not, indeed,
carry with it the implication of changed or higher religious
conceptions. While the incantation texts in their entirety may be
regarded as the oldest _fixed_ ritual of the Babylonian-Assyrian
religion, there were occasions even in the oldest period of Babylonian
history when the gods were approached in prayer without the
accompaniment of magic formulas. Such occasions were the celebration of
festivals in honor of the gods, the dedication of temples or of sacred
statues, and the completion of such purely secular undertakings as the
building of a canal. Gudea, we are told, upon completing a statue to his
god Nin-girsu, prayed: 'O King, whose great strength the land cannot
endure (?); Nin-girsu! grant to Gudea, who has built this house, a good
fate.'[416] As in the earliest, so in the latest, period, the Babylonian
kings approach the gods in prayer upon completing their great sacred
edifices. The prayers of Nebuchadnezzar are particularly
fine--remarkable, indeed, for their diction and elevation of thought.
Upon completing the restoration of a temple to Nin-karrak or Gula in
Sippar, he prays:[417]

Nin-karrak, lofty goddess, look with favor upon the work of my hands,
Mercy towards me be the command of thy lips,
Long life, abundance of strength,
Health, and joy, grant to me as a gift.
In the presence of Shamash and Marduk cause my deeds to be regarded
with favor,
Command grace for me.

A prayer of the same king addressed to Shamash, upon restoring the great
temple at Sippar, E-babbara, runs:[418]

O Shamash, great lord, upon entering joyfully into thy glorious temple
E-babbara,
Look with favor upon my precious handiwork,
Mercy towards me be thy command;
Through thy righteous order, may I have abundance of strength.
Long life, and a firm throne, grant to me.
May my rule last forever!
With a righteous sceptre of blissful rulership,
With a legitimate staff, bringing salvation to mankind, adorn my
sovereignty forever.
With strong weapons for the fray, protect my soldiers;
Then, O Shamash, by oracle and dream, answer me correctly!
By thy supreme command, which is unchangeable,
May my weapons advance, and strike and overthrow the weapons of the
enemies.

Nebuchadnezzar's inscriptions are characterized by the prayer with which
they almost invariably close. Whether erecting a sanctuary or building a
canal or improving the walls of Babylon,