Before the Muses: An Anthology of Akkadian Literature

2-volume set. Contains annotated translations of over 300 Babylonian and Assyrian literary compositions. Among these works are compositions otherwise unavailable in English, previously unpublished, or incorporating newly discovered fragments. Among the compositions included are: Epic of Creation; Descent of Ishtar to the Netherworld; Atrahasis; Tukulti-Ninurta Epic; Adapa and the South Wind; Adapa and Enmerkar; Etana; Anzu; The Babylonian Theodicy; The Dialogue of Pessimism; The Birth Legend of Sargon of Akkad; The Gilgamesh Letter; Dialogue between a Man and His God; The Poem of the Righteous Sufferer; A Sufferer's Salvation; Wisdom of Ugarit; Sumero-Akkadian Wisdom and Proverbs; Proverbs from Letters; Pious Scholar; The Netherworld Vision of an Assyrian Prince; Agushaya Poem; Sargon King of Battle; The Cuthaean Legend of Naram-Sin; Nergal and Eresh-kigal; Shulgi Prophecy; Agum-kakrime and the Return of Marduk; Nebuchadnezzar and Marduk; Marduk Prophecy; Antiochus Soter to Nabu; Advice to a Prince; The King of Justice; In Praise of Babylon; Erra and Ishum; The Poor Man of Nippur; Lament for Tammuz; To Calm a Baby; To Recapture a Runaway Slave; To Secure Brisk Trade at a Tavern; Love Lyrics of Nabu and Tashmetu; Elegy for a Woman Dead in Childbirth; Incantations against Disease; Acrostic Hymn to Marduk; Prayers for Kings and Gods.