Dialogue between a Man and His God

[Helena]

The Dialogue between a Man and His God is the earliest known text to address the answer to the question of why a god permits evil, or theodicy, a reflection on human suffering. It is a piece of Wisdom Literature extant on a single clay cuneiform tablet written in Akkadian and attributed to Kalbanum, on the last line, an individual otherwise unknown. It is dated to the latter part of the Old Babylonian period, around about the reign of Ammi-Ditana according to Lambert, and is currently housed in the Louvre Museum. ... It shares much of its style with an earlier Sumerian work, “Man and His God”, a penitential prayer of the UR III period.

Translation at link: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dial...n_and_His_God#

[Mister D]

OK...

[Calypso Jones]

ohforcryingoutloud.

[Lummy]

Written during King Ammi-Ditana's reign of Babylon, approximately 1683–1640s BC.

Anything here look familiar or Bible-like to anyone?

English translation from Wikipedia:

1 A young man was weeping to his god like a friend, constantly praying, he […] his […]
2 His heart was aflame, his toil grim.
3 His liver was grieving from its suffering.
4 He is bent over in suffering; he is prostrate.
5 His toil has become too heavy for him, he has drawn near to weep.
6 He brays like the weaned foal of a donkey,
7 He has got loud in the god's presence, his chief,
8 A bull is his speech, [his] voice two lamenters,
9 His lips bear a lament to his lord.
10 He recounts to his lord the toil he has gone through,
11 The man explains the suffering he is enduring:
12 "My lord, I have reflected within my reins,
13 in [my] heart. I do not know what sin I have committed.
14 Have I [eaten] a very evil forbidden fruit?
15 Does brother look down on brother?
16 [...] has not [...] me, [...] beneath you, the lord of the house of rejoicing [...]
17 ...] there is present for me the lord of justice who decrees [...]
18 [...] may his choice intelligence [...]
19 [...] to guard himself for [...]
20 [...] my [...]
21 [...] [you] begot me and [...]
22 [...] I got distressed [...]
23 [...] like/when [...]
24 my spirit came to an end, [...] of my days.
25 [From] my childhood to my maturity, the days have lengthened
26 ?
27 In [...] of grace you have shown me evil, my lord, you have caused [...] it will be said.
28 My misfortune has increased, it attaches itself to [my] feet, [it has inflicted] blows upon me.
29 You are making the mouth (filled with food) bitter to me, its […] ha become like stinkwort.
30 You have [...], you have muddied the water, [...] since my childhood.
31 ...] the side of the mountain, [...] the ascent has no descent.
32 [...] You have set my feet on the earth.
33 [...] you have made to bear, you have made my [...] care for me.
34 [...] you have filled up.
35 [...] you have heaped up.
36 [...] of my house, my father, the man of my clan.
37 [...] of his slave.
38 [...] his [...]"
39 […] […]
40 ?
41 ?
42 [...] him [...] his [...]
43 [...], he raised him to the earth.
44 [...] with a physician's oil.
45 [...], he [gave] food and his garments.
46 [...], he cheered his spirit.
47 and spoke to him of the relief his good health (would bring)."
48 "Gird your loins, do not be dispirited,
49 the years are finished, the days I filled with toil.
50 If you had not been ordained to life,
51 how possibly could you have suffered the severe malady to its end?
52 You experienced distress, but my [...] is withdrawn:
53 You have borne its heavy load to its completion.
54 People have [...]ed you, but [now] the way is open for you,
55 Your path is straight and compassion is bestowed on you,
56 You who in future days will not forget [your] god,
57 Your creator, and that you are well favored.
58 I am your god, your creator, your help.
59 My guards are watching over you with power for your [protection].
60 I will open for you a place of refuge,
61 eternal life I will provide for you.
62 As for you, unblenchingly anoint the parched,
63 feed the hungry, give water to the thirsty to drink.
64 But he who has cast sorceries, [whose] [...] have [...],
65 May he stare at your food as he melts, flowers down and dis[solves].
66 For you the gate of prosperity and life is open,
67 [...] go in and out of it and prosper."
68 Make straight his way, open his path, may the prayer of your servant sink into your mind.
69 Kalbanum [author]

[roadmaster]

The Dialogue between a Man and His God is the earliest known text to address the answer to the question of why a god permits evil, or theodicy, a reflection on human suffering. It is a piece of Wisdom Literature extant on a single clay cuneiform tablet written in Akkadian and attributed to Kalbanum, on the last line, an individual otherwise unknown. It is dated to the latter part of the Old Babylonian period, around about the reign of Ammi-Ditana according to Lambert, and is currently housed in the Louvre Museum. ... It shares much of its style with an earlier Sumerian work, “Man and His God”, a penitential prayer of the UR III period.

Translation at link: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dial...n_and_His_God#

Ok, what do you think I think of this. I am an open book. In the History thread I put being Baptist. I did this to make sure I informed people who I am. I have never hid my beliefs.

[Helena]

Ok, what do you think I think of this. I am an open book. In the History thread I put being Baptist. I did this to make sure I informed people who I am. I have never hid my beliefs.

I'm a former Baptist. I thought the dating and the translation were interesting, given the correlative texts contained in the Bible.

What are your thoughts?

[Lummy]

It seems to me worthy of inclusion in the OT somewhere. Since it apparently wasn't, that alone makes it interesting. The one-on-One aspect is also interesting.

Just the fact that it was written out is interesting.

[Mister D]

It seems to me worthy of inclusion in the OT somewhere. Since it apparently wasn't, that alone makes it interesting. The one-on-One aspect is also interesting.

Just the fact that it was written out is interesting.

Why?

[Mister D]

This is going to be another one of those "interesting" threads where everyone is afraid to make an argument. lol

[Perianne]

This is going to be another one of those "interesting" threads where everyone is afraid to make an argument. lol

Perianne is not afraid. I have been thinking a lot about this subject.

What if the God thing is all a big hoax?