Hymn: Did you mean...?

The Hymn to Nisaba (c. 3rd millennium BCE) is a poem praising Nisaba, the Sumerian goddess of writing and accounts who also served as scribe of the gods. The poem is officially dedicated to Enki, the god of wisdom (sometimes given as her...

The Hymn to Nungal (c. 2000-1600 BCE) is a Sumerian poem praising Nungal, the goddess of prisons and rehabilitation (also associated with the underworld), as well as the prison house she presided over. The piece, also known as Nungal A, was...

The Kesh Temple Hymn (c. 2600 BCE) is the oldest work of literature in the world, sometimes referenced as the oldest extant religious poem. It is a Sumerian praise song to the goddess Ninhursag and her temple in the city of Kesh, composed...

The Hymn to Inanna (also known as The Great-Hearted Mistress) is a passionate devotional work by the poet and high priestess Enheduanna (l. 2285-2250 BCE), the first author in the world known by name. The poem is significant as one of the...

The Hymn to Ninkasi is at once a song of praise to Ninkasi, the Sumerian goddess of beer, and an ancient recipe for brewing. Written down in c. 1800 BCE, the hymn is no doubt much older as evidenced by the techniques it details which scholars...

Hymn to Nungal, a Sumerian poem dated to the Old Babylonian Period (c. 2000-1600 BCE), owing to the number of copies found from that era, but possibly composed during the Ur III Period (2047-1750 BCE). Exhibit in the Oriental Institute Museum...

This hymn to the goddess Ishtar is written in Sumerian; after every line in Sumerian, the text is translated in Akkadian. Such translations have been invaluable to modern scholars. They reflect how the Sumerian language had become difficult...

Kesh Temple Hymn, Old Babylonian clay tablet, c. 1800-1600 BCE. The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore.

This is the recto of a double hymn, written on papyrus, with double vowels for musical purposes. This one mentions the Baptism of Jesus in Jordan. The order of the words follows the gospel of John. From Egypt, precise provenance is unknown...

Transcript was put into the Closed Captions so turn it on and read along! The Kesh Temple Hymn is tied with the Instructions of Shuruppak, as the oldest surviving writing. And luckily this ancient Sumerian text is in such such good shape...