KAR 58
Cuneiform Texts from Assur
Ancient Near East
O Sun-god Shamash, when you enter Heaven’s Interior may the bolt of the clear heavens speak a greeting to you May the doors of the heavens bless you. May the gatekeeper of heaven greet you with favor. May Ningal, your beloved spouse, await you with joy, May she soothe your heart with a shining countenance. May your attendant deities stand ready before you.
Date: 700 BCE (based on scholarly estimates)
Source
Psalm 24:7
Hebrew Bible
6 Such purity characterizes the people who seek his favor, Jacob’s descendants, who pray to him. (Selah) 7 Look up, you gates. Rise up, you eternal doors. Then the majestic king will enter. 8 Who is this majestic king? The Lord who is strong and mighty. The Lord a mighty man in battle. 9 Look up, you gates. Rise up, you eternal doors. Then the majestic king will enter. 10 Who is this majestic king? The Lord of Heaven’s Armies. He is the majestic king. (Selah)
Date: 6th-3rd Centuries B.C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
Source
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Summary
In Psalm 24, the call for heavenly gates to lift their heads has its origins in Mesopotamian tradition, an example being the text designated KAR 58, where the doors to the heavens greet the returning sun-god Shamash. This personification links royal or divine entry to the heavenly, cosmic realm. The imagery may also reflect broader mythic traditions, and eventually became used in later Hebrew tradition for the procession of the ark into the temple.
Notes and References
"... Note also further examples ... The powers of the underworld invoked in Assyrian Medical Texts 32 may be compared with the powers of the gates of the underworld to bless Kaka, the vizier of Anu, in Nergal and Ereskigal and the blessing of the doors of heaven ... 'O Sun-god, when you enter Heaven's Interior (anšà);' may the bolt of the clear heavens say "hello?" May the doors of the heavens bless you.' Note also biblical parallels in Psalms 19:2; 24:7-10; 96:11-12. ..."
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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