Experts Believe Sumerian Tablets Describe Ancient Ebola

In the nineteenth century, archaeologists unearthed a treasure trove of Sumerian medical manuals dating back over 4000 years. They contain instructions for the treatment of patients believed to be suffering from viral hemorrhagic fevers such as Ebola, Lassa Fever, Marburg Virus Disease and Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever. Although they were discovered quite some years back, many have only recently been translated because of relative difficulties with the translation of cuneiform script. However, the scientists feel confident that Ebola and related hemorrhagic fevers have been infecting humans for thousands of years.

The ancient diagnostic manuals consist of approximately 1000 cuneiform tablets, 660 of which are medical tablets from the library of Ashurbanipal, now preserved in the British Museum. They list disorders organized in sections ranging from gynecology to pediatrics.

Sumerian medical tablet from the Library of Ashurbanipal, listing 15 prescriptions used by a pharmacist.

Before this discovery, Mesopotamian medicine was understood primarily through the texts of classical authors such as Herodotus and Thucydides. Thucydides provided what has been called the first description of Ebola, writing that during the Peloponnesian War the disease showed a sudden onset, saying “persons in good health were seized first with strong fevers, redness and burning of the eyes, and the inside of the mouth, both the throat and tongue, immediately was bloody-looking and expelled an unusually foul breath. Following these came sneezing, hoarseness...a powerful cough...and every kind of bilious vomiting...and in most cases an empty heaving ensued that produced a strong spasm." This, according to a recent article in Emerging Infectious Diseases Journal (CDC), authored by epidemiologists Patrick Olson and Charles Hames of the Naval Medical Center in San Diego, and Abram Bennenson and Nicholas Genovese of San Diego State University.

The Sumerian tablets, however, show a much older genesis of hemmoragic fevers and describe viral hemorrhagic fevers in great detail, most notably, the Ebola virus and even include differential diagnostics at the end of each section. Paleopathologists from the Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, D.C. believe Sumerians may have called Ebola ‘Hand of Sibitti.’ As published in the journal Tropical Medicine and International Health, the tablet reads:  

“If during his illness he does not raise his eyes (and) blood comes out of his eyes, his nose, his mouth, his ears and his penis all at the same time (it is) ‘Hand of the Sibitti.’ (If he has been sick for) 31 days (when this happens) (it is) ‘Hand of the Twin

Gods.’”^1.

Who are the Sibitti?

According to Sumerian mythology, the Sibitti, or the Seven, were evil entities which were half-human-half divine. They were messengers of the Lord Anu and were said to walk on the right side of Adad (the storm god). Sibitti could be seen only at night as they whirled about in the base of Heaven, circling furiously in front of the crescent moon.^2.

These hybrid beings were created by the union between Erra (Negral in Sumer) and the Earth with the intent that he could use them as weapons against humanity. This was particularly useful to the god Enlil, who after the deluge, established a series of measures to limit the growth of the human population, particularly those of the “black-haired” people, whom Anu wished to “annihilate.”

Inscribed on the tablets is a story of Erra, a warrior god of famine, who wishes to destroy all of the humans on earth and have complete dominion over the cosmos. The ruling god Marduk allows Erra to govern with the help of the Sibitti who do Erra’s bidding. Marduk says:

“I (Marduk) rose from my seat and the government (ši-piṭ) of heaven and earth dissolved

 (up-ta-aṭ-ṭir).”^3.

Interestingly, the word šipṭu means ‘governance’ and ‘destruction.’ It is one of the earliest examples of the order out of chaos idea. In the myth, Erra assures that if Marduk leaves his position of power, he will maintain šipṭu, (governing order) of both heaven and earth. What Erra doesn't specify to Marduk is what type of šipṭu he plans to enforce, so rather than maintaining governance, he chooses the šipṭu of destruction. The tablets go on to warn, “He who has not died in the struggle will die in the destruction (šip-ṭi). He who has not died in the destruction (šip-ṭi), the enemy will plunder.”^4.

Following the birth of the weaponized demons, the Sibitti, the gods command them to “blaze like a flame” (kīma dGirri ku-bu-um-ma ḫu-muṭ kīma nab-li). Modern scholars believe this command sealed the relationship between the Sibitti and Erra, primarily because the etymology of Erra’s name is to scorch or char. Another interesting etymological aspect of Erra’s name is the word e-ra-a means copper and the word erû means grindstone. The poem rhetorically asks, “Who chews hard copper (e-ra-a) like leather, who forges tools?” implying great strength on the part of Erra. Further on in the tablets, Erra and the Sibitti go to the top of what they call Mount Ḫeḫe and in a flash of fiery light, raze it off of the ground.

Ultimately, Erra’s motive was to take Marduk’s place in rulership and some scholars have interpreted this to mean that just as Erra and Nergal’s identities fused, Erra is also a reiteration of Marduk.^5. This is a common pattern in the ancient world, so it is logical to surmise that these deities were one in the same, at least in spirit.

Going back to the ancient viruses; when paleopathologists study disease, they are often looking to identify the genetic mutation and evolution of a virus. Understanding how these ancient deities “evolved” or “mutated” may be able to help us better understand the evolution of certain diseases. Another example of an Ebola-related viral strain was known as ‘Hand of Marduk’and is described in the texts as follows:

“If (his) limbs . . . , his epigastrium (has) a piercing pain, blood flows incessantly (from his mouth), his arms are continually weak, depression continually falls upon him (and) his eyes are suffused with blood (it is) ‘Hand of Marduk’; he will be worried and die. If his limbs . . . , his temples are overwhelmed, his throat (looks) skinned, his insides are continually cramped (and) he is sick all day and all night (it is) ‘Hand of Marduk’; he will be worried and die.”^6.

Both ‘Hand of Sibitti’ and ‘Hand of Marduk’ were fatal and the tablets go on to describe bouts of uncontrollable bleeding from the mouth, abdominal pain, cramps, and bloody diarrhea, usually  commencing between the fifth and 10th day of symptoms. Another notable parallel is the tablet’s description of the patient’s throat looking ‘skinned’ which is strikingly similar to the modern description of the throats of victims of modern Ebola.  

How interesting it is, that as the ages of rulership changed, so did the diseases of the day. They did not change drastically, rather, they sort of co-evolved. This is yet another reason why we should never immediately discount the knowledge of the ancients, no matter how fanciful their stories may seem. I will be discussing the Ebola-Sumerian connection in greater detail this evening on Hyperspace at 7:00 p.m. EST on the Dark Matter Radio Network.

__________________

1. Coleman, M., and J. Scurlock. "Lost Medicine: Recovered from the Clay Tablets of Ancient Mesopotamia."

2. Kilmer, Anne Draffkorn. Strings and Threads a Celebration of the Work of Anne Draffkorn Kilmer.

3. Ibid.

4. Ibid.

5. Cagni, Luigi. L'epopea Di Erra. Studi Semitici 34.

6. Coleman, M., and J. Scurlock. "Lost Medicine: Recovered from the Clay Tablets of Ancient Mesopotamia."

Bibliography

Cagni, Luigi. L'epopea Di Erra. Studi Semitici 34. Roma: Instituto di Studi del Vicino Oriente;, 1969.

Coleman, M., and J. Scurlock. "Lost Medicine: Recovered from the Clay Tablets of Ancient Mesopotamia." Tropical Medicine and International Health 2, no. 6 (1997): 603-06.

Daniels, Peter T. The World's Writing Systems. New York: Oxford University Press, 1996.

Geller, Markham J. Forerunners to Udug-Hul: Sumerian Exorcistic Incantations. Stuttgart: F. Steiner Verlag Wiesbaden, 1985.

Kilmer, Anne Draffkorn. Strings and Threads a Celebration of the Work of Anne Draffkorn Kilmer. Winona Lake, Ind.: Eisenbrauns, 2011.

Labat, Rene. Traité Akkadien De Diagnostics Et Pronostics Médicaux. Paris: Academie Internationale D'histoire Des Sciences ;, 1951.

McCormick, Joseph B., and Susan Hoch. Level 4: Virus Hunters of the CDC. Atlanta: Turner Pub. ;, 1996.

Radio Appearance—Just Energy Radio with Dr. Rita Louise

Tonight I will be on Just Energy Radio with Dr. Rita Louise. 

Listen Live, Thursday, August 1st from 8:00PM-10PM EST

You can also call in and listen to the show on your phone by dialing: (786)837-2262  

Belief in the Anunnaki

In much of my research into alternative theories of civilization and archaeology, I often come across the Anunnaki. The Anunnakiis a group of ancient Mesopotamian deities headed by Anu, (Sumerian An) the sky god of Uruk and often symbolized by a horned crown on a shrine.

This group of chthonic deities of fertility later became the Judges, or Watchers of the Underworld. These Anunnaki deities have been popularized in more recent time by the late author Zecharia Sitchin, who proposed an explanation for human origins based on his interpretations of Sumerian creation myths, as it relates to the Ancient Alien/Astronaut Theory.

Many who read my blog and follow my work are likely already familiar with Sitchin and have at least a working knowledge of his theories. If you do not, I would suggest a simple Google search of Sitchin will be enough to give you a general idea.

Widely considered controversial at best, Sitchin's theories are routinely dismissed as pseudoscience and his work has been shown to have many flaws. It may be easy to dismiss his claims; however, it is not so easy to dismiss his conviction. Sitchin was a prolific writer and researcher. Though technically an amateur, he was dedicated to researching the fundamental questions of human origins. He must be at least respected for the level of work and gall he had to allow his creativity to fuel his scholarly quest. 

With this being said, I enjoy Sitchin. I am intrigued by its romanticism and I am supremely interested in the overall themes. However, having studied Sumerian creation myths as well as a variety of other myths with the hope of finding some unifying themes, which I have, I must conclude that the Sitchin account is not something in which I believe. Does this mean it has no value? I wouldn't say that. I believe Sitchin and his predecessors, Immanuel Velikovsky and Erich von Däniken have brought to light some interesting ways of looking at myths, artifacts, and society as a whole. However, just as I wouldn’t take the word of any one professor, I would not accept the word of any one author. I think it is important to expand our thinking and entertain theories even if they seem contrary to our belief systems, or even outlandish. At the very least, it spurs creative thinking and offers counter arguments and new perspectives.

So, my suggestion to anyone interested in theories of Anunnaki as our extraterrestrial creators is to do the research yourself and come to your own conclusions. In doing so, be sure to consider many views, from the most fringe to the most sterile and academic. Allow yourself the freedom of both creative and critical thinking. Don’t stop until you have answered all your questions and have filled in all the gaps. Build yourself a framework of historical variables and don’t succumb exclusively to the methods of hard science or Reductionism.

Cartesian style Reductionism is at the heart of modern scientific thinking. This method of understanding says that complex systems can be explained by reducing them to their most basic and fundamental parts. There are many data points that must be in place for Reductionism to work well, a luxury we don’t often have when looking at history or the archaeological record. While this works to some extent, it is not always the most effective approach when dealing with social sciences.

In history, all variables are, in a sense, dependent. To isolate one as independent is to alter the nature of historical development (Gaddis, 2004). Historical variables are not causal. As a historian, archaeologist, or student of the past, there are only pieces of history with which to study. Each variable is a piece of the puzzle as a whole. There is a valid need to generalize based on the variables and their connections to gain a more holistic view of past events.

This is why as a social scientist, I often favor Holism, over Reductionism. I believe that natural systems and their properties should be viewed as wholes, not as collections of parts. I believe that humanity is an extremely complex system whose function cannot be fully understood by its pieces alone. We need creative dot connectors, including Sitchin and others, to help open our minds to possibilities outside of our own intellectual comfort zones. Even Sir Isaac Newton allowed himself the privilege of entertaining theories which science would surely deem superstitious and based in fantasy.

Do I believe in the Anunnaki? If I were limited to Reductionism or semantics I would say no, not in the popular sense. But in a holistic way, I would say I believe there is some greater truth buried deep within the Sumerian myths, as there is with all myths. By studying these myths, this truth can be realized but by limiting ourselves to romantic ideas, semantics, or the word of authority figures, we will forever be vulnerable to the story-telling of anyone with enough charisma to convince us into complacency.

So for now, I personally need more “proof,” but I am happy to be approaching this question with an open heart, and critical mind. Like many truth-seekers, I am still seeking, but you can be sure of one thing, if/when I come across this proof, you will be the first to know! 

Come to Cleveland and Let's Toast to Ninkasi, the Sumerian Goddess of Beer!

(Photo) Impression of a Sumerian cylinder seal from the Early Dynastic IIIa period (ca. 2600 BCE; Woolley 1934, pl. 200, no. 102 [BM 121545]). Persons drinking beer are depicted in the upper row. The habit of drinking beer together from a large vessel using long stalks went out of fashion after the decline of Sumerian culture in the 2nd millennium BCE.

Want a rare opportunity to taste an authentic style 5,000-year-old Sumerian beer made by using only clay vessels and a wooden spoon? Then come to Cleveland, Ohio on July 13 and we'll have a beer together and toast to Ninkasi, the Sumerian goddess of beer!

In a joint project with the Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago, the Great Lakes Brewing Co. will feature a special presentation on the "Sumerian Beer Project” on July 13. The goal of the project was to create the first known beer recipe referenced in the Hymn to Ninkasi.

According to the brewery, they used only rudimentary tools created by the Oriental Institute and have experimented with different ingredients and methods taken from cuneiform texts of the Hymn to Ninkasi. Rather than using modern stainless steel tanks, the Oriental Institute gave the Great Lakes Brewing Co. ceramic vessels modeled after artifacts excavated in Iraq during the 1930s. Nate Gibbon, a brewer at Great Lakes, said he had stood over a ceramic vat, cooking outside on a patch of grass. The fire that heated the vat was fueled by manure! The batch, spiced with cardamom and coriander, fermented for two days, but it was ultimately too sour for the modern tongue, Mr. Gibbon said. Next time, he will sweeten it with honey or dates.

Obtaining a yeast sample from the Middle East proved to be difficult. The brewers originally enlisted an archaeologist to collect yeast samples during his travels, but he was unable to get the sample past customs. They decided to experiment with initiating fermentation using the bappir (barley bread) as their yeast source. The brewery malted its own barley on the roof of the brew house after asking a Cleveland baker to help make a brick-like “beer bread” for use as a source of active yeast.

Great Lakes Brewing has no plan to sell the beer to the public, as it is part of an archaeological research project. However, it will be offering a public tasting of the final brew alongside an identical recipe made with more current brewing techniques at the World Beer Festival, Saturday, July 13 in Cleveland, Ohio. Hope to see you there! 

More Breaking News on Ancient Sumerian Site

The British team assigned to the site has described what was initially thought to be a large temple as being even larger than anticipated. It has been measured, so far, to be about the size of a football field.

It is extremely unusual to find complexes this old at this scale. Sources are describing the site as Ur’s “administrative center”, dating back at least 4,000 years.

While it’s still early, among some of the artifacts found was a 3 ½ inch clay plaque, depicting a worshiper dressed in a long fringed robe (as shown on the left).

The actual excavation of the site was started last month in a joint collaboration with British and Iraqi teams. There are more foreign teams being allowed in, and more information will soon be available.

Time will only tell what they will discover! I have been making arrangements to speak directly with the officials involved so I will update everyone on this discovery as details emerge.

Stay tuned…