Abstract
The 42-line "hymn" to Marduk at the beginning of Ludlul bēl nēmeqi has long been taken as integral to the entire work. We argue, however, that this hymnic segment differs from the rest of the poem with respect to style, content, and in its portrayal of Marduk as both merciful and punitive. These contrasts suggest that the hymn was affixed secondarily to the poem, primarily in order to emphasize the ultimate supremacy of Marduk. This development may have been influenced by the Mesopotamian genre of šuilla prayers, given the strong structural parallels between the šuillas and the final form of Ludlul.