The Prayer of Nabû-šuma-ukīn (BM.40474): An Anti-Witchcraft Prayer

In 1999 Irving Finkel published the editio princeps of The Prayer of Nabû-šuma-ukīn and argued that the text provides historical corroboration for the imprisonment of Amēl-Marduk (Evil-Merodach) prior to his brief rule over Babylon (561‑560 BCE). In this study, I evaluate Finkel’s interpretation and argue The Prayer has nothing to do with Amēl-Marduk. It is, rather, a prayer to combat witchcraft that has plagued the supplicant in the form of gossip, slander, and character assassination.