Counting Lines in Erra

Abstract

This article utilizes line counting—in the sense both of noting a line’s number within a tablet and of delineating sections of text thematically and hypothesizing as to the significance of and symmetries between their lengths—to shed light on the structure and meaning of the Babylonian poem Erra and Išum. It puts forward three arguments: First, line counting indicates conspicuous roles in the text for the numbers five and fifty; second, line counting reveals symmetrical structures in Erra; and third, line counting indicates the construction of Erra’s first tablet to be in line with prior insights regarding the importance of halfway points in Akkadian poetry, indicating that it has structural similarities to other great Akkadian epics.