Hittite Prayers (Writings from the Ancient World)

The two dozen royal prayers translated in this volume are grouped in chronological and thematic order: from the earliest invocations and the first personal prayers of the early Hittite Empire (Kantuzili), through the elaborate prayers of Mursili II and Muwatalli II, to the markedly "political" prayers of Hattusili III and his queen Puduhepa. Besides a rich source for Hittite theology and literary styles, these prayers contain important, sometimes even singular, historical information missing from the usual types of historiographic writing. Babylonian and Hurrian prototypes influenced the early development of the genre, but it soon developed its own creative style, which may also serve as an additional source of comparison with biblical prayers.