Golublog: An Anthropology Blog

This text first appeared in excavations of Ugarit in 1962 with a colophon describing it as “‘A Hymn of Baal’s Victory Over The Silverfish”. It bears a resemblance to the ‘crushing of the crawlies’ texts first described by Charpin from Mari, and thus the theme is likely a common one in West Semitic culture. Although some have claimed to identify Qumran fragments that may be reworked versions of this hymn, no definitive texts have emerged

For AKMA, on the zither

How long must I wait oh lord, how long?
how long must I endure the attacks of my enemy?
My enemy hides in a dark place
from a secret place he plots against me
But there is no escape from the lord
the maker of light
Whose light shines everywhere
even the back of my book case

As I enter my office I see them scurrying in fear
hiding beneath the xeroxes
The spines of my books are chewed oh lord
the cover of my copy of Witchcraft, Oracles, and Magic Among the Azande
And I’m talking about a cloth first edition of the full version here

Strike them in your wrath oh lord,
smite them wherever they hide
Smear them as they attempt to wriggle under stacks of ungraded tests
smash those who dwell between the pages
Spare not the juveniles oh lord
the ones who will breed further
The large ones will be destroyed
and the small as well, no matter how hard they are to catch

The wrath of the lord makes the cedars of Lebanon bend
the anger of the lord causes the stacks to shake
It makes the reserve desk skip like a young calf
And the book-ends quiver and tang

But you shall not be angry at your servant lord
you will bless your servants who tend the dust jackets as you command
Fear of the lord is the end of silverfish
And we shall dwell in the house of the righteous forever

Selah!