The Poem of The Righteous Sufferer is a Mesopotamian poem about the unjust suffering of a suffering man. The Poem is small, consisting of nearly 500 lines, and written in Akkadian. It is relevant to its time of creation because, by the 13th century B.C., people had already begun to understand the need for moral foundations. The story is told in the first person, who honors his gods, but suffers from many illnesses. The Poem is a kind of reflection of alienation from the divine, drawing attention to injustice and the problem of morality. In this regard, the Poem of the Righteous Sufferer allows the historical community to explore ancient Mesopotamia’s cultural values and social attitudes.
First and foremost, the Poem is seen as one of the beginnings of the biblical narratives of the Old Testament. The fall of man and his repentance are essential elements of the Poem. In terms of its cultural contribution, it is crucial to understand the Babylonians’ view of the divine. Awareness becomes the companion of the Poem’s protagonist, and he realizes that not all the good that happens to him is good to God. His lamentations are seen as a prayer complaint against the injustice accompanying a man, no matter how much wealth he possesses.
The source demonstrates how people’s consciousness and doubts about life’s value have been transformed. This cultural heritage shows that a righteous lifestyle does not mean good treatment from the deities. Possible injustice significantly affects society, so the protagonist laments, “the persecutor persecutes me day in and day out,” without understanding what he deserves it for (Poem of the righteous sufferer). Even the healing of his troubles does not make him happy, and he thinks that “the grave is near, the shroud is ready for me” because he has already once confronted God’s will (Poem of the righteous sufferer). The culture of the time forced the man to hope for the best, even though the deities did not explain their decisions.
The social problems in the Poem are revealed as a set of attitudes followed by the protagonist. He considers “the joy of the heart” the days of honoring God, glorifying the king, and striving for the state’s prosperity (Poem of the righteous sufferer). In his figure, one can discern the image of the man of antiquity, who, through suffering, goes through the hard way of life. The sufferer’s experience, adherence to tradition, and established social principles received moral merit. These merits can be seen as a justified hope, and with this knowledge, we can understand why biblical motifs originated in Babylon. The social reality was that divine grace could be earned only by hope and faith.
Based on the source, one can appreciate how the man was tightly bound to society. The protagonist speculates about fate and its volatility, trying to understand why good deeds and praise of God have not brought him grace. He wonders why just laws and rewards do not accompany good people (Poem of the righteous sufferer). Thus, the overall social mood of the Poem is restless and unknown: the reasons why the gods send misfortune to society remain unspecified and unknown.
The Poem of the Righteous Sufferer thus reveals the issues of culture and society that existed in the middle of the second decade B.C. The cultural precepts of society gradually changed from complete trust in deities to an understanding of the necessity of morality. Human consciousness at that time was transformed, and hope for the best was the companion. Society’s social attitudes are expressed through the main character’s rituals: honoring God and praising the king. The hope for the best was only fulfilled through the execution of these rituals.
Reference
Poem of the righteous sufferer. (n.d.). Gateways to Babylon. Web.