The oldest recorded fundamental assertions of existence are found in ancient texts and inscriptions. Here are a few examples from some of the oldest known languages:

1. Sumerian:

• Text: The Kesh Temple Hymn
• Site: Various clay tablets found in Sumer, modern-day Iraq
• Quote: While the text itself is a hymn and not a direct assertion of existence by an individual, it is one of the oldest surviving pieces of literature, dating back to approximately 2600 BCE. The Sumerian language, however, does contain self-referential pronouns that would have been used to assert existence.

1. Egyptian (Ancient):

• Text: The Pyramid Texts
• Site: Pyramid of Unas, Saqqara, Egypt
• Quote: “I am Unas the slayer of the gods” (Utterance 273)
• Context: This is part of a larger corpus of texts intended to aid the pharaoh Unas in the afterlife, dating back to circa 2375–2345 BCE. It is one of the earliest examples of large-scale religious texts and contains assertions of the pharaoh’s divine nature and existence.

1. Akkadian:

• Text: The Code of Hammurabi
• Site: Discovered at Susa, Iran, but originally from Babylon
• Quote: “When Anu the Sublime, King of the Anunnaki, and Bel, the lord of Heaven and earth…gave to Marduk, the firstborn of Ea, the god of righteousness, dominion over earthly man, and made him great among the Igigi, they called Babylon by his illustrious name, made it great on earth, and founded an everlasting kingdom in it, whose foundations are laid so solidly as those of heaven and earth; then Anu and Bel called by name me, Hammurabi, the exalted prince, who feared God, to bring about the rule of righteousness in the land…”
• Context: This preface to the Code of Hammurabi, which dates back to around 1754 BCE, includes a declaration by Hammurabi of his divine appointment to rule and establish justice.

1. Hebrew:

• Text: The Hebrew Bible (Tanakh)
• Site: Various locations in the Middle East
• Quote: “אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה” (Ehyeh asher ehyeh)
• Translation: “I am that I am.”
• Context: This phrase is found in Exodus 3:14, where God reveals Himself to Moses in the burning bush. The Hebrew Bible is a collection of texts written over a period of time, but the Torah (the first five books) is traditionally dated back to around the 6th century BCE.

1. Sanskrit:

• Text: The Rigveda
• Site: Ancient India
• Quote: “अहम्” (aham)
• Translation: “I”
• Context: The Rigveda is one of the oldest known texts in any Indo-European language, composed around 1500 BCE. It contains many hymns where deities or the poets themselves use the word “aham” to assert their existence or identity.

These examples represent some of the earliest recorded assertions of existence in ancient languages. It is important to note that the exact translations and interpretations of these ancient texts can vary, and the context in which these assertions were made is often tied to religious or royal declarations rather than individual philosophical musings on existence.

Sumerian

The Sumerian language, one of the oldest known written languages, used various self-referential terms and phrases in its cuneiform texts. While we do not have direct “I am” phrases that are famous on their own, we do have examples of how Sumerians would refer to themselves in writing. Here are a few examples of self-referential terms and phrases from Sumerian texts:

1. mu-na-ru (I am he/she/it who…)

• This phrase is a cuneiform construction that can be translated as “I am the one who…” or “It is I who…,” often used in the context of royal inscriptions or hymns where a king, a deity, or an individual is described by their actions or attributes.

1. a-na (I/me)

• This is the Sumerian word for “I” or “me,” used in various contexts to refer to oneself.

1. me-en (I)

• Another Sumerian term for “I,” which could be used in different grammatical contexts.

1. zu (you)

• This is the Sumerian word for “you,” used in direct address to another person.

1. e-ne (we)

• This term refers to “we” or “us,” indicating a collective or group that includes the speaker.

1. bi2-in-ti (I said)

• This phrase is an example of a self-referential verb form, indicating that “I” am the one who spoke or said something.

1. bi2-in-du11 (I brought)

• Similar to the previous example, this is a verb form that means “I brought” or “I have brought,” with the speaker as the subject of the action.

Sumerian literature, such as the “Epic of Gilgamesh,” also contains dialogues and speeches where characters refer to themselves using these terms. However, due to the nature of the Sumerian language and its cuneiform script, which often omits pronouns when they can be inferred from the verb conjugation, direct translations that include explicit self-referential phrases like “I am” may not be as common as in later languages.

It’s important to note that Sumerian is an ancient language, and our understanding of it relies on scholarly reconstruction and interpretation of cuneiform tablets. The examples provided here are based on the work of Assyriologists and may be subject to further refinement as our knowledge of the language evolves.

Source: Corcel.io

Stay in the NOW with Inner I Network;

Search

Search

---