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5

and REIS. p. 8, 74 ff.

a-mat-su(e-ne-em) e-liš ina ni-kil-pi-ša ma-a-tú ú-šam-ra-aş a-mat-su(e-ne-em) šap-liš ina a-la-ki-ša ma-a-tú i-sa-ap-pa-ah His word above, as it passes by, smites the land with sickness, His word below, as it marches on, destroys the land;

and REIS. p. 8, 60 ff. (= REIS. p. 4, 18-21):

a-mat-su(e-ne-em) rab-bi-iš ina a-la-ki-ša ma-a-ta ú-ab-bat
a-mat-su(e-ne-em) ra-bi-eš ina a-la-ki-ša bitâtipl) ú-hat-tu:
ma-a-ta ú-šap-kat* [

10 and note also REIS. p. 149 (at bottom):

Marduk] šap-liš i-ķab-bi-ma šap-liš i-nar-ru-[uṭ

ša be-lum a-mat-su ana-ku ana ma-ru-uš-ti ša at-ta-šab [ ] below he speaks, below he trembles

I am the word of the lord, which am set for evil.

15 REIS. No. 2, of which this last is a fragment, is addressed to Bel and has no more to do with Ištar than other Bel hymns. Who the speaker is cannot be learned from the tablet.

Two texts which are important for their bearing on the relation 20 of Ištar to the amâtu (word) of Bel are REIS. No. 56 (pp. 105—9) and IV R. 26, 4. These, unfortunately broken, texts are for the most part duplicates with the difference that the one in REISNER is put in the mouth of Ištar. With these compare K. 257, (ASKT 126 ff.). REIS. p. 106, 64 ff. reads, (Ištar says):

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65

nî ÍL

zi-mu-ú-a ina ša-me-e pu-luh-tum

66 me-lam-mu tur-ra

67 me-lam-mu-ú-a ina ap-si-im

68 me-e e-ne-em azag-mu sa-par gal ZUG-LÍL-LÁ [

ku-mu ni-fb-ne [

nu-ni [

30

69

70

71

ia-u a-wa**-tim el-li-tum sa-pa-ru ra-bu-ú ša ana și-ir zi [
sa-par mah ZUG-LÍL-LÁ-šu [
sa-pa-ru şi-ru ša ana [

35

40

72 I-NE-TE-EN tur-ra HA nu [

73

ina i-ta-ni ša și-ih-hi-ru-tim [

74 ab-ba Ù-UM-MI-LÁ ab-ba [

75 ina ti-amtu ú-šar-ma [

76 sug-ra Ù-UM-MI-LÁ sug [

77 ana şu-şi-e ú-šar-ma [

78 A-MI-A (A-TUR)-UD-KIB-NUN-KI-ka [

79

**

ana a-gi-i Pu-rat-tim

Kat(?) left out by REISNER in p. 8, 63; but see p. 4, 21.

REIS. 55, 12 = EN III, and p. 14, 15

**In the duplicate a-mat-ka.

.פשך

The same ideogram

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87

be-li-ku ana ê-kúr [

that is, My appearance in heaven, my fear [

My glory in the ocean the fishes [
Who lets the bright word, the great net dwell
in the desert of the storm?***

the exalted net in the desert [ ]?
Out of the small meshest no fish escapes. [
In the ocean it sets itself [

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Note also 1. 47/48: sin-niš-tum mu-di-a-at a-wa-[tim] ana-ku,

that is, The woman that knows the word, am I.

IV R. 26, No. 4 reads:

5

10

15

20

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ab ši HU-LUH-HA
tam-tum ši gal-ta-at

30

4 a-mat-ka sa-pár-ra și-i-ru ša ana šamê(e) u irșitim(tim) tar-şa-at

5 a-ab-ba UM-MI-LÁ

6 ina tam-ti ú-šar-ma

*Kad-sú-ti properly masc. pl. to kadištu (kadištu?); GAŠAN-an-na

(il) Ištar

REIS. 99, 40/41; p. 109, 57/58; cf. K. 2004, Rev. 22 ff. and note REIS. 106, 53: harim. tum ra'imtum anâku.

** Biliku

si-in-ni-ša-ku;

Mistress am I, often in K. 257 (ASKT 126 ff.). For the elision of the feminine ending note also REIS. p. 106, 39/40 [nu]--GUB cf. HWB 163a: bi-la-ku 'ein Herr bin ich.'

*** ASKT 128, 7/8 be-li-ku sa-par(?)-ra și-i-ri ina și-e-ri za-ki-ki šur-bu-şa-at ana-ku Mistress am I who lets the exalted net lie in the desert of the storm.

† Cf. IV R. 26, 24/25a ina itanniša ([ ] NE-TE-EN-bi-ta) nûnu ul ușșû; cf. HWB 158b. Itâni ša şiḥḥirûtim small meshes (?).

P. 334.

Or I set myself is possible.

Or pi-it HWB 538b; for a discussion of birit-puridi see KB VI, 508; [cf. above,
P. H.}

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7 sug-ga UM-MI-LÁ

8 ana şu-și-e ú-šar-ma

sug-ga SE-a-an-DU
şu-zu-u i-dam-mu-um

9 A-MI-A (A-TUR)-UD-KIB-NUN-KI-gi UM-MI-LÁ

10 ana a-gi-e Pu-rat-ti

II e-ne-em (dimmer) ŠILIG-LU-ŠAR

12 a-mat (il)Marduk

13 umun za-e maḥ me-en

14

be-lum at-ta și-rat

ú-šar-ma

a-sur-bi ab-LÚ-LÚ
a-sur-ra-ak-ku i-dal-la-ah
a-ba ge-a-DA-DI

man-nu i-ša-an-na-an-ka

that is, From the opening of thy legs (?) who can escape?

Thy word is an exalted net that stretches over heaven and earth.

In the ocean it sets itself, and the ocean is affrighted.

In the marsh it sets itself, and the marsh weeps.

In the stream of the Euphrates it sets itself

The word of Marduk disturbs the river bed.**
Lord, thou art exalted! who is thy peer?
Another noticeable passage is REIS. p. 97, 74/75:
an-ta A-NUN-A KA NE [

e-liš ar-da-tum a-mat i-kab-bi

i. e., Above the maid speaks the word.

ib-BI

20 Though the same word (amâtu) may not be meant, note also ASKT 127, 34: a-mat ki-bi-ti-ia șir-tum mat nu-[kur?]-tum ka-tum ú-ab-bat. In several passages Ištar is apparently identified with the storm. REIS. p. 105, 20 ff.

25

i-ne me-ka gub-ba-mu [

ina pa-an ta-ha-zi ina ú-cu-us-si-ia***

MAR-TE ŠÚ-ŠÚ IL-LA ME-E ŠI-IN-GA-GIN

a-bu-bu ša e-mu-ķa-a-šu ša-ka-a_u(?) ma [ana-ku†

that is, In my standing in front of the battle

A storm (flood?) whose strength is mighty . . . . . am I.

30 REIS. 109, 77 ff. Ištar says:

HU (dimmer)IM-DUGUD††-HU-DIM e im-MAL-a-an [
iş-şu-ra (il)za-a††† ina biti u-ša-ab ib) [

na-am-UŠ-KU na-am-BUR-ra LUB-DUB-ta mu-ra-an-gub

ka-lu-ú ab-ru-tum* ina ti-gi-i iz-za-az-zu-ni

35 that is, I, the storm-bird, dwell in the house [

*

The priest has appointed me a nest in . . . [

Sur instead of ša; HWB 111b.

** Cf. HWB 111b and ASKT 126, 25/26: mê attalḥu ul izáků, The water which

I (Ištar) have disturbed, is not pure.

*** For this ending see 1. 25/26, also REIS. p. 155 (No 56) 8/9. [For uzuzu nuzzuzu see above p. 471, 1. 37

See 1. 31/32.

P. H.]

Cf. REIS. p. 38, 26; p. 107, 9/10.
Beiträge zur semit, Sprachwissenschaft. V.

REISNER reads MI. *A feminine form of abru (HWB 10b).

40

It is possible here to regard DIM as equivalent to kîma, and so the whole as a comparison; still compare (i)IM-DUGUD-HU-DA = Zu HWB 2512.

KING, Tablets of Creation, Vol. I, p. 228/9, 1. 37 reads: a-ku-ku-u-tum ša ana ai-bi nap-hat ša-ki-na-at sul-lu-uk-ti ik-du-ti; and translates: 5 O whirlwind, that roarest* against the foe and cuttest off the mighty.

For the translation 'whirlwind' he appeals to II R. 39; K. 2057, Obv., Col. II, 1. 5 where akukut[um and ašamšutum form one section. And finally** the much disputed passage, REIS. p. 98, 15/16 (= Sm. 10 954, also published AL3, pp. 134—6)

ûmu(mu) (ud-da) ar-da-tum ú-su-um šamê(e) O storm,*** o maid, ornament of heaven, Preceding this, Ištar is called barbaru and nêšu.

In brief then the matter seems to stand thus: Bel-Marduk is the 15 god 'exalted over all'; at times he becomes angry and punishes or brings misfortune upon his people. This he does by means of his mighty word (amâtu). By the Babylonians this 'word' was personified, became an individual thing, it even speaks in the first person in one hymn. The misfortune moreover is caused often by some 20 sort of storm or flood (umu, abûbu, mehû, butuktu, &c.). This was classed with the 'word,' and even identified with it. The 'word' is the storm.' And also because Bel is the author of the storm is he identified with it. Beside this male deity Bel stood the female Ištar. She is his daughter,†† perhaps his wife,††† and in a certain sense 25

* The meaning roarest' for naphat can hardly be right. Napâḥu as an intransitive generally means 'flame up.' REIS. p. 104, 29/30 throws some light on it: (Ištaritum) ina i-ša-a-tum na-pi-iḥ-tim ša el mat nu-kur-ti i-za-an-nu-nu ana-ku; that is, The goddess who rains with blazing fire upon the hostile land am I. The description would suit a thunderstorm.

** Possibly REIS, p. 115, 24/25 belongs here: sin-niš-tum šag-gúm-ma (□) irșitim ú-na-aš [

*** BANKS translates: Willkommen(?) Jungfrau. JASTROW: Rel. of Bab, and Assyria, p. 310: a destructive handmaid. JEREMIAS (ROSCHER'S Lexicon, II, p. 815): 0 Licht! O Magd. JENSEN, Kosmol., p. 489 (cf. also KB VI, 310. 561) translates: 0 Tag, O Mädchen.

Cf. the beautiful line REIS. p. 45, 27/28: inuma šamê u irșitim balû atta šarri, When heaven and earth are not, thou art king (Cf. Ps. 90, 2).

†† E. g. REIS. p. 101, 7—9; ASKT 126, 14 ff.; 128, 71-74, where she is called daughter of Bel and also of Sin.

Rassam Cyl., Col. VIII, 1. 92, where she is the wife of Bel; and Cyl. B, Col. V, 1. 17, where she is his daughter. Cited by JASTROW (Rel. of Bab, and Assyr., p. 205, note 3) who thinks there is an error in the text.

identical with him.* It is committed to her to put the 'word' into execution, to direct the 'storm.' She is never called 'the word of Bel,' but a play on the words amtu (maid) and amâtu (word) suggests this. On the other hand she is, like Bel, identified with the storm.

5 It is not my intention here to discuss the Babylonian religion. I do not think that what I have just written is proved. But the passages I have cited do suggest this interpretation; and it may be of service in the further study of these texts. One thing must be carefully examined: how much of these hymns is purely figurative, 10 and how much is a statement of the real belief of the Babylonians. This, with the problems whether all the divine names refer to one god and one goddess; how much the hymns have changed in the course of centuries, and why, are questions which must all be investigated in connection with the political and religious development 15 of the country, before we can come to any firm conclusion concerning the Babylonian religion.

Notes on Fragment a.

L. 12 šamu-lu. The hymns or paragraphs in the REISNER collection often begin with ša, e. g. p. 1, margin (cf. REIS. p. 150, 20 above, with p. 6, above) ša ki-ma ûmu(mu) šur-šú-du ki-rib-ša la a-te-e;** p. 2, 39: ša ša-di-i a-mat-su (cf. 11. 40-48); p. 11, 2: ša (il) A-nim kab-tu ša-ķa[-tu a-mat-su]; p. 16, 6/7 ša be-li a-mat-su; also p. 17, Rev. 3; p. 18, 2. 4; p. 30, 16. 18; p. 130, 2: ša be-lum su-pur-šu mar-și-iš i-dam-mu-um. In none of these places is a represented 25 in the Sumerian.*** What its force is in our line is doubtful. The Sumerian mu-lu favors the interpretation 'which is cry.' şirli sart frequently in these tablets, also DUB(DI) = şirhu: pp. 80, 17/18; 110, 31/32; 128, 21/22. It appears always to denote a cry of woe from mankind. When the howling of the storm is meant we

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On p. 7, 1/2 however is the Sumerian

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