From the sixth door he brought her out, and gave her back the pendants of her ears, 45 From the seventh door he brought her out, and gave her back the great crown of her head. "If she do not accord her deliverance to thee, turn thy face to her,' To Tammuz, beloved of her youth,2 Pour out pure waters, offer good oil. With a red garment clothe him, let him play upon a flute of lapis-lazuli 50 Let the maidens of joy, their mind [. [When] Belili,3 the treasure [. . .] With precious stones her bosom is filled Belili heard the wailing of her brother, Belili smote the treasure which [. .] The precious stones she arranged [in] her sanctuary. 55 "My only brother disgrace me not, In the days of Tammuz play for me on the flute of lapis-lazuli, on the ring of jade (?), play with him, 1 The meaning of the line is in itself uncertain, and its connection with what precedes obscure. Jensen supposes that something has fallen out of the text, but there is no clear evidence in support of this. The difficulty may be due to our inability so to understand the words as to supply mentally the gaps which the interpretation requires. The lines from here to the end are obscure. Belili is the sister of Tammuz. šeš-šu bâbu u-še-si-ši-ma ut-te-ir-ši in-șa-ba-te ša uznâ-[ša] 45 sibu-u bâbu u-še-si-ši-ma ut-te-ir-ši a-gu-u ra-ba-a ša kaķ[ķadi-ša] šum-ma nap-ti-ri-ša la ta-ad-di-nak-kam-ma a-na ša-ša-ma tir-r[a [panû-ka] a-na (ilu) Dumu-zi ha-mir și-ih-ru-[ti-ša] mê el-lu-ti ra-am-me-ik šamnu țâbu rum-[mi-ik] ṣubâtu hušša-a lu-ub-bis-su malil (abnu) ukni lim-baş [. 50 [(sinn]ištu) šam-ha-te li-na-'-a kab-ta-a[s-si-na] ] (ilu) Be-li-li šu-kut-ta ša u-šak-[li-lu] [(ab]nu(?)) énâ-te ma-la-a bir-k[a-a-ša] ik-kil a-hi-ša taš-me tam-ha-aş (ilu) Be-li-li šu-kut-ta ša [. 55 a-hi e-du la ta-hab-bil-an-[ni] ina û-me (ilu) Dumu-zi el-la-an-ni malîl (abnu) uknî šemiru (abnu) sâmti it-ti-šu el-la-an-ni When, with him, the wailers, male and female, do play 1 This poem is part of a ritual said at a sacred meal for the souls of the dead. it-ti-šu el-la-an-ni (amêlu) bâkû-ti u (sinništu) bâkâti VIII. NERGAL AND ERESHKIGAL1 When the gods prepared a feast, To their sister Ereshkigal They sent a messenger: "Even if we should descend to thee, 5 Thou wouldst not come up to us, Therefore send (hither) and take thy portion." (lit. food) Ereshkigal sent Namtar, her messenger. Namtar went up to the high heaven And entered [. .] the gods were talking, 10 They [. The messenger of their great sister. 1 The myth has come down to us on two fragments found in 1887 at Tell-el-Amarna, Egypt. One piece is in the British Museum, and was published by Bezold and Budge, The Tell-el-Amarna Tablets in the British Museum, No. 82. The other is in the Berlin Museum, and was published by Winckler and Abel, Der Thontafel fund von El-Amarna, No. 240. Compare J. A. Knudtzon, Beiträge zur Assyriologie, iv, pp. 130ff. It is translated by Jensen in the Keilinschriftliche Bibliothek, vi, 1, pp. 74ff.; by Ungnad in Gressmann, Altorientalische Texte und Bilder, i, p. 69f.; and by Knudtzon, Die El-Amarna Tafeln, No. 357. Knudtzon is now persuaded that the two tablets were originally one. See further on the contents Zimmern in Schrader's Keilinschriften und das Alte Testament, p. 583f.; and Weber, Die Literatur der Babylonier und Assyrer. Ereshkigal, goddess of Hades, cannot leave her post, therefore the gods above offer to permit her share in the feast to be sent to her. i-nu-ma i-lu iš-ku-nu ki-e-ri-s-ta a-na a-ba-ti-šu-nu E-ri-eš-ki-i-ga-a-al iš-pu-ú-ru ma-a-ar ši-i-ip-ri ni-i-nu ú-lu nu-ur-ra-da-ak-ki 5 ù at-ti ul ti-li-in-na-a-ši šu-ú-up-ri-im-ma li-il-gu-ú ku-ru-um-ma-at-ki iš-pu-ra-am-ma E-ri-iš-ki-i-ga-al nam-ta-a-ra šu-uk-ka-la-ša 10 ú-pa-r[a i-dab-blu-bu-ma i-la-nu ] ru-[ú] Nam-ta-a-ra ma-ar ši [i-ip-ri-im a-ba-ti]-šu-nu ra-a-a-bi-i-ti [A number of lines here are illegible, and some are missing altogether. It is, however, easy to divine from what follows that they contained substantially the following. When Namtar entered the hall of the great gods and all arose to receive him with honor, Nergal remained seated. Namtar reported the discourtesy to Ereshkigal, who interpreted it as a slight to her, and sends him back to the gods with a threat of vengeance, -she will kill the offender.] Saying: "To the god who did not arise before my Bring to him this message, I will kill him." The gods called him; they spoke with him, Namtaru counted them; a god was missing in the rear. [. . .] to Ereshkigal. He weeps [. .] 25 a-li-ik [u] a-ha-a-ti [. [...] me [. .] şi-i-[is-ma] bil-e-ia um-ma i-li ša i-na pa-ni ma-ar ši-ip-ri-ia la-a it-bu-[ú] im-nu-šu-nu-ti-ma Nam-ta-ru i-lu ar-ku-ú gu-bu-uh [a-mu]r [ill-la-ak Nam-ta-a-ru [iš-ku-un ti]-e-im-šu li-i-ki a-na E-ri-iš-ki-gal i-ba-a[k .. an-[nl . 45 Or life to me. I should not have had fear, [Ea To go with thee: [.. ba, Mutabriku,] Bê[nnu, Şîdanu, Mikit, Bel-upri] 50 Ummu, [Libu With thee [shall they go. When Nergal came to the] door Of Erishkigal, he called, "Porter. thy door [. . . unlock] I would enter before thy lady Erishkigal. I am sent. The porter went away. 55 He said to Namtaru, "A god is standing at the entrance of the door, Come, look at him, whether he may enter." Namtar went out. He looked at him [. .] he said To his lady: "My lady, it is the god who in former Months disappeared, and did not arise before me. 60 Bring him [. he shall not] go. I will slay him." Namtar went out [. .] enter, my lord, Into the house of thy sister [. 45 ú-lu ba-la-ta-an-ni la-a pa-al-[ha-ti it-ti-ka a-na a-la-ki (ilu) [... ba (ilu) Mu-ta-ab-ri-ga] (ilu) Ša-ra-ab-da-a (ilu) [Ra-a-bi-i-şa (ilu) Ți-ri-id (ilu) I-dib-tu] (ilu) Bi-e-e[n-na (ilu) Ši-i-da-na (ilu) Mi-ki-it (ilu) Bi-e-el-up-ri] 50 (ilu) Um-mu (ilu) [Li-i-ba b]a-a-bu it-ti-ka [. Ja ba-ab-ka ub-bi ru-um-mi-ma a-na-ku lu-ru-ú-ub a-na ma-h[ar bi]-e-elti-ka E-ri-iš-ki-gal a-na-ku ša-ap-ra-ku il-li-ik-ma a-tu-ú 55 ik-ta-bi a-na Nam-ta-ri i-lu iš-te-en i-na pi-i ba-a-bi iz-za-z[a] al-ka-ma bu-úr-ri[-šu]-ma li-ru-ub ú-sa-[am-m]a Nam-ta-a-r[u] i-mu-ur-šu-ma ha-a-di-du an-ni-iš k[a ...] lum ik-ta-a-bi a[-na be-e-el-ti-šu be-e-el-ti [i-lu š]a i-na ar-ha-a-[ni] pa-a-[nu-ú-te ib-l[i-ku-ma i-na pa-ni]-ia la it-bu-ú il]-la-ka lu-ú-du-u[k-šu] 60 šu-ri-ba [š]u [. ú-ṣa-am-ma Nam-ta-ru [. .] ir-ba bi-e-li a-na bi-tu a-ha-ti-ka-ma mu-[. J-ur si-i-it-ta-ka Nergal answered: "May thy heart rejoice in me." [About three lines are here missing.] door] [.. he stationed, when he entered the (second) Jba at the third, Mutabriku' at the fourth, Sharabdu at the fifth, Rabisu at the sixth, Tirid 70 At the seventh, Idibtu at the eighth, Bennu At the ninth, Sidanu at the tenth, Mikit At the eleventh, Belupri at the twelfth, Ummu at the thirteenth, Libu at the fourteenth Door he stationed as his [. .] In the court he cut down 75 Namtaru. To his warriors he gave command: "The doors Shall be opened. Look, (else) will I break out upon you." Within the house he seized Ereshkigal By the hair, bent her down from the throne To the ground, to cut off her head. The meaning of lines 43 to 62 seems to be the following: Namtar had gone before the gods who gave him permission to pick out the offending god, whom they would then deliver over to death. He did not find him. Then Ea orders his son Nergal to go before Ereshkigal, and promises to send with him as a defense fourteen demons of sickness as his defenders. Thus accompanied, Nergal goes to the realm of Ereshkigal. 2 These are the names of the demons of sickness, their names meaning little else than "Fever," "Fire," "Heat," and the like, which Ea had given Nergal as his defense. [. ..m]a Nergal li-ib[-bu-k]a li-ih-da-an-ni [About three lines are here missing.] -lla [id]-ka-a b[a-a-ba i-na e-ri-bi] J-ba i-na ša-al-ši (ilu) Mu-ta-ab-ri-ga i-na ri-e-bi-[i] (ilu) Ša-ra-ab-da-a i-na ha-an-ši (ilu) Ra-a-bi-i-şa i-na ši-iš-ši (ilu) Ţi-ri-id 70 [i-n]a ši-e-bi-i (ilu) I-dib-tu i-na sa-ma-ni-i (ilu) Bi-e-en-na i-na ti-ši-i (ilu) Și-i-da-na i-na eš-ri-i (ilu) Mi-ki-it i-na il-te-en-še-e-ri-i (ilu) Bi-e-el-up-ri i-na ši-i-in-še-e-ri-i (ilu) Um-ma i-na ša-la-še-e-ri-i(ilu) Li-i-ba i-na ir-bi-še-e-ri-i ba-a-bi il-ta-ka-an hu-úr-ba-a-ša i-na ta-ar-ba-şi it-ta-ki-is 75 (ilu) Nam-ta-ru șa-a-bi-šu ți-e-ma i-ša-ka-an ba-ba-tu lu pu-ut-ta-a a-nu-um-ma a-na-ku a-la-as-su-ma-ku-ú-nu-ši i-na li-ib-bi bi-i-ti is-sa-ba-at E-ri-eš-ki-i-gal i-na ša-ar-ti-ša ú-ki-id-di-da-as-ši-im-ma iš-tu ku-us-si-i |