The World's Progress Part 44

As soon as Bel arrived He saw the s.h.i.+p and Bel was sore angry, He waxed wroth against the G.o.ds, the Igigi.

"Some soul has escaped" (he said), "Let no man survive the destruction."

Ninib openeth his mouth and speaketh, He speaks to the warrior Bel: "Who but Ea doeth (this) thing?

But Ea is wise in every undertaking."

Ea openeth his mouth and speaketh, Saith to the warrior Bel: "Thou sage of the G.o.ds, warrior!

Verily, verily, thou didst not reflect, and didst make a flood: Upon the sinner lay his sins, Upon the impious his impiety.[3]

Spare, let him not be cut off, have mercy, let him (not be utterly destroyed).

Instead of bringing on a flood, Let the lion come and reduce mankind.

Instead of bringing on a flood, Let the hyaena come and reduce mankind.

Instead of bringing on a flood, Let famine be sent and the land (reduced).

Instead of bringing on a flood, Let the Pest-G.o.d come and destroy the land.

As for me, I have not revealed the secret of the G.o.ds.

I caused Atrahasis to see a vision and thus he learned the secret of the G.o.ds."

Thereupon his counsel was taken And Bel ascended within the s.h.i.+p. Seized me by the hands and brought me up (to a point still higher).

He brought up and made to bow beside me my wife, Turned us face to face, stood between us and blessed us: "In former times Pir-napishtim was human But henceforth Pir-napishtim and his wife shall be like us G.o.ds And Pir-napishtim shall dwell afar off at the mouth of the rivers."

Then they took me and afar off at the mouth of the rivers they caused me to dwell.

FOOTNOTES:

[1] The house for its inhabitants. Compare Isaiah 1, 2: Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth.

[2] The meaning here and in the next four lines is not clear.

[3] This is evidence that the deluge, as in the Old Testament, was a punishment for sin, which some writers (not a.s.syriologists) have denied in the interest of an outgrown view of the Bible.

THE DESCENT OF ISHTAR TO HADES.

Ishtar was the Babylonian Venus or G.o.ddess of love. The story of her descent to Hades and return to the world of the living is found on a tablet now in the British Museum, and is perhaps the most poetical legend of the recovered a.s.syrian literature. It has been suggested that the story is the text of a religious drama, resembling the miracle-plays of mediaeval Europe. The legend shows no reason for Ishtar's desire to enter Hades, but it is easy to suppose that she went thither to rescue some beloved person. This supplies a connection with the familiar story of Venus and Adonis (or Tammuz), which the Greek writers declare to be of Syrian origin. The drama, if such it were, was probably part of the annual celebration of the return of Spring. Ninkigal, the Queen of Hades, corresponds to the Greek Persephone, and Latin Proserpina, the wife of Pluto. In like manner, Ea, the king of the G.o.ds, corresponds to Zeus or Jupiter, and the divine messenger to Hermes or Mercury.

A BABYLONIAN EPIC--ISHTAR'S DESCENT TO HADES.

(Translation by Professor Craig.)

On the land without regress, the land (that thou knowest), Ishtar, Sin's daughter, did fix her attention, The daughter of Sin did fix her attention, On the dwelling of darkness, the abode of Irkalla, On the dwelling whose inhabitant comes no more out, On the road whose advancing knows no returning, On the house whose inhabitants removed from the light, Where they're nourished with dust and clay is their food, Where they see not the light, but in darkness are dwelling, And are clad like the birds with a covering of wings; On door and on bars lies the dust thickly gathered.

Arrived at the door of the land without regress, To the porter in keeping, this order she giveth: Thou watcher of waters, throw open thy portal!

Throw open thy portal, within will I enter!

If the door be not opened that I may pa.s.s through it, The door will I shatter, its bolt break in pieces, Its sills will I burst, its doors tear asunder, The dead will I raise up, devourers and living, Even more than the living the dead will I raise up.

The porter then opened his mouth and made answer, To the great G.o.ddess Ishtar, made answer the porter: "Withhold! O my lady, do not break it away, I go to Allatu, thy name to announce."

The porter announced to the queen, to Allatu: "Thy sister, Ishtar, is come over these waters ... ... ... ... ... ."

When Allatu these tidings received (from the porter), Like a tamarisk cut she (bowed herself down) (?).

Like a reed that is broken she (bent to the ground) (?).

"What bringeth her heart to me, pray? What trouble?

With this one forsooth (shall I share my dwelling?) As food eat the clay and as wine drink the water, Weep over men who their wives have abandoned, O'er maidens who mourn the embrace of their lovers, Weep o'er the infants destroyed e'er their day?

Go! porter, throw open thy door--open to her!

And treat her according to olden-time law."

The porter departed, threw open his door; "O enter, my lady, a welcome in Hades!

Palace of the land, that knows no returning, O let it rejoice in thy presence."

The first door he caused her to enter, and halting, Removed the great crown from her head.

"Why tak'st thou the great crown from my head, O porter?"

"O enter, my lady, 'tis the law of Allatu."

The next door he caused her to enter, and halting, The rings were removed from her ears.

"Why tak'st thou the rings from my ears, O porter?"

"O enter, my lady, 'tis the law of Allatu."

The third door he caused her to enter, and halting, The necklace removed from her neck.

"Why tak'st thou from my neck the necklace, O porter?"

"O enter, my lady, 'tis the law of Allatu."

The fourth door he caused her to enter, and halting, Her jewels removed from her breast.

"Why tak'st thou from my breast the jewels, O porter?"

"O enter, my lady, 'tis the law of Allatu."

The fifth door he caused her to enter, and halting, The bearing-stone girdle he took off from her waist.

"Why tak'st thou from my waist my gemmed-girdle, O porter?"

"O enter, my lady, 'tis the law of Allatu."

The sixth door he caused her to enter, and halting, Took the rings from her hands and her feet.

"Why from hands and from feet take the rings, pray, O porter?"

"O enter, my lady, 'tis the law of Allatu."

The seventh door he caused her to enter, and halting, From her body her cincture removed.

"Why take from my body my cincture, O porter?"

"O enter, my lady, 'tis the law of Allatu."

To the land without regress when Ishtar descended, Allatu beheld her and raged in her presence; Imprudently, boldly, did Ishtar attack her.

Then opened Allatu her mouth and commanded, To Namtar, her servant, the order was given: "Go Namtar, confine her....

With disease of the eye, and the hip, and the foot, With disease of the heart, and the scalp, go smite Ishtar, Afflict her whole person!"

After Ishtar, the G.o.ddess, had (been thus afflicted) (?) The bull no more covered the cow, nor a.s.s gendered; No more in the street lay the man with the maiden; The man went asleep in his place, In her place slept the maiden.

The G.o.d's-servant, Pap-su-kal, face down and sad-visaged, Was clothed in the garb of deep mourning.

Shamash went, sorely wept before Sin, his father, His tears ran down before the king, Ea, Saying: "Ishtar's gone down to the land, and returns not.

Since Ishtar's descent to the land without regress The bull no more covers the cow, nor a.s.s genders; No more in the street lies the man with the maiden.

The man falls asleep in his place, In her place sleeps the maiden."

Then Ea created a male in his wisdom, The G.o.d's-servant, Uddushu-namir, created.

"Go! Uddushu-namir, to land without regress, Seven doors of the land without regress be opened!

Allatu behold thee, rejoice in thy presence!

Her heart when at ease, and her spirit when joyful; In name of the great G.o.ds do thou adjure her: 'Thy head raise, to Hal-skin direct thy attention, O lady, I pray thee, Halziqu-skin give me; I desire to drink of the waters within it.'"

This hearing, Allatu her sides smote, her nails bit.

"Of me thou hast asked an impossible favor.

Hence! Uddushu-namir, with curse will I curse thee; Thy food it shall be the foul mud of the city, From drains of the city shalt thou drink the water, The shade of the wall shall be thy dwelling, Thy place of abiding a stone-block shall build it.

Confinement, privation, thy strength let them shatter."

Allatu then opened her mouth and commanded, To Namtar, her servant, the order was given: "Go! Namtar, beat on the palace eternal!

Go! rap on the stone slabs, those made out of _pa_-stone.

Go! lead forth the spirits, on golden thrones set them, With water-of-life sprinkle Ishtar, the G.o.ddess, Lead her forth from my presence."

Then went Namtar, beat on the palace eternal, And shook the stone slabs those made out of _pa_-stone; He led forth the spirits, on golden thrones set them, With water-of-life sprinkled Ishtar the G.o.ddess.