ANCIENT BABYLONIAN ASTROGONY. 393 



habitants of the world that is, of our earth. It definitely 

 states that those other suns, the stars, were set into con- 

 stellation figures for man's benefit ; the planets and the moon 

 next formed for his use ; and the sun set thereafter in the 

 heavens as the chief among the celestial bodies. 



It runs thus, so far as the fragments have yet been 

 gathered together : 



FIFTH TABLET OF CREATION LEGEND. 



1. It was delightful all that was fixed by the great gods. 



2. Stars, their appearance [in figures] of animals he arranged, 



3. To fix the year through the observation of their constellations, 



4. Twelve months (or signs) of stars hi three rows he arranged, 



5. From the day when the year commences unto the close. 



0. He marked the positions of the wandering stars (planets) to shine 

 in their courses, 



7. That they may not do injury, and may not trouble any one. 



8. The positions of the gods Bel and Hea he fixed with him. 



9. And he opened the great gates in the darkness shrouded, 



10. The fastenings were strong on the left and right. 



11. In its mass (i.e. the lower chaos) he made a boiling. 



12. The god Uru (the moon) he caused to rise out, the night he over 



shadowed, 



13. To fix it also for the light of the night until the shining of the day, 



14. That the month might not be broken, and in its amount be regular. 



1 5. At the beginning of the month, at the rising of the night, 

 ib. His horns are breaking through to shine on the heaven. 



1 7. On the seventh day to a circle he begins to swell, 



1 8. And stretches towards the dawn further. 



19. When the god Shamas (the sun) in the horizon of heaven, in the 



east, 



20. formed beautifully and 



21 to the orbit Shamas was perfected 



22 the dawn Shamas should change 



23 going on its path 



24. giving judgment 



25 to tame 



26. a second time 



27 



Of this tablet Smith remarks that it is a typical specimen 

 of the style of the series, and shows a marked stage in the 



