THE KELIGIOUS IDEAS OF THE BABYLONIANS. O 



Tiawat), or Bel and the Dragon. (In what Kirbis-Tiawat 

 differs from Mummu Tiawat is donbtfuL) Word of the 

 liostiHty of Tiawat to the gods seems to have been sent to 

 the latter by •->f--«^, Ansa)', the personification of the host of 

 heaven. All the gods, the messenger announces, have 

 rallied around Tiawat, and they seem to be represented as 

 calling out to each other : " Ye have made her agreement 

 (that is: "agreement Avitli her"), go to her side!"* The 

 messenger then says : ^' They forsook me, and they are gomg 

 to Tiawat's side." Then all the mighty ones made ready for 

 battle. " Mother Hubur, the opener of the hand of every- 

 thing" (apparently one of tlie titles of Kirbis-Tiawat) seems, 

 at this point, to speak for herself. She says: "I have 

 collected unrivalled weaj)ons — the great serpents are hostile — 

 sharp-toothed also, and I have rendered them relentless. I 

 have filled their bodies with poison like blood. I have 

 clothed dreadful monsters with terrors — fearful things I 

 have set up and left on high." She seems also to have 

 brought forward various other fear-inspiring creatures — ■ 

 " great " (that is, probably, " excessively sultry and oppres- 

 sive ") ''days," "scorpion-men," "fish-men," &c., "Avielding 

 weapons, ruthless, fearless in battle — their courages are 

 strong, and have no rival." Over these she raised her hus- 

 band Kingu. In consequence of these preparations, Anu, the 

 god of the heavens, was sent, but was powerless before her 

 (ul ilia mahar sa) ; Nudimmud (Ea as god of reproduction) 

 feared, and turned back. The text here continues in the 

 following strain (the narrator is addressing the gods) : — 



"Merodach. the sage of the gods, your son, was urged on. 

 In opposition to Tiawat, he brought his [br]ave (?) heart — 

 He opened his mouth and he said to me : 



' If / (become) your avenger, 

 I will confine Tiawat — I will save t/ok. — 

 Convene the assembly, make them return, proclaim a 



decree. 

 Afterwards let them command the army forward gladly — 

 I have opened my mouth, like you let me fix the decree 



and 

 It shall not change. Whatever I, even I, shall do 

 Let it not turn, let not my word be changed. 

 Get quickly ready, and let your ensigns appear (?) — 



* In the original : Adi-Hi attunu tabnd, ida-sa alka! 



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