144 TIIEO. G. PINCHES, ESQ., NOTES UPON SOME OF THE 



The interesting part is in 

 here in transcription (Semitic 

 It refers to the wedding cei 

 party is apparently on its way 

 is to be : — 

 La bed Hani 

 imtahhtru 

 Kati-su\ini\ 

 ana kati-su \iskunu~\. 

 Sepi- \_sunu] 

 ana sipi-[su iskumij. 

 Ki[sad-sa~] 



itti kisadi-su \taskun?~\ 

 Raman- su 

 ustebillu 

 Mdru rube anaku, ikbis 



Kaspu, hurasu sun-ka umallu 



Atta lu-assatu 



anaku lu - mu t - ka 



ikbi-si 



Kima inib kiri 



ana sdsi lale 



ulalli-si 



Ameluti \_ramani-su~\ 



Column II, which I reproduce 



Babylonian or Assyrian only). 



emony, and the bridegroom's 



to the place where the wedding 



The impious 



are approaching. 



Their hands 



to his hands they place. 



Their feet 



to his feet they place. 



[Her] neck 



with his neck [she has placed J. 



Himself 



he has caused to be brought, 



" The son of a prince am I," 



he has said to her, 

 " Silver and gold shall fill thy 



lap." 

 " Thou shalt be (my) wife 

 I will be thy husband " 

 he has said to her. 

 " Like the fruit of a plantation 

 to this (woman) abundance 

 I will fill for her." 

 His own people 



Here the tablet unfortunately breaks off, but he who 

 wishes to catch yet another glimpse, may consult a text of a 

 more ritualistic nature, published by me in the Babylonian 

 and Oriental Record for August, 1887, where the words of the 

 priest, as well as directions as to the offerings to be made, 

 are given. 



As a testimony to the extreme antiquity of the above- 

 quoted form of ritual, it is to be noted, that in the story of 

 Gil games,* where the goddess Istar makes a proposal to the 

 Babylonian hero, she uses practically the same form of words 

 as is given above, changing only the pronouns. The text is 

 as follows : — 



" To the beauty of Gilgames the lady Istar lift up her 

 eyes. Come, Gilgames, mayest thou be my husband. 



Hitherto known as the " Gistubar-legends." 



