Manchester Memoirs^ Vol. xlviii. (1904), No. ^5. 



XXV. The Hymns to Tammuz in the Manchester 

 Museum, Owens College. 



By Theophilus G. Pinches, LL.D., M.R.A.S. 



Read March 31st, igoj. Received in instalments between April 6th and 

 April 20th, I go 4. 



These interesting compositions are inscribed on a 

 Babylonian tablet of seemingly unbaked clay, 19 cm. 

 (7*5 in.) high, by 15 "4 cm. (6 in.) wide. The obverse, as is 

 usual with the inscribed tablets of Babylonia and Assyria, 

 is flat, or nearly so, whilst the reverse is convex. The 

 text is unfortunately not by any means perfect, the lower 

 part of the obverse being broken away, as well as the two 

 right-hand corners, whilst the top left-hand corner is 

 damaged, and a large piece has flaked out of the middle, 

 rendering the first and second columns still more imper- 

 fect. The reverse has likewise lost its upper part and the 

 lower right-hand corner, and the last column (that on the 

 left) is still further damaged by a considerable crack, 

 which renders the lines which it traverses practically 

 unreadable. 



The inscription which covers this document is divided 

 into six columns — three on each side, and there are two 

 lines of writing on the left-hand edge. The number of 

 lines in each column, as the tablet is at present, varies 

 from 31 in Col. III. (the right-hand column of the 

 obverse), to 43 in the last column (the left-hand column 

 of the reverse), the total number of lines, including the 

 two on the edge, being about 216 in all. It will therefore 

 be seen, that the text is one of considerable length. 



The style of the writing is archaic Babylonian, closely 

 resembling that in use at the time of the dynasty of 

 Babylon, to which the well-known and renowned king 



Jfuly 281 h., igo4. 



