14 Pinches, Hymns to Tainmuz in the Manchester Museum, 



26. 'Ah' (would have been) the cry of woe(?) — 'Alas' (if) 



the prince had remained. 



27. The lands thou hast plunged in gloom. 



28. My husband, the barrier crossing by night — 



29. The lands thou hast plunged in gloom. 



As far as one can see from such a difificult inscription, 

 and in the present defective state of our knowledge, the 

 fifth column begins with a section in which the one 

 lamenting — apparently Istar, or one of her votaries, asks for 

 various benefits, though whether * the sceptre of glory ' or 

 ' the recompense of glory ' was really included therein or 

 not is doubtful — unless, indeed, the votary was a princess, 

 which is not impossible. The short section which follows 

 may be regarded as referring to the return of spring, 

 with its more brilliant sunshine, after the short days of 

 winter, and the words Au, asaba-da i-rii, asaba-da i-rUy 

 ' Ah, he returns to the field, he returns to the field,' if my 

 rendering be in any degree correct, may be regarded as 

 confirming this. 



The next section, which consists of 12 lines (the short 

 ones being reckoned as belonging to the foregoing line) 

 seems to contain praises of the god Tammuz, or, more 

 correctly, of the place of delight where he was conceived 

 as dwelling. This is followed by what seems to be a 

 prayer for increase, named, from its first word, the 

 'Greatly' — a method of quoting and naming for which 

 there are many parallels in Babylonian, as in other litera- 

 tures, especially of the Semitic East. The burden of the 

 5 lines of this prayer seems to be to the effect that 

 increase might be granted to all — the deity's house or 

 temple, the offerings made to him, things which were 

 young or small, and last, but not least, the suppliant 

 herself. Between the ruled lines the former refrain is 

 repeated : ' Ah, he returns to the field, he returns to the 



