THE BABYLONIAN STORY OF THE CREATION. 



25 



At this point there is a further gap in the story, but it is clear, 

 from the context, that another deity, namely, Nudimmud (the god 

 Ae), likewise undertook tlie task of defeating her, but was not 

 more successful than Anu. The heavenly powers then decided 

 to ask Merodach to be their " avenger," as the legend has it. 

 This commission was at once accepted with eagerness by the 

 chief of the Babylonian pantheon, as the fragment referring to 

 this portion of the legend indicates : 



" Rejoiced then the Lord at the word of his father — 



His heart was glad, and to his father he said : 

 * Lord of the gods, fate of the great gods, 



If then I (am to be) your avenger — 



(If) I bind Tiamthu, and save you. 



Convene an assembly, cause to be great, and proclaim ye, my fate. 



In Upsukenaku sit ye then joyfully together, and 



When my mouth opens, let me, like you, the fates decide ; 



(Then) whatever I do, even I, shall not be changed — 



Let the utterance of my lips nor turned nor altered be.' " 



Here Merodach is represented as receiving his commission 

 joyfully, but, whilst accepting, asking for a reward, as if of 

 opinion tliat the gods w^ould be under an obligation to him — as 

 is, in fact, implied farther on, where Ansara is spoken of as 

 having sent Merodach, or having urged him to undertake the 

 task. There is then no doubt as to how the championship of 

 Merodach was thouo;ht to originate. 



This time, fortunately, there is no gap in the text, the lines 

 translated above being the last of the second tablet, the third 

 following immediately on. 



IIL 



Without wasting time in words of thanks or rejoicing, Ansara 

 immediately gives instructions to his messenger Gaga to go to 

 Lahmu and Lahamu, the two deities of the heavens, to invite all 

 the gods to a feast in the place of assembly (Upsukenaku), 

 where, having eaten bread and prepared the wine, they may 

 decide the fate "for Merodach their avenger." The words of 

 the message are then given. Gaga being told to say to Lahmu 

 and Lahamu that Ansara, their son, had despatched him to 

 announce to them the desire of his heart ; the description of 

 Tiamthu's revolt, and the preparations which she had made for 

 her conflict with the gods being then repeated in the same words 

 as in the first tablet, where the story of her iniquities is intro- 

 duced. Two lines suffice, however, to relate the powerlessness 



c 2 



