illness and wanderings of izdubar.
hea-bani and the trees.—illness of izdubar.—death of hea-bani.—journey of izdubar.—his dream.—scorpion men.—the desert of mas.—siduri and sabitu.—nes-hea the pilot.—water of death.—mua.—the conversation.—xisuthrus.
f the three tablets in this section, the first one is very uncertain, and is put together from two separate sources: the other two are more complete and satisfactory.
tablet viii.
it is again uncertain if any of this tablet has been discovered; provisionally some fragments of the first, second, third, and sixth columns of a tablet which may belong to it are placed here, but the only fragment worth translating at present is one given in mr. smith’s “assyrian discoveries,” p. 176. in some portions of these fragments there are references to the story of khumbaba, but as the fragment appears253 to refer to the illness of izdubar it probably belongs here.
k. 3588.
column i.
1. ....
—–———–———–———–
2. hea-bani (his mouth opened and spake and)
3. said to ....
4. i went (?) ....
5. in the ....
6. the door ....
7. of ....
8 and 9. ....
10. in ....
11. hea-bani ..........
12. with the door .... thy ...
13. the door on its sides does not ...
14. the creation of her ears they are not ...
15. for twenty kaspu (140 miles) i climbed up ...
16. as far as the pine tree a shrub (?) i had seen ...
17. thy tree (?) has not another ...
18. six gars (120 feet) is thy height, two gars (40 feet) is thy breadth ....
19. thy street, thy blackness (?) thy rain ...
20. i made thee, i raised thee in the city of nipur ....
21. yea i knew thy door like this ...
254
22. and this ...
23. i raised its face, i ...
24. i will fill thy bank (?) .....
25. .....
26. for he took ...
27. the pine tree, the cedar, ...
28. in its cover ...
29. thou also ....
30. may take ...
31. in the collection of everything ...
32. a great destruction ...
33. the whole of the trees ..
34. in thy land of the tree manubani ...
35. thy bush? is not strong ...
36. thy shadow is not great ...
37. and thy smell is not agreeable ...
—–———–———–———–
38. the manubani tree was angry ...
39. made a likeness?
40. like the tree ...
......
the second, third, fourth and fifth columns appear to be entirely absent, the inscription reappearing on a fragment of the sixth column.
column ii.
(many lines lost.)
1. the dream which i saw ....
2. the tops of the mountain ....
255
3. ... he struck ....
4. he struck when thy royal raiment ....
5. he begat also in ....
6. he recounted to his friend hea-bani the dream ...
7. my friend, the good omen of the dream ....
8. the dream was deceptive ....
9. my friend, the mountain which thou didst see ....
10. when i captured khumbaba we ....
11. ... of his helpers nitakh-garri ....
12. at the time of dawn ....
—–———–———–———–
13. for twenty kaspu they journeyed a stage
14. at thirty kaspu they fixed
15. in the presence of samas they dug out a pit (?) ....
16. izdubar ascended also over ....
17. by the side of his house he crossed over ....
18. ... he brought the dream ....
19. he made it and the god ....
column iii.
1. ... he brought the dream ....
2. he made it and the god ....
3. ... turban? ....
4. he cast him down and ....
5. the mountain like corn of the field ....
6. izdubar at the destruction (?) set up ....
7. anatu the troubler of men upon him struck,
256
8. and in the struggle his going he stayed.
9. he spake and said to his friend:
10. my friend thou dost not ask me why i am naked,
11. thou dost not inquire of me why i am spoiled,
12. because the god passed over, wherefore my limbs are hot.
13. my friend i saw a third dream;
14. that dream which i saw entirely disappeared.
15. they prayed; the god thunders on the ground.
16. he burnt up the exit of the darkness;
17. the lightning struck; a fire was kindled;
18. .... they took away; it rained death.
19. the glow also (disappeared), the fire sank,
20. .... they struck; it turned to a palm tree,
21. in the desert also thy lord took (his) path (?).
22. and hea-bani his dream considered; he said to izdubar:
23. .... samas thy lord, the creator ....
the fourth and fifth columns of this tablet are lost. this part of the legend appears to refer to the illness of izdubar.
column vi.
1. my friend ... the dream which is not ...
2. the day he dreamed the dream, the end ...
—–———–———–———–
3. hea-bani lay down also one day ...
4. which hea-bani on (his) bed ...
5. the third day and the fourth day which ...
257
6. the fifth, and sixth, and seventh (days) ...
7. the eighth (and ninth, and tenth days) ....
8. when hea-bani was sick ...
9. the eleventh and twelfth (days) ...
10. hea-bani on (his) bed ...
11. izdubar read also ...
12. did my friend defend me ...
13. whenever in the midst of fight ...
14. i turn (?) to battle and ...
15. my friend who in battle ...
16. i in ......
it must here be noted that mr. smith’s grounds for making this the eighth tablet were extremely doubtful, and it is possible that the fragments are of different tablets; but they fill up an evident blank in the story here, and they are consequently inserted pending further discoveries as to their true position.
in the first column hea-bani appears to be addressing certain trees, and they are supposed to have the power of hearing and answering him. hea-bani praises one tree and sneers at another, but from the mutilation of the text it does not appear why he acts so. we may conjecture he was seeking a charm to open a door he mentions, and that according to the story this charm was known to the trees. the fragment of the sixth column shows hea-bani unable to interpret a dream, while izdubar asks his friend to fight.
after this happened the violent death of hea-bani, which added to the misfortunes of izdubar; but no fragment of this part of the story is preserved.
258
tablet ix.
this tablet is in a somewhat better state than the others, and all the narrative is clearer from this point, not a single column of the inscription being entirely lost. the ninth tablet commences with the sorrow of izdubar at the death of hea-bani.
column i.
1. izdubar over hea-bani his friend
2. bitterly weeps, and traverses the desert.
3. i have no judgment like hea-bani here;
4. sickness entered into my stomach;
5. death i feared, and traverse the desert.
6. to the majesty of xisuthrus, son of ubara-tutu,
7. the road i am taking, and quickly i go;
8. to the lowlands of the mountains i take (my way) at night.
9. .... a (dream) i saw, and i feared.
10. i (bow) on my face, to sin (the moon god) i pray;
11. and into the presence of the gods came my supplication;
12. grant thou (health) to me, even unto me!
13. ....... dream.
14. (through) the dream (sent by) sin (my) life had been gladdened.
15. precious stones (?) ... to his hand.
16. he pulled out ..... his girdle
17. like a ... their ... he struck
18. he struck .... he smote, he broke
259
19. and .... they rejoiced, and
20. he threw (?) ....
21. he removed ....
22. the former name ....
23. the new name ....
(about eight lines lost here.)
the second column shows izdubar in some fabulous region, whither he has wandered in search of xisuthrus. here he sees composite monsters with their feet resting in hades and their heads reaching heaven. these beings are supposed to guide and direct the sun at its rising and setting. this passage is as follows:—
column ii.
1. of the mountains hearing him as many as ....
2. to the mountain of masu in his course ....
3. who all day long guard the rising (sun).
4. their crown was at the lattice of heaven,
5. below hades was their footing.
6. scorpion-men guard its gate,
7. burning with terribleness, and their appearance was death,
8. the greatness of their bulk overthrows the forests.
9. at the rising of the sun and the setting of the sun, they guard the sun, and
10. izdubar saw them and fear and terror seized his face.
260
11. he took his counsel and approached before them.
12. the scorpion-man of his female asked:
13. who has gone to us with his body the flesh of the gods?
14. to the scorpion-man his female answered:
15. his going (is) that of a god, but his feeble gait (is) that of a man.
16. the scorpion-man of the hero asked,
17. .... of the gods the word he recounts:
18. .... distant road
19. .... up to the presence
20. .... of which the passage is difficult.
21. .... thy .... thou puttest on.
22. .... mountains situated.
23. .... thou puttest on.
the rest of this column is lost. in it izdubar converses with the monsters, and where the third column begins he is telling them his purpose of seeking xisuthrus.
column iii.
(1 and 2 lost.)
3. he xisuthrus my father .....
4. who has been established also in the assembly (of the gods)
5. death and life [are known to him].
6. the scorpion-man opened his mouth (and spake);
7. they say to izdubar:
261
8. izdubar was not ....
9. of the mountain ....
10. for twelve kaspu (84 miles) [is the journey];
11. on the boundary of the field did he carry himself, and (there is) no light.
12. to the rising sun ....
13. to the setting sun ....
14. to the setting sun ....
15. they descended ....
in this mutilated passage, the monster describes the journey to be taken by izdubar; there are now many lines wanting, until we come to the fourth column.
column iv.
1. in (his) sickness ....
2. in difficulty and ....
3. in lamentation and ....
4. again thou ....
5. the scorpion-man ....
6. (said) to izdubar ....
7. go izdubar ....
8. the mountains of mas ....
9. the mountains, the path (of the sun) ....
10. may the women ....
11. the great gate of the land ....
12. izdubar ....
13. for a memorial ....
14. the road of the sun ....
15. 1 kaspu (he went) ....
262
16. on the boundary of the field ....
17. he was not able (to look behind him).
18. 2 kaspu (he went) ....
this is the bottom of the fourth column; there are five lines lost at the top of the fifth column, and then the narrative reopens; the text is, however, mutilated and doubtful.
column v.
6. 4 (kaspu he went) ....
7. on the boundary (of the field)....
8. he was not able (to look behind him).
9. 5 kaspu (he went) ....
10. on the boundary of the field ....
11. he was not able (to look behind him).
12. 6 kaspu he went ....
13. on the boundary of the field did he carry himself (and there is no light).
14. he was not able (to look behind him).
15. 7 kaspu (he went) ....
16. on the boundary of the field was it situated and not ....
17. he was not able to look behind him.
18. 8 kaspu like a .... he mounts up;
19. on the boundary of the field (did he carry himself and) there is no light.
20. he was not able to look behind him.
21. 9 kaspu he went .... to the north
22. .... his face
263
23. (on the boundary of the field did he carry himself and) there is no light;
24. (he was not able) to look behind him.
25. (10 kaspu he went) .... him
26. .... a meeting
27. .... 4 kaspu
28. .... from the shadow of the sun
29. .... sight was established
30. to the forest of the trees of the gods in appearance it was equal.
izdubar among the trees of the gods (?) from a babylonian cylinder found in cyprus by gen. di cesnola.
31. emeralds it carried as its fruit,
32. the branch refuses not to support a canopy.
33. crystals they carry as shoots (?)
34. fruit they carry, and to the sight it is glistening.
some of the words in this fragment are obscure, but the general meaning is clear. in the next column the wanderings of izdubar are continued, and he comes to a country near the sea. fragments of several lines of this column are preserved, but too mutilated to translate with certainty. the fragments are:—
264
column vi.
(about six lines lost.)
1. the pine tree ....
2. its nest of stone ....
3. not sweeping away the sea .... jet stones
4. like the tree of elam and the tree of the prince .... emeralds
5. a locust ....
6. jet stone, ka stone .... the goddess istar
7. like bronze and .... he carried
8. like .... obstacles
9. which .... the sea
10. it has, and .... may he raise
11. izdubar [saw this] in his travelling,
12. on this sea he carried ....
13. colophon. the women siduri and sabitu (who on the shore) of the sea dwelt.
14. .... tablet of the series: “when the hero izdubar saw the fountain.”
—–———–———–———–
this tablet brings izdubar to the region of the sea-coast, but his way is then barred by two women, one named siduri and the other sabitu. his further adventures are given on the tenth tablet, which opens:
tablet x.
1. siduri and sabitu (who in the land beside the sea)
265
2. dwelt and ....
3. it was the moon, it was the moon ....
4. a covering of fire (?) ye accomplish.
5. izdubar approached and ....
6. the ulcer covering (his) skin
7. he had the brand of the gods on (his) ....
8. there is shame of face on ....
9. to go on the distant path his face (was set).
10. sabitu afar off pondered,
11. she counselled to her heart (this) plan.
12. within herself also she (considered):
13. what is this message ....
14. may no one come straight in (his path).
15. when sabitu saw him she entered (her gate);
16. her gate she entered and entered her ....
17. and he izdubar had ears to (hear her);
18. he had struck his hands and made ....
—–———–———–———–
19. izdubar to her also even said (to sabitu:)
20. sabitu what didst thou see (that)
21. thy gate thou barrest ....
22. i force the door ....
the rest of this column is lost, but it must have described the meeting of izdubar with a boatman named ur-hea or lig-hea, called nes-hea “the lion” or “dog of hea” in assyrian. in the second column they commence a journey by water together in a boat. but little of this column is preserved; two fragments only are given here.
266
column ii.
1. .... he the word of his friend ....
2. .... the word of hea-bani ....
3. .... i traverse (the desert).
4. .... (in) the dust he had ....
5. (the friend whom i have loved declared) lovingly; hea-bani the friend whom i have loved made ....
6. (i am not as he) and would we had never gone up ....
7. (i did not make) the fortress of ....
—–———–———–———–
8. (izdubar to) her also speaks, even to sabit:
9. (again) o sabit what is the way to xisuthrus?
10. explain the tokens of it to me; yea, explain the tokens of it to me.
11. if it be suitable the sea let me cross,
12. if it be not suitable the desert let me traverse.
—–———–———–———–
13. sabit to him also speaks, even to izdubar:
14. there was no crossing (of the sea), o izdubar, at any time,
15. and no one from remote times onwards has crossed the sea.
16. from crossing the sea samas the hero i the mother prevented; (yet) samas crossed, whoever
17. his mouth the passage .... its road,
18. and the well of the waters of death which extend before it
267
19. i approach, and, izdubar, thou crossest the sea.
20. when thou hast come round to the waters of death, thou contrivest how
21. for izdubar there is ur-hea the boatman of xisuthrus.
22. precious stones with him in the midst of the forest ....
23. .... may they see thy face.
24. .... and to cross with him if it is not suitable hasten behind him
25. .... upon hearing this,
26. .... an axe in the hand.
27. .... to their well he returns.
28, 29, 30. ....
31. .... izdubar
32. .... and his lower part
33. .... the ship
34. .... (the waters) of death
35. .... wide
36. .... the field
37. .... to the river
38. .... ship
39. .... the well
40. .... the boatman
41. .... he descended
42. .... to thee
here there are many lines lost, then recommencing the story proceeds on the third column.
268
column iii.
1. my friend whom i have loved made ....
2. i am not as he and would we had never gone up ....
—–———–———–———–
3. izdubar to him also speaks, even to ur-hea;
4. again, ur-hea, what (is the way to xisuthrus?)
5. what are its signs explain to me; yea, explain (to me its signs).
6. if it be suitable the sea let me cross; if it be not suitable the desert let me traverse.
—–———–———–———–
7. ur-hea to him also speaks, even to (izdubar):
8. thy hand, izdubar, it prevents ....
9. thou hidest among the precious stones thou ...
10. the precious stones (are) a hiding-place [or canopy] and they are not ...
11. take, izdubar, an axe in (thy hands) ....
12. go down to the forest and a clearing of five gar (make).
13. bury and make a tumulus; carry ....
14. izdubar on his hearing this,
15. took the axe in his hand ....
16. he went down to the forest and a clearing of five gar (made):
17. he buried and made a tumulus; he carried ....
18. izdubar and ur-hea rode (in the ship);
19. the ship the waves took and they ....
269
20. a journey of one month and fifteen days. on the third day in their course
21. ur-hea also reached the waters of death ....
column iv.
1. ur-hea to him also speaks, even to izdubar:
2. the tablets o izdubar ....
3. the waters of death smite; never mayest thou >enter the dome of the house (of the abyss).
4. the second time, the third time, and the fourth time go, o izdubar ....
5. the fifth, sixth, and seventh time go, o izdubar ....
6. the eighth, ninth, and tenth time go, o izdubar ....
7. the eleventh and twelfth time go, o izdubar ....
8. on the one hundred and twentieth time izdubar finished ....
9. and he struck the middle of it ....
10. izdubar seized the .......
11. on his wings an embankment he completed ...
12. xisuthrus over him afar off pondered,
13. he counselled (this) plan within his heart.
14. with himself also he considered:
15. why is the hiding-place of the ship ....
16. and the pilot ....
17. the man who went also is not; and ....
18. i ponder, and i do not .... 270
19. i ponder, and i do not....
20. i ponder, and i do not....
izdubar, composite figures, and ur-hea in the boat; from an early babylonian cylinder.
here there is a blank, the extent of which is uncertain, and where the narrative recommences it is on a small fragment of the third and fourth columns of another copy. it appears that the lost lines record the meeting between izdubar and a female being named mu-seri-ina-namari, or the “waters of dawn at daylight.” in the account of the deluge, mu-seri-ina-namari is mentioned as bringing the black clouds from the horizon of heaven. it was here, beyond the circular boundary of the earth, and on the shores of the ocean which surrounded it, that izdubar is now supposed to be.
it is curious that, whenever izdubar speaks to this being, the name mua is used, while, whenever izdubar is spoken to, the full name mu-seri-ina-namari occurs. where the story reopens izdubar is informing mua of his first connection with hea-bani and his offers to him when he desired him to come to erech.
271
column iii. (fragment).
1. for my friend....
2. free thee....
3. weapon....
4. bright star....
column iv. (fragment).
1. on a beautiful couch i will seat thee,
2. i will cause thee to sit on a comfortable seat on the left,
3. the kings of the earth shall kiss thy feet.
4. i will enrich thee and the men of erech i will make silent before thee,
5. and i after thee will take all....
6. i will clothe thy body in raiment and....
—–———–———–———–
7. mu-seri-ina-namari on hearing this
8. his fetters loosed ....
the speech of mua to izdubar and the rest of the column are lost, the narrative recommencing on column v. with another speech of izdubar.
column v. (fragment).
1. .... to me
2. .... my ... i wept
3. .... bitterly i spoke
4. .... my hand
5. .... ascended to me
6. .... to me
—–———–———–———–
7. .... hy?na of the desert
272
column v.
1. izdubar opened his mouth and said to mu
2. .... my presence?
3. .... not strong
4. .... my face
5. .... lay down in the field,
6. .... of the mountain, the hy?na of the field,
7. hea-bani my friend .... the same.
8. no one else was with us, we ascended the mountain.
9. we took it and the city we destroyed.
10. we conquered also khumbaba who in the forest of pine trees dwelt.
11. again why did his fingers lay hold to slay the lions?
12. thou wouldst have feared and thou wouldst not have .. all the difficulty.
13. and he did not succeed in slaying the same;
14. his heart failed, and he did not strike .... over him i wept,
15. he covered also my friend like a corpse in a grave,
16. like a lion? he tore? him
17. like a lioness? placed .... field
18. he was cast down to the face of the earth
19. he broke? and destroyed his defence? ....
20. he was cut off and given to pour out? ....
—–———–———–———– 273
21. mu-seri-ina-namari on hearing this
here the record is again mutilated, but izdubar further informs mua what he did in conjunction with hea-bani. where the story reopens on column vi. izdubar relates part of their adventure with khumbaba.
column vi.
1. .... taking
2. .... to thee
3. .... thou art great
4. .... all the account
—–———–———–———–
5. .... forest of pine trees
6. .... went night and day
7. .... the extent of erech the lofty
8. .... he approached after us
9. .... he opened the land of forests
10. .... we ascended
11. .... in the midst like thy mother
12. .... cedar and pine trees
13. .... with our strength
14. .... silent
15. .... he of the field
16. .... by her side
17. .... the euphrates
here again our narrative is lost, and where we again meet the story izdubar is conversing with xisuthrus. the conversation is contained in the broken fifth column of k 3382, first noticed and copied by mr. pinches.
274
column v.
1. .... mua
2. .... my ...
3. .... they are not like.
4. .... before me.
5. .... traversed the desert.
6. .... the glare of the desert.
7. .... the same.
8. .... the mountain.
9. .... we destroy.
10. .... (among) the royal tree (and) the pine they dwell.
11. .... lions.
12. .... times to come.
13. .... were slain, the same.
14. .... over him i wept.
15. .... burial.
16. .... him.
17. .... the desert.
18. .... over me; thou hast gone round ....
19. .... i turned back; the ship (?) i ....
20. (my friend) whom i have loved declared lovingly; hea-bani my friend (made) ....
21. (i) am not as he, and would we had never gone up; i did not make a fortress ....
22. izdubar to him also speaks, even to xisuthrus:
23. thus may i go and xisuthrus afar off, who has conversed with him, may i see.
275
24. i went round, i went through all countries;
25. i passed through difficult lands;
26. i crossed all seas.
27. a good .... they did not dwell before me.
28. i exhausted myself through weakness; with my .... the crown i filled.
29. .... the house i did not reach, and my clothing was decayed.
30. .... of a leopard, a tiger, a raging winged bull ....
31. their (lairs) i approached; their skins i stripped off ....
32. .... may they bar its gate; with much bitumen ....
33. .... the contents ....
34. .... the sides ....
—–———–———–———–
35. (xisuthrus) to him speaks, even to izdubar:
36. .... o izdubar, sickness ....
37. .... gods and men ....
38. .... thy (father) and thy mother made ....
we now come to a fragment which forms the reverse of the tablet already translated, and recounts the visit of izdubar to the two women siduri and sabitu. this reads as follows:—
1. i was angry (?) ....
2. if at any time we built a house, if ever we establish ....
3. if ever brothers fixed ....
276
4. if ever hatred is in ....
5. if ever the river makes a (great) flood.
6. (if ever) reviling within the mouth ....
7. the face that will bow before samas ....
8. from of old is not ....
9. spoiling and death together ....
10. of death the image they guarded not ....
11. the man or servant on approaching (death),
12. the spirits of the earth the great gods are they.
13. the goddess mammetu maker of fate, to them their fate brings,
14. she has fixed death and life;
15. of death its days are not known.
composite figures (scorpion men); from an assyrian cylinder.
this statement closes the tenth tablet and leads to the next question of izdubar and its answer, which includes the story of the flood.
the present division of the legends has its own peculiar difficulties; in the first place it does not appear how hea-bani was killed. possibly he fell in an attempt to slay a lion.
the land of mas or desert of mas over which izdubar travels in this tablet is the desert on the277 west of the euphrates, and the name reminds us of the biblical mash who is called a son of aram in genesis x. 23; on the sixth column the fragments appear to refer to some bird with magnificent feathers like precious stones, seen by izdubar on his journey.
