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Ub deep eeteepedl rupees esenrs rete beast oe PAL sastoc eS we Sr eee Sei bre alone Sr iseres eee Horse erect 3 =< Sielecsceeeyecosesel nats ores peter ae es ke ee Pees ‘opens Sip i yess Bi epiemee te ee eats Sacoas : chk oeee eis Oe ea ee tb wo tee nk * Seneca: gle hr yr tet e tow oo eon Be loet enter ese Pe dene pend tego e. er orr peti hehe Dror) eee eer aes Btef SSrt Sxbihabaes Ste ere rer herk Bt-anpthos Y Ber hPa rr tog ors Shaken tou iphone tapes ear ' See hee e et ate Sires dnts 4. es enh sad erate Gaston as jue St Bert gyn et Pepe bear pyran ber epee at ietessie soelenes widcpe isang erésesecers pseeeenredse tt Poe ee Dales eerie S rorerr (eres er sar ones CaR Se ye r rset SO EO: aatsce Hk ee ee ee ee ee ee ee eee 3 ets Sete fata tesraee : prises strtoe ets Sat Shia st ht be aa O26 pel tc ete ee eae Te en ay eee ear are ech Te Oe Tare oo ele ele ely rea ge ere eet” LeS.tr or) wr One meld jen baba eaten} sey ee Seco te seins obi sle So Sy eee FY Tae e pepe Stee) SSS ares ene eres sa ke Leelee lee popeere roan pid te a ore “ot ies whewe- La Mp gle Tenge SSSI ee ne teeta) SESE cick) oe ~ ; PEDERSEN SOS SE ES?” mec be batches -s2rotesoerenenteetes te weTSt Ie. eaceees se ese Serer et Sees Si rele eel = SaverseSeorerer nae een ene eae seer eee ad gee eeeee (6 ae sens oe ee ree Received by bequest from Albert H. Lybyer Professor of History University of Illinois 1916-1949 “my CENTRAL CIRCULATION BOOKSTACKS The person charging this material is re- sponsible for its renewal or its return to the library from which it was borrowed on or before the Latest Date stamped below. You may be charged a minimum fee of $75.00 for each lost book. Theft, mutilation, and underlining of books are reasons for disciplinary action and may result in dismissal from the University. TO RENEW CALL TELEPHONE CENTER, 333-8400 UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS LIBRARY AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN APR 05 199 When renewing by phone, write new due date below previous due date. L162 4) i ¥ " i Ha : ! otk Coos ay 3 a 3 J 3h Pa ow ¢ pace ERATO: MUSE OF LYRIC POETRY. Photogravure from the ortginal painting by Paul Baudry, in the Grand Opera House at Parts. ~ ’ : 5 s> Uv es 7 yr * ory ee ree aaa or See eer Or ER SRE eee ann ikon Sat phn bela (argent it up's * ee Saline cediiateeradinual > hay ‘ i ’ ‘a a “ae BABYLONIAN AND ASSYRIAN LITERATURE § eerie TOXOYOXCOYELY OKO KOKO rN. RE O) ita oSoler } = ~ e g -_ ONON CON ON ORO ENCODE EES ay VOX OMNI GALO 4 —— ae, ys .: ya %, = —- ae (Sng? C$ o> 77, v = oe \ RK COMPRISING Kee THE EPIC OF IZDUBAR, HYMNS, TABLETS, AND CUNEIFORM INSCRIPTIONS == | ei WITH A SPECIAL INTRODUCTION BY EPIPHANIUS WILSON, A.M. O= oe —_ Se ic Ss fe REVISED EDITION S <8 NE a iS ————4 a & YOXOXCYCOX ONC) CopyRIGHT, Igo1, By THE COLONIAL PRESS. SPECIAL INTRODUCTION HE great nation which dwelt in the seventh century be- fore our era on the banks of Tigris and Euphrates flourished in literature as well as in the plastic arts, and had an alphabet of its own. The Assyrians sometimes wrote with a sharp reed, for a pen, upon skins, wooden tablets, or papyrus brought from Egypt. In this case they used cursive letters of a Phoenician character. But when they wished to preserve their written documents, they employed clay tablets, and a stylus whose bevelled point made an impression like a narrow elongated wedge, or arrow-head. By a combination of these wedges, letters and words were formed by the skilled and practised scribe, who would thus rapidly turn off a vast amount of “copy.” All works of history, poetry, and law were thus written in the cuneiform or old Chaldean characters, and on a substance which could withstand the ravages of time, fire, or water. Hence we have authentic monuments of Assyrian liter- ature in their original form, unglossed, unaltered, and un- - garbled, and in this respect Chaldean records are actually ’ superior to those of the Greeks, the Hebrews, or the Romans. The literature of the Chaldeans is very varied in its forms. The hymns to the gods form an important department, and were doubtless employed in public worship. They are by no means lacking in sublimity of expression, and while quite un- - metrical they are proportioned and emphasized, like Hebrew poetry, by means of parallelism. In other respects they re- - semble the productions of Jewish psalmists, and yet they date as far back as the third millennium before Christ. They seem - to have been transcribed in the shape in which we at present »~ have them in the reign of Assurbanipal, who was a great patron of letters, and in whose reign libraries were formed in the principal cities. The Assyrian renaissance of the seven- teenth century B.c. witnessed great activity among scribes and book collectors: modern scholars are deeply indebted to this golden age of letters in Babylonia for many precious and 111 iv SPECIAL INTRODUCTION imperishable monuments. It is, however, only within recent years that these works of hoar antiquity have passed from the secluded cell of the specialist and have come within reach of the general reader, or even of the student of literature. For many centuries the cuneiform writing was literally a dead letter to the learned world. The clue to the understanding of this alphabet was originally discovered in 1850 by Colonel Rawlinson, and described by him in a paper read before the Royal Society. Hence the knowledge of Assyrian literature is, so far as Europe is concerned, scarcely more than half a century old. Among the most valuable of historic records to be found among the monuments of any nation are inscriptions, set up on public buildings, in palaces, and in temples. The Greek and Latin inscriptions discovered at various points on the shores of the Mediterranean have been of priceless value in determining certain questions of philology, as well as in throwing new light on the events of history. Many secrets of language have been revealed, many perplexities of history disentangled, by the words engraven on stone or metal, which the schoiar dis- covers amid the dust of ruined temples, or on the cippus of a tomb. The form of one Greek letter, perhaps even its ex- istence, would never have been guessed but for its discovery in an inscription. If inscriptions are of the highest critical importance and historic interest, in languages which are rep- resented by a voluminous and familiar literature, how much more precious must they be when they record what hap- pened in the remotest dawn of history, surviving among the ruins of a vast empire whose people have vanished from the face of the earth? Hence the cuneiform inscriptions are of the utmost interest and value, and present the greatest possible attractions to the curious and intelligent reader. They record the deeds and con- quests of mighty kings, the Napoleons and Hannibals of pri- meval time. They throw a vivid light on the splendid sculptures of Nineveh; they give a new interest to the pictures and carv- ings that describe the building of cities, the marching to war, the battle, by sea and land, of great monarchs whose horse and foot were as multitudinous as the locusts that in Eastern literature are compared to them. Lovers of the Bible will find SPECIAL INTRODUCTION Vv in the Assyrian inscriptions many confirmations of Scripture history, as well as many parallels to the account of the primi- tive world in Genesis, and none can give even a cursory glance at these famous remains without feeling his mental horizon widened. We are carried by this writing on the walls of As- syrian towns far beyond the little world of the recent centuries ; we pass, as almost modern, the day when Julius Cesar struggled in the surf of Kent against the painted savages of Britain. Nay, the birth of Romulus and Remus is a recent event in com- parison with records of incidents in Assyrian national life, which occurred not only before Moses lay cradled on the waters of an Egyptian canal, but before Egypt had a single temple or pyramid, three millenniums before the very dawn of history in the valley of the Nile. But the interest of Assyrian Literature is*not confined to hymns, or even to inscriptions. A nameless poet has left in the imperishable tablets of a Babylonian library an epic poem of great power and beauty. This is the Epic of Izdubar. At Dur-Sargina, the city where stood the palace of Assyrian monarchs three thousand years ago, were two gigantic human figures, standing between the winged bulls, carved in high re- lief, at the entrance of the royal residence. These human figures are exactly alike, and represent the same personage—a Colossus with swelling thews, and dressed in a robe of dignity. He strangles a lion by pressing it with brawny arm against his side, as if it were no more than a cat. This figure is that of Izdubar, or Gisdubar, the great central character of Assyrian poetry and sculpture, the theme of minstrels, the typical hero of his land, the favored of the gods. What is called the Epic of Izdubar relates the exploits of this hero, who was born the son of a king in Ourouk of Chaldea. His father was de- throned by the Elamites, and Izdubar was driven into the wilderness and became a mighty hunter. In the half-peopled earth, so lately created, wild beasts had multiplied and threat- ened the extermination of mankind. The hunter found himself at war with monsters more formidable than even the lion or the wild bull. There were half-human scorpions, bulls with the head of man, fierce satyrs and winged griffins. Deadly war did Izdubar wage with them, till as his period of exile drew near to aclose he said to his mother, “ I have dreamed a dream; the vi SPECIAL INTRODUCTION stars rained from heaven upon me; then a creature, fierce-faced and taloned like a lion, rose up against me, and I smote and slew him.” _ The dream was long in being fulfilled, but at last Izdubar was told of a monstrous jinn, whose name was Heabani; his head was human but horned; and he had the legs and tail of a bull, yet was he wisest of all upon earth. Enticing him from his cave by sending two fair women to the entrance, Izdubar took him captive and led him to Ourouk, where the jinn married one of the women whose charms had allured him, and became henceforth the well-loved servant of Izdubar. Then Izdubar slew the Elamite who had dethroned his father, and put the royal diadem on his own head. And behold the goddess Ishtar (Ashtaroth) cast her eyes upon the hero and wished to be his wife, but he rejected her with scorn, reminding her of the fate of Tammuz, and of Alala the Eagle, and of the shepherd Tabou- lon—all her husbands, and all dead before their time. Thus, as the wrath of Juno pursued Paris, so the hatred of this slighted goddess attends Izdubar through many adventures. The last plague that torments him is leprosy, of which he is to be cured by Khasisadra, son of Oubaratonton, last of the ten primeval kings of Chaldea. Khasisadra, while still living, had been transported to Paradise, where he yet abides. Here he is found by Izdubar, who listens to his account of the Deluge, and learns from him the remedy for his disease. The afflicted hero is destined, after being cured, to pass, without death, into the company of the gods, and there to enjoy immortality. With this promise the work concludes. The great poem of Izdubar has but recently been known to European scholars, having been discovered in 1871 by the eminent Assyriologist, Mr. George Smith. It was probably written about 2000 B.c., though the extant edition, which came from the library of King Assurbanipal in the palace at Dur- Sargina, must bear the date of 600 B.c. The hero is supposed to be a solar personification, and the epic is interesting to modern writers not only on account of its description of the Deluge, but also for the pomp and dignity of its style, and for its noble delineation of heroic character. Epp hauuiv hibn ee em, CONTENTS THE Epic oF ISHTAR AND IZDUBAR: PAGE PO ANVOCRUOM van scwlewses cece ses ines e ee aeauireirels : 3 RDG SME OS EOLOCIL irs vows on celui ecu acs » 06 6] pene aeRO, or 5 ie RESCUG OL ETOCI i 75 yh. bs oma bein sprites ‘agi te aL ey os 13 Carmpanonr I2U0AT .. . . nan'as anelds dates ah en sae een eh 17 SSTICAY STN FEET NAICS 2, 2c ccje\a e's o/4 5 Suaatee aide at th aamene Tat 20 Isduhar balls in Cove with Ishtar... 5. as cusvels nee eie avn eatss 23 Ishtar’s Midnight Courtshipijoiue sd. jade sesh ask ott 26 The. King’s Second Dream ca. ce Fijeoas, anitiasls Melee ek OMS 29 Izdubar Relates, His Second Dream. ....%1)53 ch dia) 3 recut 32 Hedbani,, the Hermitiseeriin 2c... idss Sue i talild ete eG stots 36 Eexpeadition Of/ZaiGi ty cies cs-9 sihis Soin oR VIG A dey eee Sie bitie 38 Heabani Resolves.ta Returns siciot weal. Da, becuse s Aes iei 40 Heabant's, W isdani sss ovate eos: fo HAN ORS. Beat 42 IniPraise, of Izdubar, and: Heabaniocciiit Shel eek as asia bra: 44 ZAI BT CUITN op ae 6 0a co ewe da viys f AK EO ete eReD £3 46 The. wo; Maidens Entice. the:Seer i¢ s.naa) sds Jo. beep) i 48 Festival.in Honor,of-Heabani.. seas Jie. teed’. 50 Izdubar, Slays the; Midannit.;sneraruiae, Quotes set) apaelit bi 52 Annual Sale of the Maidens of Babylon.................... 53 Councilini the Palace salsa iss. sav boul? ie sient aan dite 61 The King-at the Shrine of Ishtar, aii. iv!) en 2argy 1 eel 65 The ,Kinpvat the; temple of,Samas,.... ecagit aie es 70 Expedition against) Khumbaba.~ saves. sath aceadanae wee res 72 Conflict.of the Rival: Giants... kansas Bly di. 75 Coronation of Izdubbariou sags xc teraisst so. WIRY OL Vu ee 77 The King’s Answer and Ishtar’s Rage............0...c0ue- 81 suiitany Complaine fc) Antena wes a 5 bic saree eats yd Ges, sao ote 83 Fight with the Winged Bull of Anu................. rea Ratiae 84 ne urbe OF Ishtar:s. aso Y caasl see wee tubten ss eis nine, sale ols 86 ignter weaves a opel Over (zdibaris fogs. aos sin ae cele s 89 Jahtar’s Descent ta bi ages ys ha eG yoink ees css begs gI Effect of Ishtar’s Imprisonment in Hades............. 93 vii Vili CONTENTS THE Epic OF ISHTAR AND IZDUBAR—Continued ire Papsukul Intercedes for Ishtar see te ke eo Ce ee eee 95 Release Or SHtars oe «sets cw ebielelete te fe Peers Gunite a ne etn ere 98 Tammuz Restored to Life i. tyre os os oes oe arene cae 100 Escape ofl ammuz from Places re aces wre eee ee 103 TheiKing and\the Seer Conversess. 0.0.2). .on seer seen 108 Contest with the! Dragons). gi octests se shew ies emi ee ante Sy te B Ce. Heabani Reveals Visions to the King........s.s0es+seeeeee 115 Grief-ofithe King Over Teabanieeiaisren 6 oc ties cies s ae 120 Burial of the Seer. 222 cee kee ses ose ee ee ee 123 Iedubardinters Hades ne ieee reatre awe oe cries semen nner 126 The King’s Adventure............ ine eae ne Geena cone ee ee 133 Whe King Meets’ Ur-neaw, tne acini ani cle cre erty eta 140 Mia: welcomes 1z7dgpariweee eee Ah gh eb iymiriincac: 146 Thetisine Becomes linmortal sep cwnes vee s een te ars eters 149 Izdubar' Falls in*Loverwith lua. vous seas aes eerie e ree 152 Mua’s'Answer osu. eerie st note eer ore Valea atlas sas 154 TABLETS AND CUNEIFORM INSCRIPTIONS: Babylonian Exorcisms s.:. 6/1, ss «is es oe ee ie eres ree 159 Accadian JH ymm:to istar