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Babylonia, the Land of Two Rivers The City-Kingdoms of Sumer FROM ABOUT  5000 B.C. to 2772  B.C.) In 3500 B.C. when histo ry was daw ning by the N ile, there there wa s in far away Asia, all all unk now n t o E gy pt, a no the r intelli intelli gent nation working out the great problems of culture and civilizati civil ization. on. A lready their K ing and Q ueen ueen were were holding magnificent court, sitting in splendid robes, wearing rare golden crowns and surrounded by beautiful things, while musicians entertained them by playing on golden lyres. This country was the land called Sumer lying far to the no rth an d to th e eas t of of the Nile Val Valle leyy beyond th e Red Sea and Ara bia. M en fo forr centuries centuri es tho ug ht th a t civil civiliz izati ation on began in Egypt but today no one can be certain; for in the

To th e left left a n alaba ster statu ette of a Sumerian woman of 3300 B. B.C. C.,, wearing a sheeps sheepskin kin dr dress. ess. Found a t Ur by C. Leonard Woolley Woolley.. Next, the Lord of of Fertility and the Mother Godde Goddess ss with her little son. The fac factt that these are divine beings is indicated by the enlar enlargement gement of their eyes in striki striking ng di distinction stinction fr from om th e human typ es shown in the other heads. Certain classes ooff Sum erian men wore long hair and a beard , other classes including priests shaved fface ace and head. Found a t Tel Asmar by the Oriental Institute, U niversity niversity of Chic Chicago. ago.

 

12

BE GIN NIN GS

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;•••**•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••*••••••••••••••  The royal family   at a  feast, the m en with clean-shaven faces and round bald heads. They wear th e scal scallope lopedd Sumerian skirt with naked upper bodies. Note the m usical instrume nt at the uppe r right corner, and the pprocess rocession ion of servants w ith cattle, goats, sheep,fish  fishand a  nd bu ndles of fo food od fo forr the feast. (A companion to the panel on page 13. 13.))

earliest days when Egyptians were discovering writing and gaining skill  in the a rt s, these peopl peoplee in the lan d of Su m er weree learning to do the sam e thin gs in a tota lly differe wer different nt way but with no less skill and success. In the valle valleyy between between two grea t rivers, rivers, the Ti gris an d the Eu -ph ra tes, where AsAs-syr syr i-a i-a and Bab y-lo ni-a were were later to rise to power, there stretched a low-lying plain over which the rivers on the ir way to th e Persian Gulf left left rich rich d epo sits of m ud jus t as the Nile Nile did in Eg yp t. Fo r  a  hundre d and sixty-five miles above the Persian   Gulf the long narrow Pla in ooff S hin ar lay bet between ween these two two rivers, rrich ich and green green and with nothing to here relieve endless flat monotony save level, a grove of palm trees an d its there silhouetted ag ain st the sky. Now Egypt had always been shut   off fr from om neigh boring tribes by the Cataracts and the desert—her people were left mu ch alon e to liv livee in com par ative peace; peace; b u t in th e L an d ooff Two Rivers, there dwelt   an  endless confusion   of  tribes, mountain people and desert people, constantly striving to gether to gain the farm-lands an d the pasture s. The earliest earliest settlers in the valle valleyy were were mou ntain-folk, calle calledd the Su-m e -

 

BABYLON IA, TH E LAND OF TWO RIV ER S

13

rians, who had swarmed down out of their heights to live on the ferti fertile le pla in. T hu s their land wa s first call called ed Su m er. In the grow ing cities of S um er row s of flat flat-roof -roofed ed house s, made of sun-baked clay brick with walls more than ten feet high, rose ros e along narro w lanes. l anes. Th read ing the ir way thro ugh the cany ons formed formed by these glistening w alls as they a ngled a way up th e street, m en w ith closeclose-shave shavenn hea ds, roun d an d bald as a ba by s, wen t ab ou t the busine ss of of li life dres dressed sed in oddly flounced and scalloped little skirts. Some led cattle to market, others carried great bundles fastened on their backs and steadied by str ap s roun d their foreheads foreheads.. Here a soldier passed in his trim felt military cape and his closefitting copper helmet, there walked a woman dressed in sheep s fleece w ith a tur b an aro un d her head, and thun der alon g up th e stree t on solid wooden discs ooff wheels wheels, , cam e aingclumsy wooden chariot drawn by four donkeys abreast. People in the lan d of of Su m er h ad long ago llearned earned to weave weave cloth an d in their busy m ar ke t places, places, one could find find bea uti-

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A Su-me rian King at w ar, 3500 B.C C.. In th e top row he marches before before his chariot while naked prisone rs are driven before befo re him tha t he may decide their fate . In the m iddle row llight-armed ight-armed skirmishers engage the fo foee and behind come a phalanx of heavy-armed troops with copper helmets, short stabbing spears and heavy cloaks of felt. In the bottom row, fou fourr-wheel wheeled ed chariots, each drawn by four asses and containing a driver and a w arrior, arrior, advance over fall fallen en foes foes.. The wheels are an interesting feature, for Sumerians first invented the wheel to take the place  of  of sledges.  remarkab ly beautiful inlay ooff shell, la lapispis-lazu lazuU, U, and pink Umesto Umestone ne found at Ur by C. Leonard WooUe WooUey. y.

 

 4

BEG INN INGS

ful objects finely wrought of gold, all kinds of inky work, an d ski skilf lful ul carvings on stone . N o t a well-t well-to-do o-do m an in Su m er bu t owne owned, d, fo forr the stam pin g of of letters or business an d legal le gal do cu mtall en ts,slim his graceful sm all cylindrical cylifigures ndricalinseal, delicately delicat ely cu t in stone with most artistic lines. To such suc h a degree degre e of of culture the Sum erians h ad arrived, w hi hill e the nearest neighbors around them could scarcely mould a m u d do ll. M oreov er they ha d developed developed their civili civilizati zation on alone, knowing nothing in those days of Egypt, though they were learning to write at just about the same time as th e people in the valley ooff th e  Nile.   W riting began in Sum er just as it did in Egypt with making pictures of objects; but the bald-headed scribes of Sumer writing business docu m en ts or keeping the temp le records, instead of draw ing on paper or carving their pictures on stone, pressed the wedgeshaped end of a reed down into tablets of clay which they afterwards baked in the fire till they became hard like pot tery. Therefore Therefore these writing -pictures were m ad e up ooff wedge-shaped wedge-s haped lines lines like like th is one m ean ing s ta r ^ an d such wedge-shaped inscriptions are called cuneiform writing.

Shinar, the original Sumer; Babylon; As shur, and the growth of the Assyr Assyrian ian Empire. See p. 19; V. I, 182, 187.

 

BABYLONIA, TH E LAND OF TWO RIVER S

15

To the lef t Queen Shub- ad's splendid golden headdr ess ( 3000   B . C . ) I  discovered discovered in her gr ave at Ur by Mr . C . Leona r d Woolley, Dir ector ooff the Joint Exped ition of the Br itish Muse um and Unive r sity of of Pennsylva nia. The head an d wig were modelled by M rs. Woolley over the cast of a skull of the period. Nex t, a bull's hea d in gold w ith hair and beard of lapis-lazuli, the beard being the sign of a god. To the r ight a wig of of gold, the wavy lines engr aved w ith f ault aultless less r egular ity. Th e holes ar ound the r im ar e f or f ixin ixingg the wadded lining. The w ig is sshown hown on a head because it was mea nt to be wor n either as a helmet or a cer emonial headdr ess. {AH ar ticles on this page wer e f ound by M r . Woolley at Ur .) For Ur see pages 88- 89.

C omm erce an d tra d e in in Sum er, with all the bus tle ooff lif life, centered about the temples, those great tall zig'gu-rats or towers of receding square piles which rose in imposing dig nity like to some holy mountain in the center of a sacred enclosure. enclosur e. Befor Beforee the Su m eria n tribes ha d co come me dow n into the plain, their gods had dwelt on the loftiest summits in their highlands and when they settled in the valleys, the worshipers feared these god s wo uld g ri rieve eve in such flat low lands with homesick longing for the hills.   Andartificial so they mountains bu ilt fo forr them g reat towering of stone; these pyramids of their temples, where in shrines at the top, their gods might still live on high. The chief priest was really the king; he collected taxes, built canals, decided cases of justice, an d even even engaged in ^ .., ,

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t r a d e , a n d g r a d u a ll y the th e se p n e s t - k m g s ^a^„t?'-?SM?h M?ht'c'ov^'r edS came to live in very great splendor as   Zr^^^^,^^ ^,eZT'°'''

 

16

B EG IN N IN G S

the ir cit cities ies grew grew in w ea lth. Powerful Powerful lines lines of city Ki ng s ruled a t Kish and Ur, at La r sa and at Nip -pu r. And when these these great Kings died they were buried in sumptuous style, not only with all their belongings and the glory of headdress or crown, but with a mighty slaughter of men and women of the court and of oxen to draw their chariots in the world to which they were going. W hen the great Quee Queenn Shu b-ad died, she took w ith her to her tomb her chariot and teamt of asses, three royal grooms to drive her, six six bearers of of golden golden lan lances ces and arrow s, wom en singers and harp players with beautiful golden harps, her gaming board to amuse her, her wardrobe, her jewels and or na m en ts, h er gold gold an d si silve lverr vesse vessels ls an d uten sils of of copper and stone. And a powerful King of the time, still more magnificent his mighty demand forthe companions proper royal inretinue to escort him to underworldand hada sacrificed in his tomb nine ladies of the court, fifty male a tt e n d a n ts a nd si sixx of of his finest finest oxen oxen to draw his two wooden ch ario ts. All All dra w n up in place a t the time of of the g rea t K in g s bu rial, they were were killed killed in perfe perfect ct orde r an d found five thousand years later in the very place where each fell. Splendid was the civilization that grew up here in Sumer, in spite of the barbarism displayed in the burial of its princes. Sum er coul couldd equal Eg yp t in in w ha t thro ug h per sistent thinking, love of beauty and skill it had gained in knowledge from the chaos of knowing nothing.

Milking customs of of ancient Sumer. To the left men pour the milk into jars, strain it, and work it into butter or cheese. At th e right a calf calf iiss tied to its mo ther b y a rope . A temple fr frieze ieze from Tel-el-Obeid (4300   B. C . ).

 

BABYLONIA, BABYLONI A, T H E LAND OF TW O RIVE RS

17

Sargon I, the Ruler of Sumer and Akkad (2772 B.C. TO 2717 B.C.)

Always the green fertility of the Valley of the Two Rivers tempted tribes desert andafter the raid barren moun tain-sideswild to seize thefrom food the supply. Raid occurred, and at length black-bearded herdsmen, roving tribes of Sem ites ites fr from om the rocky A rab ian desert, settled settled t o the n or th of Sum er an d calle calledd the ir co un try A k ka d. For years the Semites were wanderers and built them se sellves ves no ci citi ties es bu t lived lived in ten ts as their fathers h ad , roam  ing hither and yon wherever they could find pasture. In their wanderings, now and then, they came to the southern cities, those wonderful cities of Sumer. Beholding the riches of Ur, of Larsa, and of Nippur, the herdsmen longed to possess them. Th en Sa r go n, the Sem ite, the hu m ble son of of a low-born mother, made himself King of Akkad and the first great Sem -it ic   chief Sargo n ta u g h t his soldi s oldiers ers to figh fightt w ith bows an d arrow s, instead of crouching back of shields and using only spears as was the Sum erian custom . Se tting forth forth with his arm y, he fell on the men of Sumer, who fought in remarkable order, the warriors close together with overlapping shields.

A Sumerian City-King, lleading eading a phalanx of  is troops who advance in remarkable order behind square overlapping overlapping shields. shiel ds. Th e Sumerians were the first peopl peoplee in the worl worldd to go into ba ttle in order. Such dis discipl cipline ine was unkno unknown wn in Egypt at th is ttime. ime. The a rt of war be began gan in Sumer. Sumer.   Found at Lagaah, now n the Ix)uvre, Paris.)

 

18

BE GIN NIN GS

Th e wandering Semiti Semiticc tribes had no organ organized ized troops an d  no is ci cip lilin e. e. T h eeyy fo ug ug ht ht h iitt o r m iisss a s t he he y c ho ho ssee  no d is in sharp contrast to the orderly Sumerians. The Semites w eerre b ea ea rd rd ed ed a nd nd h ad ad b us us h y h ai air in c on on tr tr aass t t o t he he clean-shaven Sum erians. This distinction lasted for m a ny ny y ea ea rs rs a ft fte r t h e S em em it ite s c on on qu qu er ere d t h e S um um e rriia ns ns . See pages 87-88. (A Semitic atone carving.)

Arrows flew further than spears; so in spite of the wellordered charges made by the warriors of of Sum er, Sargo n de feated the King of Ur and conquered all the land. E as t across across the Tigris to th e mountain land of Elam with if -c   norrrwir   •frf>Qr> In f > t - n i i c T ^ Q C CC C ^l- ° l l d l l U W , LI Cc tL -ll CH JU S pa S S S r r./ r./-v -v»»-ii4- t-i, V •.T ,V +- /-.^ i^- iic . o/-vl eS, n C S e n t n i S VlCtOriOUS SOl ,. , , -p* QlgrS anCl W eSt UD th C X ll< <U ~ -i

phrates to the shores of the Mediterranean; and so at last he ruled all the vast Land of Two Rivers, all the cities of Sumer, and all the tribes of herdsmen who pastured their sheep in Akkad. T he hhal alff-wil wildd Sem ites wand ered no m ore, b u t settled down an d b uilt citi cities; es; they turned to the Sum erians to learn how t o read an d write, how to farm farm a nd carry on business, an d how to arrange their armies in orderly formation. Men of the Semite tribes married Sumerian women. On the streets of Sumer and Akkad were seen both the dark-bearded Semites in their flowing woolen robes and the beardless, bald-headed Sumerians, clad only in ruffled s k i r t s . G r a d u a l l y S e m i ti ti c replaced the early Sumerian and became the language heard everywhere throughout the length of the land. For fifty-six years Sargon I ruled over Sumer and Ak kad, and he was so proud of Sumerian man with shaven head, monstrous beaked   his deeds r i - lthat T j ^he   -L ' i - jthe caused

nose and fl flounce ouncedd skirts   a s to n e c arv in g ) a n d t h e f in el el y t a l e O l H I S carved fi figure gure ooff a woman, probably Semitic, her hair in ^-<*'C   ^^   * ^ ^ a^t a^t^wi ^wist sted ed loop, her garm ent a long, fri fringed nged shaw l. (A   ^^   ta b lc tS

1 11 11 6 t O D e W rittC n * ' -  - ^   ^ •• * of C k y . A p a r t

 

BABYLONIA,  TH THE E   LAND  OF TWO   R I V E R S 

19

Sargon'a Sem it itic ic mother en trusts   h r son to th river a scene resembling the  tale of the  babe Moses. The back ground  is  typical o  off  the fertile Plain o  off   Shinar. Round basket-boats o  off  rushes are stil stilll used on the  Euphrates.

o f th is tale res emb les   t h e   B ib le s to ry  of   M o s e s ,  t h e   b a b e .  off  Akkad, am I; Sargon,   the   powerful king, King o  off  low degree, my  father  I did not  know. My mother was  o The brother  of my   father dwelt in the  m ountain; My city was As-u-pi-ra'ni,  on the  banks of the   river Euphrates; M y hum ble mother conce conceive ivedd  m e ; i  in n  secret sh shee broug ht me forth. She placed   me in a   boat,  a   basket-boat  of   rushes; with pitch she closed   my door. She gave  me to th the e  river, which did not  ris  risee abo ve me; T he river bore me along; along;  it  carri  carried ed me to A kki, Akki, the irrigator. Akki, th  the e  ir  irrigator, rigator, reared  me as his ow own n son. Akki,   the   irrigator, appointed  me his  gardener. While   I was his   garden er, I sh tar , (m other goddes goddess) s) looked looked  on me w ith love, In four years   I   ruled  the   kingdom. For some two hundred years, the descendants of Sargon I ruled in Sumer and Akkad Akkad.. Sar Sargon gon s son, Naram-Sin, a man of wisdom and strength, built temples, roads, and canals,  and brought the cities still closer together under one central rule. But it came to pass in time that the city of Ur rebelled, threw off the yoke of the Semites, and once again created

 

2

BE GIN NIN GS

S t e l e o f N a r a m - S i n , ssoo n o f S a r g o n ( 2 8 00 00 B , c ) . T h e king has pursued the enemy into a mountain strong hold in Elam . I n militar y dr ess , car r y ing his bow an d ar r ows, he ascends a mountain, f ollowed by soldier s with sta nd ar d s and spear s . His enem ies, kill killed ed in m a s s e s s l iidd e d o w n t h e w o o d e d m o u n t a i n s lo lo p e . O n e just bef or e him, begs f or mer cy while the king lower s his weapon to show that he grants the conqu ered their lives. I n the sky ar e two star s of I sh tar , the pr o tectr ess of Aklcid of war e ear liest ea t Semitic worand k of ofthe ar t,goddess don e with r ealism eal.ismThand skill andgr the first attempt to show landscape, mountains and trees.

a great Sumerian empire under the rule of her kings. Henceforth for five hundred years,  there were priest-kings i n U r o r L a g a s h , o r m o u n ta in king s of E lam who conquered the land of Sumer. B ut du rin g thi s time of of con con fusion, other Semitic tribes, Am o-rites from from Sy ria, ha d seized the town of Babylon, an obscure little backwoods village on the banks of the m u d d y Eu p h r a te s . U n d e r th e rule of these Amorite kings, Babylon grew in strength till at last she stood forth in splendor, the greatest of the cities of Sumer, greater than Sin and Larsa, grander than U r a n d N ip p u r . The Kings of Babylon con q u e r e d th e la s t r e m a in in g descendant of the powerful

Ur-E n gur of oand f Ur Akkad and brounder ugh t all Sumer the rule of Baby lon. Th en for for the first first tim e the L an d of Two Rivers came to be called Babylonia. H am m ur abi and t he Fir s t G r e at K ingdo m of B abylon (2067 B.c,  T 2025   B.C.)

In  t  those hose days, there there came to the thron e of of B abylon, H am m u-ra bi, the M ighty , the sec second ond great Semitic Semitic king . Still at heart half a herdsman, he loved his vast flocks of sheep

 

BABYLON BAB YLONIIA, TH E LAND OF TWO RIVERS

21

A g r o u p o t E l a m i t e s f r o m t h e m o u n t a i n l a n d t h a t l a t e r b e c a m e P e r s i a , b o w i n g t o t h e g r o u n d fo fo r m e r c y b e fo fo r e a K i n g o f A s s y r i a . T h e s e m o u n t a i n e e r s w h o m H a m m u r a b i d r o v e b a c k t o t h e i r h il il l s w e r e c o n s t a n t l y s w o oopp i n g d o w n o n t h e plains and harry ing Babylo nia and Assyria. No te their plain sho rt sleeved tunics, their bows and d ecorated quive rs and the tasseled fillet filletss on their heads. See the opposite page. (From an Assyrian Stone Carving.)

like like his wa nderin g Semitic ances tors; an d he celebrat celebrated ed the sheep-shearing feast as his favorite festival. Yet he was a man of the city who spent long hours holding court or dic tating brief clay letters to settle affairs of state. Back to their mountain homes he drove the fierce tribes of Elam; he subdued the desert wanderers and held the restless restl ess ci citi ties es of of Su m er qu iet b ene ath his rule. A s shu r, Queen of Assyria, on her low bluff above the Tigris, Asshur he held iinn his h an d s; Babylon he forti fortifi fied. ed. C an als an d reser reser voirs he heaven, dug; roads he people laid; new heinbuilt. All the gods of so his said,shrines rejoiced Hammurabi, law-giver, warrior, builder. W hen H am m ur ab i hel h eldd court, great cr crowds owds thronged the passage-ways that led to the hall of state. In the midst of a bright-h ued processi procession, on, prece preceded ded by men blowing tru m pe ts, the Great King entered the hall, clad in his long, flowing gar m ents , his squ are beard cover covering ing his breast, his upper lip clean-shaven after the desert custom. Behind him walked two attendants, one bearing the royal fly-whisk, the other

 

 

BEGINNINGS

figur of the lion-headed eagle holding two stags, was a copper relief found at Ur.   Hammurabi holds court. The figur

holding the long-handled royal umbrella over his head. Between rows of kneeling figures, the King advanced to the throne. Then courtiers began to chant: "H am m ur ab i, glorious glorious son of Sin'mu-ba l'lit l' lit,, came to his reign rei gn in the vigor of of his yo uth . O ut of of our land s he drove th e fierce erce tribe s of of Elam , back to their easter n m ou nt ain s he sent them; tribes of the west to the desert he banished. Mighty i n b a t t l e i s H a m m u ra b i Ro a d s t o t h ee cities,  cana ls fo forr the  cities, cana farmers, justice and prosperity for all peoples gave Ham murabi. Glorious in peace is he, chosen of Mar'duk " With aof clash of came cymbals the chant ended, the bearers tribute forward to laywas gifts at theand Great King's feet,—a casket of gold from Ninevah, stone figures of Ishtar from Sippar, and a silver girdle from Ur. Next, there advanced post-runners, slim and muscular fellows, bringing the Great King messages from distant city governors, and after them, rows of petitioners whose cases Hammurabi patiently heard and judged. Not till his long hours in court were over was the busy H a m m u ra b i fr free to se seek ek repose a t las t on the loft loftyy ro roof of of of his

 

BABYLONIA, THE LAND OF TWO RIVERS

3

palace which stood four stories high, rising up from a great mound of earth. From his roof the King could see for for m iles over all th e land aro un d. To the west, across the Euphrates, slug gish an d chocolate colored, colored, he saw a flat green valley that melted in in the distance dis tance int o the purple haze. haz e. To the n orth an d east and sou th, were were va st ric richh stretches of green, that won derland of fertility between the two great rivers.1-^ooThere ortr\ mViani t-/- 1o /4

r r r o - n r  nr\r n g i C W l, (J ll l •L 1„ , „ „ D a r l e y , a n .

c tl lU W l l C d L , U C d r U c U J  „ 4  U 1 'j - l . a V e g e t a U l e S , W l t n , ,

Ha mm urab i receives fr from om the sun-god the laws des c rrii b ed ed o n ppaa ge ge 2 66.. R a y s a rree v is is i b le le b eh eh in in d t h ee shoulders of the sun-god. Ham murab i wears a turban a nndd a l o n g r o be be d rraa p eedd i n l o n g f o l d s , w it it h t h e r i g hhtt arm and shoulder bare . His upp er lip is clean-shaven.

cedar trees, cyp cedar trees,  cypres resss an d p alm s. s.   (^'^°' ^* '*^* Hammuraw recording the laws.) Out from the city ran great stone roads, built by Ham murabi, and at intervals on all those roads, were well-kept postal stations, where relays of fresh runners stood ready to carry clay letters on a regular p os tal servi service ce between between th e   iffere fe rent nt tow tow ns. G rea t cara van s of m erch ants an d those bring  °

U n o p e n e d c l a y l e t t e r s o f H a m m u r a b i ' s t i m e . T h e k i n g h a d a r e g u l a r p o s t a l s e r v iicc e b e t w e e n t o w n s . T h e c l a y envelopes are addressed with the name of the person to whom the letter was sent and stamped with the seal im pression of the sende r. Th e envelopes at the righ t and lef leftt are broke n at th e top showing parts of th e letters inside. (Yale Archa eologica l Collection.)

 

 4

BE GIN NIN GS

ing trib ute to Babylon wound daily over the these se road s. And through all the fields and villages a network of canals stretched stret ched away fr from the river river,, providing a water supply th a t never failed through the year. Th e Grea t K ing 's hear t was fille d w ith pride. A rich rich lan d was that before him, a land second only to Egypt, where Am-en-em'het III now sat on the throne of the Pharaohs. On the narrow, crooked streets of the royal city of Baby lon, scores of little shops opened where each day people bar gained for for clothing , food ood an d sup plies. Soldiers wer weree stationed at various points to keep the city in order, and the market square was crowded with caravans of asses loading and unloading their heavy bales of goods. There, too, wild Kas'site mountaineers, a fierce white tribe from the eastern hills, brought a beautiful, strange, new ne w an im al which which the people of Bab ylon ia ccal alle ledd the be as t of the m ou nt ain s. Th is anim al was the horse. horse . The Kassites had got him in trade from the Indo-Europeans, the ancestors of the great white race, who then roved the

Kasaite moun taineers, neighbo rs of the Elam ites, show the first first horses known in history to curious crowds in Baby lon, about 2000 B.C. Heretofore the only beasts of burden Itnown in Babylon had been the ox and the ass. These white-skinned high landers, wild and barb arou s men of the hill hills, s, later caused Babylon much trouble . The ir beard less face facess and co stumes of turb ans a nd short tunic s are taken from from Kassite seals, one of which is is shown on page 49.

 

BABYLONI BAB YLONIA, A, TH E LAND OF TWO RIVERS

25

At the lef lef t a spinner of Ham mu r abi s da y sits cr oss oss-- legged legged on a stool while an atte nd ant sta nds behind her w ith a f an. Her f eatur es ar e tr uly Semitic and she is a lady of high r ank as her cl clawaw- legged legged f ur nitur e, her r obe, and e lab ora te hair-dressing show . Before her on th e tab le is a fis fish. h. (Carv ed stone from Susa; Par is, Lou vre.) At th e right ar e two boxer s, a man w ith a kettled r um and a wom an with castanets . ( Babylon ian Car vings, Br itish Museum.)

Northern Grasslands beyond the Caspian Sea, catching the graceful wild horse as he raced and sniffed the wind in the freedom of the steppes. Ca rav an s ffro rom m S i nai and even even f ro rom m di st an t Egy pt cross crossed ed the desert to Babylon, carrying stone and copper, silver, gold, an d spices spices,, to be exchanged for for food. food. C ot to n an d teakwood came came fr fr om India by bo ats on the Persian  Gulf cedarwood and marble were brought down from the hills. T ra de was the lilife of Bab ylon. In the crowded crowded ba zaa rs of the city the Semite merchants, in love with the noisy bus tle of commerce, set u p new new sta nd ar d s of of co un ting . T hey weighed things by the   mina,  which had the same weight as pound;  t obut sixties 6the 0   shekels a   they mina, counted and 60  by minas   t o ainstead   talent of . tens,— Moreover, as more and more tra din g was done, they they dis covered the use of money to take the place of barter. Silver was melted up and formed into pieces of different weights, so that when men spoke of a shekel, they meant a small bit of silver weighing one-sixtieth of a pound, and a talent was a large bar of silver weighing sixty pounds. Thus the Sem ites of Babylon invented the first form of money. • I t was ffrr om this me thod of counting tha t our hour was divided into 60 minutes an d the min ute into 60 seconds.

 

 6

BEGINNINGS

The ness temple ofs M arduk, th e famous Tower ooff BaTj BaTjel el,, ata Babylon Babylon. temple contained ut business busi off offiices ce and storehouses. Poor peasants bearing kid and a. This few palm branches stucknot in only a jar aofziggurat water asban offering to the god, and priestesses in twisted robes and sacred crowns mingle among the merchants.

Commerce in Babylonia centered in the cities around the great, rambling temples. So rich grew these temples that they often loaned money to business men, and in Baby lonia first arose the custom of charging interest, of giving drafts and receipts. Even the priests grew grew interested in in tra de . In the very temples where priest priestesse essess sang fervent fervent hy m ns to th e Fa the r, long-suffer long-s uffering, ing, an d ful fulll of forgiveness, co nt ra cts were m ad e, money was borrowed, slaves were hired, and goods were exchanged. Babylon was inde indeed ed the G re at City, clothed clothed in fi fine ne linen, and purple, and scarlet; decked with gold, and pre cious stones , an d p earls; a city gi given ven to pleasures, pleasures, th a t dw elt careles care lessl sly, y, whose m erc ha nts  w r the great men of the e ar th . At last when Hammurabi had brought all Sumer and Akkad under his control, he ordered the Scribes to collect the various laws which he found in different parts of the land. He arranged these laws, made them over, and added

 

BABYLONI BABYL ONIA, A, TH E LAND OF TWO RIVERS

27

oth ers of his own. Th en he ordered the new new code code carved on a pillar of the temple, while copies stamped on clay were sent to judges thro ug ho ut the land. T his coll ectio ion n of H am bi 'ssame is the fir first st as kn ow n code of   Itcollect gave women almmosutrathe righ ts men an d in laws. laws.  sisted on justice for all, but, strangely enough, it required th a t pu nis hm en t for for an injury injury should be in the form form of of the same injury to the person who had been guilty. If a man had caused the loss of a gentleman's eye, his own eye m us t be p u t ou t. T hu s the dem and of of a n eye eye for an eeye ye,, an d a tooth fo forr a to o th , which app ear s in the laws of Moses, began with Hammurabi. The great Hammurabi, likewise, collected a library for his palace. In his day people people learned learned to read an d sen t their children to schools very like our own schools of today. T he sch school ool house was a clay-brick clay-brick build ing ju s t inside th e

A school in ancient Babylon  4 OO  years ago. Th e children squat ting on mat s on the floor floor are rocking back and forth and sho uting their lessons aloud . Oth er children learn to write cuneiform letter s by pressing the stylus into soft clay. Thr oug h the open door in th e cour tyard a child child ggoes oes to the clay-box to get fresh clay for a ta blet . Th e large tablet on the wall shows how picture signs for foot, horse, bird, and fish gradually changed to the wedge signs for the word. The signs at the right still bear some resemblan ce to the pictures at the left.

 

28

B E G IN N IN G S

temple walls. There sat the school-master scribe waiting to greet the children within a very long room, on the walls of which hung tablets inscribed with the name of each child and t a r d ya. record of how many times he had been absent or Beyond, in an open court fr from om which oopened pened othe r room s, a box of soft clay stood ready to furnish the children material for making themselves new tablets. In a separate room sat the younger children, making wedge shaped marks in the clay and painstakingly practic ing writing, or copying ancient proverbs to guide their infant feet in the difficult paths of virtue. Tho u sha lt not sl slander ander— — speak wha t iiss pure Thou shalt not spread evil—speak kindly Do not speak boastfully—guard thy lips; If in anger, do not speak out.

Other children, more advanced, were sent to the reading room where they had to memorize the mea ning of of more t h an 350 wedge wed ge group s and com binations Whole books they memorized aloud, dictionaries, read ers,   histories, histor ies, geogra geographies phies,, an d arithm arit hm etics. S qu att in g on mats on the ground, they rocked their bodies back and forth in a regular rhythm, each shouting his lesson shrilly and at the top of his lungs. Girls were were gi given ven the sam e educ ation a s boys in Bab ylonia and many women became scribes and clerks, stenographers and secretaries. T hus under Ham m ur abi , B abyl oni a r eached t he hei ght of her earlier development. His reign was the climax of a thousand years of progress in the Land of the Two Rivers. Schools, books and libraries offered to all opportunities for education; good government and freedom from war made manufacturing flourish; and trade and commerce were free to fol folllow th e well-guarded well-guarded roa ds to ever everyy p a rt of the lan d.

 

BABYLONIA, T H E LAN D OF TW O RIV ERS

29

Weird demons: lion-headed monsters with legs like eagles, fight with daggers; the queer-looking scorpion-man shoots at a demon with human bead on a lion's body; a horse-headed creature and a double-headed figure.

Th e lieved li eved stone, The

el i ef s C o n cern i n g G o d s a n d D em o n s earli earliest est Sum erians in the Land of the Two R ivers be be th a t a sp irit lived lived in in every every object. Ea ch tree, each each pool, and spring contained a spirit or god. people believed also that certain demons or goblins

wandered th e earth, a t ethese the se dem at ta ck a nd ab haou rmt them unlessa they tnd heythwere wer controll contr olled edons by would magic charms or by prayers called incantations. If a person was sick or suffering, jealous or in a rage, he w as said to be pposses ossessed sed by devils wh o h ad entered h is bo dy by command of some god, or because of some magic spell cas t by a sorcerer sorcerer or a witch. C erta in people called called exorcists exorcists made a business of reciting incantations to drive these devils out. To the weird accompaniment of ghostly bluish fires made of fragrant herbs, the exorcist would dance and thus command the devils: "Away , away , f ar away , f ar away . B e as h am ed , b e as h a m ed F ly , f ly aw ay T u r n ab o u t, g o away , f ar away , Mak e y o u r ev il lik e th e s mo k e mo u n t to h eav en Ou t o f my b o d y away . Ou t o f my b o d y f ar away , Ou t o f my b o d y in s h ame, Ou t o f my b o d y f ly away . Ou t o f my b o d y tu r n away , Ou t o f my b o d y g o away . To my body do not return "

 

BE GIN NIN GS

3

A Sumerian worshipper conducted by two goddesses, one in a flounced robe, tlie other in a gown of long folds , app roach es the bearde d moon-god S in, who sits on his thro ne with th e symbol of his his wif wifee N an nar, goddess of of the new moon jus t before before him. A cylinder seal from from th e days of Ha mm urab i. Th e early Babylonian artists carved the se seals with mo st delicate skill. skill. T he y were usually little cylinders ooff stone which were roll rolled ed upo n soft soft clay to leave raised impressions of the figures. Such seals were used for making signatures.

Th e m ost im po rtan t gods in in the land we werre the ooll d na tur e gods of of Sum er— Sha m ash, the sun-god; Sin, Sin, the moongod; and A nu, Lo rd of of the Heavens. M an y of of these ha d been tri ba l god s when th e people lived lived in the mountains, and had become the special gods of the cities when the various tribes settled in the valley. En-lil of Nip pu r, was god of the wind;   el  an d N i ni b wer were war-gods,, M ar du k was a Semiti war-gods Semiticc god, bro ug ht by the ccon on querors to Sum er; b u t he ou tranke d Sum erian gods an d be came th e chi hieef god of of B aby lon. Som e said he was the Cr eato r.

Sham ash, the sun-god of eternity. Above him are supported by cords held by a priest and Aa, wife wife

Sippar, sits upo n a carve d thro ne in his shrine, holding rod an d ring, symbols of of royalty or signs of the sun. the star Venus, and the moon. Before the shrine, the disk of the sun, by tw o lesser lesser gods, stan ds upon an altar. A king is being led iinto nto th e sun-god s presence of of the god. ReUef ReUef from from a temple at B abylon now in the B ritish ritish Muse um.

 

BABYLONI BABYL ONIA, A, T H E L AND OF T W O RI VE RS H ow Mard Marduk uk

31

reat reated ed the W orld

In   the

beginning there was no earth, no sky. All was a wateryy chaos ti water till ll Ap'su, the D eep, M um 'mu , the W ater, and dread T i-a'm at, the Sea, the lords of of primeval chaos, created created gods and monsters who floated on the teeming waters for ever quarreling and striving amid the rage of billows. Then the good good gods chos chosee E'a their leader leader an d set them sellves se ves to bring ab ou t a reig reignn of of law an d o rder. In the m idst of prim prim eval waters they waged waged a m ighty confli conflict ag ain st the demons of Chaos. Apsu Apsu and M um mu they took captive; captive; b ut T i-a'ma t raged raged the louder louder an d gathered ab ou t her for a second battle all the monsters of the deep. Sharp of tooth and merciless of fang, With poison instead of blood she filled their bodies; She clothed with terror the terrible dragons, Decking them with brilliancy, giving them a lofty stature . . . She brought forth great serpents, dragons, and monsters. Hurricanes, raging dogs, and scorpion-men; Mighty tempests, fish men, and rams. Bearing cruel weapons, fearless in combat. Mighty in command, irresistible; In all ele eleven ven m onsters of of this kind she m ad e,

In themidstofprimi-valn.it' themidstofprimi-valn.it'TS, TS, Marduk figh fights ts Tiam atandherde mona , See the demons demons,, page  29;  29 ; the combat, page 109.

 

32

B E G IN N IN G S

So h i de ou s wa s t he a sp e c t of a l l t h i s f r i gh t f u l h o st , t h a t n o g o d d a r e d t o a s s a i l t h e m , t il i l l M a r d u k r o s e u p a n d a g r eeee d t o g i v e b a t t l e t o d r e a d T i - a ' m a t . L o u d l y t h e g o d s r e jjoo ic i c eedd . T o t h e f e aass tt - h al al l t h e y s u m m o n e d M a r d u k . Then they placed in their midst a garment, To test the power of Ma rdu k, their first born . Th ey said: "Thy fate, O Lord, be supreme among the gods Declare that this garment vanish, And speak the word again that the garment reappear " Then Marduk gave command, and the garment vanished; He commanded again, and the garment appeared. Then the gods, his fathers, thus beheld the power of his utter ance ; They rejoiced and paid homage to Marduk, King; They gave bestowed on him scepter, and crown; They him dominion over allthrone the gods. So did M a rd u k go forth; to meet T i-a 'm at he we nt. H is face he covered with the lightning; with burning flame his b o d y h e f il il le le d . Of t h e f o u r w i n d s he m a d e a n e t t o e n sn a r e Tiamat, his foe; he sent before him the hurricane. The leader of Tiamat's army, dazzled by the light that gleamed from Marduk's face, slunk away in despair, but T i a m a t h eerr se se llff p r e s s e d f o r w a r d w i t h aall l h e r m o n s t r o u s h o s t . O n sh sh e c a m e u n t i l M a r d u k h a l t e d h e r w i t h a s h o u t . " A g a i n s t t h e g o d s , m y f a t h e r ss,, t h o u h a s p l a n n e d e v i l ,,"" h e c r ie i e d . " S t a n d a n d l et et u s j o i n b a t t l e " "T hen stepped forth forth T i-a'm at and M arduk leader of the gods. gods. To fight they advanced, to battle they drew nigh. The lord spread his net and encompassed her. The storm-wind, stationed behind him, he drove in her face. Tiamat opened her mouth to its full extent. He drove in the storm-wind before she could close her lips. He overcame her and destroyed her life; He cast down her carcass and stood upon it."

 

BABYLONIA, THE LAND OF TWO RIVERS   Beholding th eir lea leader der slai slain, n, the thr on g ooff T i-a m at was scattered; scatter ed; her host was broken up . B ut M ar du k ffeell on the monsters; he took them captive and broke their weapons; he cau gh t them in his net. They sat fast in in his snare an d filled the whole world with their wailings. Th e n Ma rd u k a p p ro a c h e d t h e b o d y o f Ti a m a t . H e c u t her in two like a fis fish. h. Of one half half he mad e th e ear th ; of of th e other half he made the sky and between he established the station s of all the sta rs. N an na r, the moon-god, he broug ht forth and entrusted with the night; he placed him to light the darkness and mark the passing of months. Ne xt, M ar du k create crea tedd m an kin d; he create createdd the beasts of the fi field; eld; he m ade all living living thing s; Tigris and E up hr ate s he formed and he set them in their places; soil and grass, the marsh-plant, the reed, and the forest he planted. The wild cow and her young, the wild ox, the ewe and her young, the lamb of the fold, the goat and the mountain goat he brought forth. Houses and cities he made and temples for the gods. Thus man dwelt on the earth and honored the gods on high. So ended the story of Marduk, but since the people be lieved that the sun, the moon, and each of the stars was a god, set in place by Marduk, they thought that by watch ing the po sition of all all these heavenly bodies, they could rea d the will of the gods and tell whether or not it was wise to undertake a journey, or embark on a business venture. Babylon became a city of sorcerers, of diviners, astrolo gers,   star-gazers, and monthly prognosticators. gers, According to Babylonian views of the universe, the gods lived in the skies, men lived on earth, and in a dreary cave under the earth lived the unfortunate dead, inactive and neglected, feeding on dust and clay. Every year the god Ta m m uz, husb and of the earth-goddess I sh tar, was obo b-

 

 4

BE G INN ING S

star-g aze rs on a temple ziggurat. T he priest measures the angles an d move men ts of the star s with an astrolob e while his assistant draw s a map of the heaven s. Real knowledge of of astronom y began in Baby lon; but it was twisted to the uses of astrology, that the star-gazers might foretell coming events. Sorcerers and diviners made prophecies from from thun der-storm s, earthq uak es, ecUpses ecUpses and even by consulting clay-models of of the Uver ooff a sheep. See page 21 8.

liged to spend many months in the gloom of the Under world. Then all the earth mo urned for Ta m m uz ; grow th and fertility ceased and winter bound earth in chains. T h e S ttoo ry o f s h ta t a r a n d Ta m m u z Ish tar is the earth m other. At her com man d earth blooms an d lam bs an d bab es are born. B ut her love is a savage thing; in moments of rage she destroys th e very very thin gs she has m ade. Beaut Beautif iful ul is her face, hot her love, but terrible her fury. Now it chanced that Ishtar loved Tammuz, the bright young god of the sun . And Ish tar wedde weddedd Ta m m uz, ev even en as earth yields her riches to the wooing w arm th of of the sun. B ut Ish tar gre gre w an gr y one da y. In a fur furyy she sl slew ew her J?rrsf' sSplnT'^?Sd,*'serpent y o u t t g hu h u s b a n d . T h c su n - g o d , b e a u t i f u l , irmtil mtiln' n'se ser2 r2oSo oSoTs Ts^Bl ^Bl''° °''gl glowi owing, ng, she s en t t o t h e d a r k U n d e r-

 

BABYLONI BAB YLONIA, A, TH E LAND OF TWO RIVERS

35

world. W ith o ut him the earth gr grew ew col cold, d, the ea rth grew grew sad and dreary; all the earth mourned for Tammuz. Then Ishtar repented her deed and she, too, wept for Ta willl go to the Und erworld and bring T a m m uuzz . b She a c k said a g a i:n'T . " wil Toward the Land of No-return, the region of darkness, Ishtar, the daughter of the Moon-god, directed her way. The Moon god's daughter directed her way to the house of darkness, toward the house out of which he who enters, never returns; toward the house where he who enters is deprived of of ligh t; a place where d u st is their sustenan ce, the ir food clay; light they see not; they sit in darkness; they are clothed like a bird with feathers. At the gate of No-return, Ishtar cried out to the porter: "Open thy gate lest I smash it " But the porter went within. To Al-la'tu, Queen of the Underworld, he announced the coming of Ishtar. Like a broken ku-ne'nu reed, Al-la'tu sank together. "Admit her," she cried; "but disrobe her according to ancient law." The po rter opened to Ish tar ; at the ffirs irstt g ate he took of off

I s h t a r , b e a u t i f u l b u t t e r r i b l e , s t o r m s t h e g a t e s ooff t h e U n d e r w o r l d . T o t h e B a b y l o n i a n s , s e e i n g o n l y a m a t e r i a l cause in the lif e of the univer se, I shtar , the ear th- mother cr eated living things only to malce them decay and die. I shta r was var iiously ously called called Ash'to- r eth or As- tar 'te in the lands of of Syr ia, Palestine and the Wes t. See page 241.

 

36

B E G IN N IN G S

her crown; a t the secon secondd ga te, her earrings; a t the th ird , her jeweled necklace; at the fourth, her gleaming breast orna m en ts; a t th e fift fifth, h, her enameled be lt; a t th e six th, her brace lets an d a nk lets; an d a t th e seventh, s eventh, her loin cloth, her la st remaining garment. So Ishtar stood naked and shivering before the dark Queen of the D ea d. And with each each ad va nc ing step of Ish ta r s enf enforce orcedd disrobing , vege tation w ithered ithered o n ea rth . Th e world, li like ke Ishta r, stood nak ed; the world sto od naked like Ishtar, naked, forlorn and shivering. Is h ta r to ok no counsel; she threw he herrsel elff on Al- la tu; A ll llaatu , in anger, smo te her, sm ote her w ith sore sore disease. On ea rth all nature seemed perishing, lifeless, and withered as Ishtar. Then Ea, King of the Universe, decided to rescue Ishtar an d g ran t her h er the life of Tam m uz. He made a mo rtal m an , to bear his comm ands to Allatu. And AUatu AUatu smote her he r cursed the unfo rtun ate m ort al. Nevertheless, Nevertheless , sides;   she cursed sides; she wa s force orcedd to restore he alth to Is h ta r s lim bs, t o let h er go forth in safety. Oncee m ore the porte r led Onc led Ish ta r ou t thr ou gh the seve sevenn gates. At each ea ch gate he res restor tored ed un to her the o rna m en ts which he ha d tak en ; an d w ith each each brig ht jew jewel el return ed, the earth above woke up , gradually bloom ing again an d cove coverr  i n g  herself like Ishtar, with her jewels of grass and flowers. At theclad lastingate andand waspiping restored to Ishtar, fineTammuz raiment appeared and linen, upon his flut flute. e. Th e lovers embraced with rap tur e, an d as they they stepped forth from Underworld gloom, they emerged into brilliant sunlight; on earth all was summer once more. Nevertheless, each year Tammuz must go again to the gloom of of the Underw orld, to remain there with A llatu or t o go as porte r to th e gates of of heaven, an d while while he is ab sen t, winter reigns and all the earth mourns for Tammuz; but when he returns, earth rejoices and summer comes back again.

 

BABYLONI BABYL ONIA, A, T H E LAND OF TWO RIVER S

37

Th e sout south-wind h-wind overturns Adapa 's boat. Th e longin longingg ffor or eternal  life,  deep-rooted ed in the h eart of the Babylonians,  life, deep-root finds finds tragic expression in the ir fol folkk ta les like this this on  onee  of of Adapa, and th e  pic of  of Gilgamesh. T he hopelessness ooff the ir faith; the ir beli belief ef in a gloomy, tterrible, errible, exist existence ence after de ath, made every such tale end with  th e loss  loss of eterna l life. Some scholars scholars see in this story a likeness to th e Bibl Biblee tale of how Adam lost eterna l lif life. e.

T h e S t o rryy o f d a p a a n d t h e S o u t h W i n d Often mortals longed to escape the gloom of the Under world and find eternal life, but they could never accomplish it. The gods would not have it so. Even Ea, the kindly father of mankind, deceived his son, A'da-pa, into refusing immortal life at the moment when he had grasped it. Ea created Adapa to be his own son. He bestowed upon him wisdom, prudence, an intelligent mind; but he did not give him eternal life. Now Adapa dwelt as a fisherman by the seaside. seaside. One da y he st steere eeredd his bo at in to the wide lagoon when the S ou th W ind bl blew ew u p a sto rm . Like a bird of of illillomen she came; she ducked the fisherman under; to the dwelling dwelli ng of the fis fishes hes she m ad e him sink. Th ereu po n A da pa cried: " 0 So uth W ind, tho u h as t made me swal cried: swal l ow thy foa foam m as mu ch as tho u dare st I wi willl bre ak thy wing " And Adapa brake her wing; for seven days the South Wind could not rage over the land, nor sweep the sea with her stor m w ings. Th en Anu , god of of th e heavens, rose rose in a rage from his throne crying: "Bring me hither this Adapa who hath insulted the gods " And Adapa, thus summoned, set forth to climb up to heav en; b u t Ea his crea tor, gave him a word of of counsel:

 

38

B E G IN N IN G S

Behold, this is time of winter and Tammuz, the bright young sun-god, is absent from the earth, standing porter at heaven's gate. D o thou p u t on garm ents of m ourning , and when a rtthe come TamofmTa uz,m win goodwill goodwi llllbyT am saying 'I m outho rn ufor for absence absto ence m uzhis .' The n wi wil m uz: intercede for for thee befor beforee th e high fa face of A nu . N ev erth eles s, said E a, dr in k no t of of the dr ink ; eat no t of the food ood which they in heaven will will of offfer thee ; fo food od an d d ri n k ooff dea th is t h a t which the y set befor beforee th ee . Thereafter Thereaf ter Adap a did did as Ea had comm anded h im . H e cla cladd hi himse msellf in in m ou rnin g garm ents. He climbed climbed to heaven. H e won the goodwill goodwill of of T am m uz an d of his com rade, G ish-zi'da, who stood at the gate of heaven. And Ta m m uz an d Gishzida paci paciffied A nn 's anger. Anu grew calm again as a sea when the wind has subsided. And Anu said: No w ha th a m ortal man cli climbed mbed u p to us in heaven. W h at shall we do for him? W e m us t even even make him immortal, one of ourselves; for it is not meet th a t a mo rtal should know the secr se cret etss of the god s. Bring bread of life that he may eat of it and water of life, that he may drink of it. But Adapa touched not the bread. Adapa drank not the water. Ad apa h earkened earkene d to E a's words, E a' s ffal alse se wo rds of counsel;; he tho ug ht w ha t was set counsel set be be fore ore him was water an d brea d of of d ea th ; it was w ater and bread of life. So was Adapa tricked; so he refused immortality; he went back to earth still a mortal, and so did mortal man lose eternal life. T he S Stt o ry ry o f

t a n a a n d H i s F l i g h t t o H ea v en

E-ta'na, another hero, likewise sought to reach Ann's heaven ; for th e eag eagle le said to E ta n a; M y ffri riend, end, let me carry thee up w ard u n to the heaven heave n of of Anu. On m y bre ast pla place ce thy breast; on my pinions place thy hands.

 

BABYLONIA, THE LAND OF TWO RIVERS

39

E ta na mount ed the eagle and they rose rose in d arin g flight for the space of  a   double hou r. L o o k , m y f r ie nd , s a id the eagle. eagl e. Th e ear th ap pea rs as a moun moun tain, the sea has Etana, at the right, mounts to heaven clmging with one arm to the neck of t h e e a g l e . T h e m o o n i s j u s t a b o v e h i m . B e lloo w , t w o b a rrll ccii n g d o g s , am a n ^ ^something Ulce an umbrella,  a T _^„  _ cp r-r\r\  A   ^ goatherd and even his three goats, all I/Or  d acLOIlvI look up in amaze men t at Eta na 's fl fligh ight. t. Over the goa therd  ap o t t e r m a k e s l   1 ,1 jars and at the right of the jars a squatting bake r m akes roun d loaves. The I   < d O U D e n O U r t n e drawing is from from a n impression made up on clay by a bronze cylinder seal. V PPnmP 

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eagle carried Etana; the eagle carried Etana for  a   second dou ble ho ur. Onw ard they flew an d up w ard. a Lo ok , m y friend, said the eagle; th e sea sea is now   mere belt that girdles the little earth. A third double hour they flew, till they came   tothe heavenly gate, and there they alighted to rest. But the eagle urged Etana to mount up higher still, to mount to the realms of Ishtar, Princess among the gods. Oncee mo re fo Onc forr three doub le ho ur s they to ok their ffli light ght on ward and upward; the sea seemed  a little courtyard, the earth  a   garden-bed. Then Etana begged the eagle to cease his daring flight. But, alas, they had flown too high; already they had flown too high . Ish tar , the terrible, spied spied the m , saw saw them m ou nt in g th e heavens, the dwelli dwelling ng place of the god s. Like lightning, she hurled them to earth; she flung them down whence they came. The eagle was stripped of his feathers, and Etana was sent in disgrace to the gloom of the Underworld. Gil'ga-mesh Gil' ga-mesh knew of their fate; yet did th is th ird hero, Gilgam esh, da re to search search heav en's secrets an d seek seek etern al life life..

 

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Th e wil wildd man , Eab ani, half-bull half-bull,, half-beast, is is led by the wom an to see that h e is is more tha n a beast, th at he is like like to a god. She leads him away from the beasts, out of the jungle to the city, the next step in civilization.

The Story of the Strong Man, Gilgamesh In  w alled alled E'rech, th e ancien t, men wep t an d women si sighed; ghed; fo forr one laid sieg siegee to t he city,— Gil'ga-m esh, th e K ass ite, irre sistible in power, like to a mountain-bull, surpassing men in stren gth . And Gi Gilgamesh lgamesh took t ook the cit city; y; he trium ph ed over th e w arrio rs. H e snatch ed th e sons from from their fath ers, the virgins from their mothers. Then did the people of Erech cry to the goddess Ar'u-ru, that she might create a man to stand against this Gilga mesh. Aru-ru washed her hands; she took a piece of clay; she threw the clay on the ground and lo, she created Ea-ba'ni. A wild wild m an w as E ab an i; his body was cove coverred with ha ir; among beasts of the forest he dwelt; he ate herbs with the gazel gaz elle les; s; he d ra n k from from a tro ug h w ith the cattle; hhee spo rted with theGilgamesh creatures of thea waters. Now sent hunter to snare the savage wildm an ; b u t the hu nter ccoul ouldd not catch catc h hi him m . So Gil Gilgamesh gamesh bade the hu nte r take the beauti bea utiful ful wom an Uk h'a-tu to charm the dreaded Eabani. And Eabani loved the woman; and the woman said to E ab an i: Lofty Lofty ar t thou , Ea ban i, like like to a god. W hy dost tho u dwell dwell with the beasts? beasts ? Come with m e to wall walled ed Ere ch. *T he epic ooff Gilgamesh is the finest finest piece of Babylonian literature remaining to us toda y. Gilgamesh w as a real Kassite leader whose deeds were so enlarged and interwoven with myth as to lose all semblance of history. Th e story was ffound ound on 12 separate clay tablets. It spread from Baby lon to all all lands, inf influenci luencing ng the G reek story of the strong man Hercules and the Bible stories of Samsdn and of the Flood.

 

BABYLON BABY LONIIA, TH E LAND OF TWO RIVERS

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Eabani left the gazelles; Eabani took leave of the oxen; E ab an i cl clave ave to the wo m an. Th e wo m an became became his com panion; she led him out of the jungle back to the city of Erech; they put on festival garments with them who kept holiday. But soon there came against Erech, out of the mountains of Elam , Kh um -ba'b a, the terrible terr ible one, horr  horribly ibly threatening Erech. Bef Befor oree him m en bowed bowed in in terro r as bbef efor oree the rage  o the storm-wind. Th en Gilgamesh said said to E ab an i: Com e an d join fr frie iend nd ship w ith m e. On a gre at couch couch I will will place thee. R ulers of th e ea rth shall kiss th y feet feet,, if if tho u wilt go w ith me to f ight a ga ins t this K humba ba . E ab an i swore swore frie friendshi ndshipp to Gilgamesh. Tog ether they travelled th e ro ad . To gethe r they they ssaw aw bef befor oree the m a grove of wonderful grandeur, in the midst of which a cedar tree gave shade and diffused sweet odor. There stood K hu m b ab a's fortress fortress.. Th e com rades fell on the tyrant and Gilgamesh battled and slew him. Gilgamesh slew Khumbaba; and, rising up as a victor, he took off his blood-stained garments; he robed himself in pure white; he placed a crown on his head. T hu s did great Ish tar behold him . Ish tar, Queen Queen of the gods, mistress of destruction, she who unchains the

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Ishtar the goddess, offers the hero Gilgamesh  a  chario t of lapislapis-lazuli lazuli and gold iiff he w il illl become her husband.

 

4

BE GIN NIN GS

terrors  of war,  sh she e looked  on the victor  and loved him. A nd I s h ta r s aid a id un to G ilga il ga me s h: " B e thou m y hu s ba nd ; I will give thee   c ha r iot  of  lapis-lazuli  and  gold, with wheels   of gold  and h o r n s  of  sapp hire. Th ou shalt dwe dwelll i n   sweet-smelling house   of  cedar. Kin gs, lords, and princes shall bring thee tribute " But Gilgamesh knew  well the furious furious cruelty ooff Ish ta r an d how she s he ha d once slain T am m uz an d plucked th e beauti beautiful ful feathe rs of of th e b rig h t al-lal'lu bir d. So he refu refuse sedd to we wedd her. Then Ishtar flew   in  rage and mounted   up t o A n u , to Anu, lord   of  the heavens. She uttered loud c om plain ts against the hero, Gilgamesh. To comfort the goddess Ishtar, Anu created   bull; Anu m ade Alu, the stron g one; Anu sent forth for th the bull, sn orting with rage   of  de s tr truc uc tion, ti on, th a t  he m igh t destroy the hero. B ut Gilgamesh an d Ea ba ni went fort forthh aga inst th e m on ster. E ab an i sei eize zedd   it its s  ta il; Gilgam esh lift lifted ed  his  spear; he pierced   the  great beast to its he art . Lo ud rose rrej ejoi oic c ings in Erech. Violent  as  destruction, Ish tar climbe climbedd  to the  wall, the outer wall   of  walled Erech,  and she hurled fo rth hide ou s curses curs es ag ain st the hero, Gilgam esh. B ut Eab an i flung flung fu fulll in her face the carcass   of  the dead bu ll. " I will will do to  t h e e , " h e s h o u t e d , " a s  have done to this bu ll " T he n I s hta r ,   in  terrible silence, caused Eabani   to die; an d she sent dise disease ase up on Gil gamesh, till   all his  strength was gone and he, to o, wa s like like to die. die. Sadly he m ourn ed for E a ba ni, mour ne d   for th e loss of his com rade. Sad ly he wan dered with slow-dragging feet, GUgameshfights fights he bull aided by his friend Eabani.   Eabani.   cilffprirify anri CAdlrinrr Vioolinrr Afine seal of th  the e time of Sargon I U 11C 1 l l lg dl lU SC CiS-lllg l ll lCdl Cdll lllg, fine old Babylonian seal o  

 

BABYLONIA, THE LAND OF TWO RIVERS

4

longing to learn how mortal man might make himself im mortal. At length be thought him ofthethe hero one and only mo rtal who h ad ever ever es es caped from from dea th,U t-na-p ish t i m , th t h e d i st a n t  one,  who li lived ved  one, who far off and far off, at the Meeting-Place-of-the-Streams. The road there was full of dange rs. The road there ther e was full of terrors. Gilgamesh traveled the road

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gers an d terrors. He came to a gl glen en a t nightfal nightfall. l. Lions he sa saw w an d was frighted. frighted. H e raise raisedd his head in th e d ar k an d prayed un to Sin, the mo on-god. H e fought w ith and strangled a lion. The n passed he ou t ooff the gl glen en an d came to the m ou nta in, N ash u. From sunrise sunri se to sunset the m ou nta in reache reachedd a nd , within, it went down unto Ar a-lu, the dust-covered cave of the dea d. Scorpi Scorpion-men on-men gua rded it s gate, of terror-i terror-in n spiring aspect, whose appearance was deadly.

With awful words they described the dangers of that dread district to which Gilgamesh sought an entrance; yet Gilgamesh persisted; the Scorpion-men opened the gate; the hero entered the mountain. For one double hour Gilgamesh groped his way in dense darkness; for two double hours Gilgamesh groped his way in dense da rkn ess ; b u t after twelve twelve double h ou rs he beheld beheld before him a tree, a tree of splendid appearance, whose fruit was precious stones. Then came he to the sea, the waters whereof surround

 

 

BE GIN NIN GS

Gil Gilgamesh gamesh beseech beseeches es the maiden Sabitum to let him pass over the sea in his search for the secret of ete rnal life life..

the earth and flow under it, the sea on the banks of which the maiden Sa b'i-tum dwells dwells in her palac palacee and on h er thron e. Beholding the hero coming, the m aiden loc locked ked her gates. "T ho u shalt no t pass thr ou gh ," she said. "T ho u sh alt not pass over this sea." Then Gilgamesh pleaded with Sabitum; he told of Eabani's death and how he came seeking the secret which should save him forev forever er from from dy ing. Th e m aiden only replied: " N o one h at h crossed crossed this ocean. ocean. Dif Diffi ficul cultt is the passag e. Impassable are the Waters of Death that are guarded by a bo lt. Th ere is b u t one chance of th y crossing. crossing. See Seekk o u t Ar'di E'a , ferryman of of U t-na -pi sh'tim . If he wil willl tak e thee thee across, all is well; if not, then thy hope must die." So Gilgamesh soug ht Ardi Ea . Th e fer ferryman ryman h eard his plea and promised to take him the journey. A huge pole did Gilgamesh cut, a stout pole to serve as a rud de r. They two entered into the vesse vessel. l. The ship tossed to and fro; for a month and fifteen days the ship tossed about in the waters. Then came they unto swift rapids, wild, savage, dark, foaming waters, the dangerous Waters of Death. "H old fast," fast, " Ardi Ea shouted. "H old tho u ffast ast to the rudder " Strong was the powerful current, strong to bear them away; but Gilgamesh clung to the rudder.

 

BABYLO BAB YLONI NIA, A, TH E LAND OF TWO RIVERS

45

Utnapishtim astonished on the shor e, per ceives Gilgamesh and Ar di Ea cr ossing the danger ous Water s of Death.

They passed through the Waters of Death; they passed the dark waters in safety; and there on the shore they beheld him, Ut-na-pish'tim   himself astonished to see a mortal man approaching across those wild rapids. From the vessel the hero addressed him, recounting the death of Eabani, and begging to know by what means he himself might escape from the fate of dying. N o m ortal m an m ay esca escape pe f r om deat h, U tna pish tim made answer. The n how is it thou has t escaped? Gilgamesh fl flung ung back the question. Com e hithe r an d I wil will te tell ll the e, U tna pis hti m replied; replied; an d as Gilgamesh s ou gh t the shore an d seated himsel himselff on th e bank, Utnapishtim told Gilgamesh the   tory of the  Flood Thus spake the great Ut-na-pish'tim: The city of Shu'rip-pak did evil; the gods said: 'Let us destroy it.' Bel,, the warrio r, Ni'n ib , dread bearer of Bel of de struc tion , Anu , Lord of the Heavens, and Ea, Father of Waters, agreed to destroy the city by means of a terrible rain storm. Yet the heart of Ea yearned toward mankind. He could not forbear a warning; and to me he appeared in a dream, saying: 'The Lord of the Whirlstorm will cause destruc tion to rain up on thee in the evening. Therefor Thereforee build thee a ship. M ak e the house th ther ereof eof 120 cub its wide an d

 

46

BEG IN N IN G S

as m an y cubits high. Six stories, stories, one above an oth er, sha lt tho u build. Then tak e thy famil familyy into the ship an d tak e, likewise, every kind of living beast." "So as Ea ded. I built flat bottom ed   skiffa I bu ilt I itdid with u ptcom ur neman d edges. On ita Iflat placed plac ed a house, dwelling place of six six stories. I caused to ente r the sh ip m y family, and my household, with all kinds of living beasts. The n I looked looked a t the sky;   was terr terrif ified, ied, an d I, too, entere d th e vessel. vessel. Behind m e, I close closedd the door, "I n the sky da rk clouds appea red, within whic whichh the Lord of the Whirlstorm caused his thunder to roll. Over m ou nta in and lan d the destroyers passed; Dib 'ba-ra , lord of pestilence, let loose the forces of  mischief;  Nin ib, the terrible one, advanced in a fury of hate. The An-nu-na'ki, spirits, lords of the dreaded lightning, raised aloft their torches; their sheen illumined the sky. As R am 'm an 's whirlwind swept by, all all light was changed changed to dark ness. Terro r fell up on gods an d men . Bro ther cared car ed n ot for for bro the r; each ma n care caredd b u t for for himself.  The god s ran to seek seek a ref refuge in the m id st of of the high est heav ens. Like dogs, they cower cowered ed in th e sk y. Having let loose the lords of destruction, the gods could no t now control them . They had m ean t to destroy destr oy only only Sh ur'ip- pa k. Behold, Behold, they destroyed destroyed the whole whole ea rth 'Tsh e earth-mother, groaned; an dwith gods an d spirits   grief. wep t wtar, ith th her. They sa t overwhelmed over whelmed Fo r six six days and nig hts th e hurricane waged wa r like like the noise of an host; but when the seventh day dawned, rain ceased, and the sea became calm. Bitte rly weeping, I looked from from th e ship . All All m an k in d was returned to clay. In ever everyy direc directi tion on roun d ab ou t, I could see nothing save water. Then the ship approached M t. Ni'si Ni'sirr and clung to the peak of of the m ou nt . Fo r six six day s the ve vess ssel el hu ng there;

 

BABYLONI BABY LONIA, A, TH E LAND OF TWO RIVERS

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b u t when the seventh day d awn ed, I sent forth a dove to sseee if the waters had somewhat abated. The dove flew round about but, finding no resting place, returned again to athe ship. The n I sent forth swallow. swal low. Th e swal swallo low w fl flew ro un d ab o u t, but finding no resting place, returned again to the ship. Th en I sent forth a rav en . Th e raven fl flew of off and fou found nd mud in whic whichh it cautiously waded. It came no mo re to the sh ip. So was I sati sa tisf sfie iedd th a t th e wa ters a t last had subsided. I left the ship; I offered up sacrifice; on the top of the moun ta in I ssac acri rifi fice cedd to th e go ds. In seven bow ls I placed cala m us , cedarceda r-wood wood an d incens incense. e. Th e god s inhaled the od or. Th e god s inhaled the sweet sweet od or; like like flies they gathered toge ther

 

48

B EG IN N IN G S

ar o un d the sacr sacriifice fice.. Is h ta r swor sworee by her neckl necklace ace never to forgett t h a t day n or to let the floods forge floods lloos oosee ag ain . Be Bell alone was enraged; all mankind he desired to destroy; he was ang ry at m y escape. escape. T hen said Ea to Bel: 'Pu nish the sinner fo forr his sins. Pu nis h th e evilevil-doer doer for his evil evil deeds, b u t do n ot roo t ou t all men . Show thy merc mercyy to som e.' A t his w ord s Bel Bel repen ted. Bel Bel entered in to th e ship ; he to ok me by th e ha n d ; he caused m y wi wife to kneel by m y side; he stepped between between us to bless bless us ; he said: 'H ith er to U tn apishtim has been mortal, but now shall he and his wife be im m ortal like lik e to th e gods.' So the gods took me and placed me to dwell at the M eet eetinging-Place Place-of -of-t -the-St he-Strea reams. ms. So I bec became ame im m or tal; b u t th is gift gift of of eterna l lliife is is for no othe r m or tal m an . Thee I can heal of disease, but unless thou canst find the plant called 'Restoration-of-Old-Age-to-Youth,' thou canst not escape from dying. Th ere fe fell a deep sle sleep ep on G ilgam esh. T he wif wife ooff U tn a pishtim brewed a magic drink and gave it to the sleeping Refreshed, ed, he awoke ffrom rom his slumb er an d Ardi E a hero.   Refresh hero. bo re hi m of off to b at h e in th e fou nta in of life. Th erein he disp orte d his limb s an d he came forth heal healed ed ooff his sickness sickness.. In good health and strength again, he set forth to find t h a t precious precious pl an t, Restoration-of-Old-Ag Restoration-of-Old-Ag e-to-Youth. came a t last am to id a fou H e saw sawHethe flowe ower r a tfort theh bo H ttoe m gleaming gle aming the ntain pure. water. stretched stre tched forth his h an d ; he se seiize zedd it; he ha d it fast in his gras p. H e went to pull it forth, when lo, a serpent rose up and snatched the p la n t fr from om his fingers fingers.. E tern al li life was lost. I t wa s lost to him now forever. Gilgamesh sat down an d wept. He poured ou t his woe wo e to the ferryman; ferryman; bu t there there was na ug ht to do now. He m us t return to Erech and live the life of a mortal. In safety safety he cam e to Erec h. A hero he lived lived till he died .