Tablet III

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Anshar opened his mouth and

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54 Reading: (iml -li-ka-ma ak lib-bi-la i-ta-mi-lu.

55 i.e. his father's. 56'Me Assembly Hall.

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(I lo?

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To Gaga, his vizier, a word he addressed:

"O Gaga, my vizier, who gladdenest my spirit,

To Lahmu and Lahamu I will dispatch thee.

Thou knowest discernment, art adept at fine talk;

The gods, thy fathers, produce thou before me!

Let all the gods proceed hither,

Let them hold converse, sit down to a banquet,

Let them eat festive bread, poured" wine;

For Marduk, their avenger, let them fix

the decrees. (Io)

Be on thy way, Gaga, take the stand before them,

And that which I shall tell thee repeat thou unto them:

'Anshar, your son, has sent me hither,

Charging me to give voice to [the dictates] of his heart, [Saying]: "Tiamat, she who bore us, detests us. She has set up the [Assembly] and is furious with rage. All the gods have rallied to her;

Even those whom you brought forth march at her side.

They throng and march at the side of Tiamat.

Enraged, they plot without cease night

and day. (20)

They are set for combat, growling, raging,

They have formed a council to prepare for the fight. Mother Hubur, she who fashions all things,

Has added matchless weapons, has born monster-serpents,

Sharp of tooth, unsparing of fang.

With venom for blood she has filled their bodies.

Roaring dragons she has clothed with terror,

Has crowned them with haloes, making them like gods,

So that he who beholds them shall perish abjectly,

(And) that, with their bodies reared up, none

might turn them back. (30)

She has set up the Viper, the Dragon, and the Sphinx,

The Great-Lion, the Mad-Dog, and the Scorpion-Man,

Mighty lion-demons, the Dragon-Fly, the Centaur-

Bearing weapons that spare not, fearless in battle.

Firm are her decrees, past withstanding are they.

Withal eleven of this kind she has brought forth.

From among the gods, her first-born, who formed [her

Assembly],

She has elevated Kingu, has made [him] chief among

them.

The leading of the ranks, [command of the Assembly], The raising of weapons for the encounter,

ad[vancing to combat], (40)

In battle the comm[andl-in-chief-

These to his hands [she entrusted] as she se[ated him in the Council]:

'[1 have] cast the spell for thee, [exalting thee] in the

Assembly of the gods.

To counsel all the gods [I have given thee full power]. [Verily], thou art supreme, my [only consort art thou] I Thy utterance shall prevail over all the [Anunnakil!' She has given him the Tablets of Fate, [fastened on his] breast:

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57 This usc of patdqu is attestcd for metallurgy.

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'As for thee, thy command shall be unchangeable,

Thy word shall endure!'

As soon as Kingu was elevated, possessed of the rank of Anu,

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For the gods, her sons, they decreed the fate: (50) 'Your word shall make the fire subside,

Shall humble the "Power-Weapon," so potent in (its)

sweep I'

I sent forth Anu; he could not face her.

Nudimmud was afraid and turned back.

Forth came Marduk, the wisest of gods, your son,

His heart having prompted him to set out to face

Tiamat.

He opened his mouth, saying unto me: 'If I indeed, as your avenger,

Am to vanquish Tiamat and save your lives, Set up the Assembly, proclaim supreme

my destiny! (6o)

When jointly in Ubshukinna you have sat down rejoicing,

Let my word, instead of you, determine the fates. Unalterable shall be what I may bring into being; Neither recalled nor changed shall be the command of my lips l'

Now hasten hither and promptly fix for him your

decrees,

That he may go forth to face your mighty foe!" Gaga departed, proceeding on his way.

Before Lahmu and Lahamu, the gods, his fathers,

He made obeisance, kissing the ground at their feet.

He bowed low as he took his place

to address them: (7o)

"It was Anshar, your son, who has sent me hither, Charging me to give voice to the dictates of his heart,

Saying: 'Tiamat, she who bore us, detests us.

She has set up the Assembly and is furious with rage.

All the gods have rallied to her

Even those whom you brought forth march at her side.

They throng and march at the side of Tiamat.

Enraged, they plot without cease night and day.

They are set for combat, growling, raging,

They have formed a council to prepare

for the fight. (8o)

Mother Hubur, she who fashions all things,

Has added matchless weapons, has bom monster-serpents,

Sharp of tooth, unsparing of fang.

With venom for blood she has filled their bodies, Roaring dragons she has clothed with terror,

Has crowned them with haloes, making them like gods, So that he who beholds them shall perish abjcctly, (And) that, with their bodies reared up, none might turn them back.

She has set up vipers," dragons, and sphinxes,

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Great-lions, mad-dogs, and scorpion-men, (9)

Mighty lion-demons, dragon-flies, and centaurs-

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58 In view of the plurals in this passage (one text, however, retains the

singulars), the names of the moiisters are this time given in lower case.

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Bearing weapons that spare not, fearless in battle. Firm are decrees, past withstanding are they.

Withal eleven of this kind she has brought forth.

From among the gods, her first-born, who formed her Assembly,

She has elevated Kingu, has made him chief among them.

The leading of the ranks, command of the Assembly, The raising of weapons for the encounter, advancing to combat,

In battle the command-in-chief-

These to his hands she has entrusted as she

seated him in the Council: (100)

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'I have cast the spell for thee, exalting thee in the Assembly of the gods.

To counsel all the gods I have given thee full power. Verily, thou art supreme, my only consort art thou! Thy utterance shall prevail over all the Anunnaki!' She has given him the Tablets of Fate, [fastened on his breast]:

'As for thee, thy command shall be unchangeable,

Thy word shall endure] I'

As soon as Kingu was elevated, [possessed of the rank of Anul,

For the gods, her sons, [they decreed the fate]: 'Your word shall make the fire subside,

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[Shall humble the "Power-] Weapon," so potent in (its) sweep!'

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I sent forth Anu; he could not [face her].

Nudimmud was afraid [and turned back].

Forth came Marduk, the wisest [of gods, your son], [His heart having prompted him to set out] to face Tiamat.

He opened his mouth, [saying unto me]: 'If I indeed, [as your avenger],

Am to vanquish Tiamat [and save your lives], Set up the Assembly, [proclaim supreme my destiny]! When in Ubshukinna [jointly you sit down rejoicing], Let my word, instead of [you, determine the fates].

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Unalterable shall be what [I] may bring into being; Neither recalled nor changed shall be the command [of my lips]!'

Now hasten hither and promptly [fix for him] your decrees,

That he may go forth to face your mighty foe!"

When Lahmu and Lahamu heard this, they cried out aloud,

All the Igigi" wailed in distress:

"How strange" that they should have made [this] decision!

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We cannot fathom the doings of Tiamat!"

They made ready" to leave on their journey,

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All the great gods who decree the fates. (1130)

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They entered before Anshar, filling [Ubshukinnal.

They kissed one another in the Assembly.

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59 The heavenly deities.

60 Lit. "What has turned strange?"

61 cf. Oppenheim, Oyie@ia, xvi (1947), 223.

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They held converse as they [sat down] to the banquet. They ate festive bread, poured [the wine],

They wetted their drinking-tubes" with sweet mtoxicant.

As thev drank the strong drink, [their] bodies swelled. They @ecame very languid as their spirits rose.

For Marduk, their avenger, they fixed the decrees.