The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-08-24

oer the gods gave that they shall build the chief
cities. that they build cities clean and pre-.
serve IN certain spot the holy places for the
temple where the gods are to be worshipped.
Inc missing words make It difficult to supply
all ideas, but apparently 1t is Nntu who has
provided men not only with existence but with
spiritual aspirations that they may commune
with the gods and temples where they may
learn the sublime commandments and pre-
cepts she made perfect therein"
1t appears that Anu and EMIL were the chief
gods of power, although they were among
seven Of equal rank, the first being male god
of heaven and the latter female god of earth.
Nntu was not only the creator of mankind but
very properly the patron goddess of the mar
riage bed and the procreation of the human
race. Then comes the story of the Creation.
"Nintu created the blackheaded" (human
race). The fields of the ground produced
abundance, the cattle and the four-legged beast
OF the field artfully they (the gods) called into
existence"
The beginning of the second column of the
tablet Is missing, but apparently the poem
deals with the early history OF mankind and
especially Of the activity of the gods, since
when come to the portion which survives
we read that the gods were at first satisfied
with things and the two chief gods created
seven cities over which they put seven gods
AS In the narrative in Genesis, the gods are
represented as coming down to earth and
working with their hands
The names of these cities are given, the first
two being Anu and EMIL, called SO after the
great god and goddess, the first being god OF
heaven. the other goddess Of earth The other
five cities are named after five other great
divinities, Hunmidad, Bad-nigar, Larak, who
gave his power to Pabilhareg; Shippar, who
gave power to Shama, the sun-god, and last
Shurrupak
The poem goes on to tell how priests were
set over the Cities canals, rivers and streams
created, and the land watered SO that grain
might grow
Once more the top of the column is missing
and we come upon only these scattered words:
"The-place. the people. -. a rainstorm . .
Their. they made" indicating that the
wrath Of the gods was kindled against men
for some impiousness and the narrative con.
tnues substantially as follows:
AT that time Nlntu walled like woman in
travail The holy Ishtar walled on account OF
the people. Bnki, who was the god Of wisdom
whom the two great regnant gods consulted on
all occasions and who seems to have been
sort Of Ulysses held counsel with Anu Enkil
and N1ntu over the proposed destruction of
mankind. At that time ziugidda was king and
high priest of Shurappak. meaning city Of the
last day OF the food, and he made obeisance
to the gods and prayed prostrating himself in
humility and daily and personally he was In
contact with them by means of dreams and
conjured them daily by the name of heaven
and EARTH
The ensuing is very complicated poetry ful,
Of Carallelism like that of the Hebrew Psalms.
but the meaning of 1t all Is that Enki desired
10 save Ntntu's creatures and ordered Ziu.
gidda to stand by wall and listen and he
told him by our command rainstorm will