Nergal and Ereshkigal

1When the gods prepared a feast,

2To their sister Ereshkigal They sent a messenger: "Even if we should descend to thee,

3Thou wouldst not come up to us.

4Therefore send (hither) and take thy portion."^ (lit. food) Ereshkigal sent Namtar, her messenger.

5Namtar went up to the high heaven And entered [. . .] the gods were talking,

6They [ ] Namtaru The messenger of their great sister.

7[A number of lines here are illegible, and some are missing altogether. It is, however, easy to divine from what follows that they contained substantially the fol- lowing. When Namtar entered the hall of the great gods and all arose to receive him with honor, Nergal re- mained seated. Namtar reported the discourtesy to Ereshkigal, who interpreted it as a sHght to her, and sends him back to the gods with a threat of vengeance,

8— she will kill the offender.]

9Go, my sister [. . .]

10Saying: "To the god who did not arise before my messenger.

11Bring to him this message, I will kill him."

12Namtaru went; he spoke to the gods.

13The gods called him; they spoke with |;iim,

14"Behold the god, who did not arise before thee.

15Take him before thy lady."

16Namtaru counted them; a god was missing in the rear.

17Where is the god, who did not arise before me?"

18Behold, Namtar goes away, [he gave his message].

19[A number of lines illegible, except as to a few dis- connected words.]

20[. . .] to Ereshkigal. He weeps [. . .]

21Before Ea, his father ...[...] me [. . .]

22[A. number of illegible lines.]

23Or life to me. I should not have had fear, [Ea answered him:] "I will give thee vii and vii [. . .]

24To go with thee: [. . , ba, Mutabriku,]

25Sharabdu, [Rabisu, Tirid, Idibtu]

26Be[nnu, Sidanu, Mikit, Bel-upri]

27Ummu, [Libu . . .]

28With thee [shall they go. When Nergal came to the] door Of Erishkigal, he called, "Porter . . . thy door [. . . unlock] I would enter before thy lady Erishkigal. I am sent. The porter went away.

29He said to Namtaru, "A god is standing at the en- trance of the door,

30Gome, look at him, whether he may enter," Namtar went out.

31He looked at him [ ] he said To his lady: "My lady, it is the god who in former Months disappeared, and did not arise before me.

32Bring him [ he shall not] go. I will slay him."

33Namtar went out [. . .] enter, my lord.

34Into the house of thy sister [. . .] thy departure.

35Nergal answered: "May thy heart rejoice in me."* [About three Hnes are here missing.]

36[. . . he stationed, when he entered the (second) door]

37[. . .]ba at the third, Mutabriku^ at the fourth,

38Sharabdu at the fifth, Rabisu at the sixth, Tirid

39At the seventh, Idibtu at the eighth, Bennu At the ninth, Sidanu at the tenth, Mikit At the eleventh, Belupri at the twelfth,

40Ummu at the thirteenth, Libu at the fourteenth Door he stationed as his [. . .] In the court he cut down

41Namtaru. To his warriors he gave command: "The doors Shall be opened. Look, (else) will I break out upon you."

42Within the house he seized Ereshkigal By the hair, bent her down from the throne To the ground, to cut off her head.

43■'The meaning of lines 43 to 62 seenis to be the following: Namtar had gone before the gods who gave him permission to pick out the offending god, whom they would then deliver over to death. He did not find him. Then Ea orders his son Nergal to go before Ereshkigal, and promises to send with him as a defense fourteen demons of sickness as his defenders. Thus accompanied, Nergal goes to the realm of Ereshkigal.

44These are the names of the demons of sickness, their names meaning little else than "Fever," "Fire," "Heat," and the like, which Ea had given Nergal as his defense.

45[. , . m]a Nergal li-ib[-bu-k]a li-i{j-da-an-ni [About three lines are here missing.]

46"Kill me not, my brother. I will speak a word with thee."

47Nergal hearkened; his hands relaxed. She wept and sobbed. "Thou shalt be my husband; I will be thy wife, I will give thee to seize Sovereignty over the wide earth. I will set the tablet Of wisdom in thy hand. Thou shalt be lord,

48I will be lady." When Nergal heard her word,

49He seized her, kissed her, and wiped away her tears:

50What hast thou wished from me from distant months,

51Until now?