The Historians' History of the World 01

This is the end of the epic. It has been suggested that the whole forms a solar myth and is divided into twelve parts to correspond to the twelve months. According to this theory the sixth tablet, relating to Ishtar, and her treatment of Tammuz and her other lovers, corresponds to the sixth month. It is the month when everything seems dry and dead after the hot summer sun, and in this month the festival of Tammuz was celebrated, as a characteristic of which was the weeping for Tammuz related in Ezekiel viii. 14. The seventh tablet speaking of Gilgamish’s illness would thus correspond to the seventh month, the one following the summer solstice, when the power of nature seems to grow less, and this was attributed to a disease of the sun.

ISHTAR’S DESCENT INTO HADES

This idea is brought out more fully in the legend of Ishtar’s descent into the under world. It is possible that the story used to be recited in connection with the festival of Tammuz just mentioned. Ishtar is pictured as descending into the lower realms, probably in search of her young husband. The picture it gives us of the conception the Babylonians had of life after death is very valuable. The poem begins:

To the land of no return, to the land …

Ishtar the daughter of Sin inclined her ear.

To the house of darkness, the dwelling of Irkalla

To the house from which none who enter ever return

To the road whose course does not turn back.

To the house in which he who enters is deprived of light,

Where dust is their nurture and mud their food.

They see not the light, they dwell in darkness.

They are clothed like birds in a garment of feathers.

On the doors and bolts is spread dust.

When Ishtar reached the gate of the land of no return

She spoke to the porter at the gate

“Porter, open thy gate,

Open thy gate, I will enter.

If thou dost not open thy gate, and I do not enter,

I will strike the door, I will break the bolt,

I will strike the threshold and break down the door.

I will raise up the dead to consume the living,

The dead shall be more numerous than the living!”

The porter opened his mouth and spoke,

Spoke to the powerful Ishtar:

“Stay, my lady, do not break it down,

I will go and announce thy name to the queen Allatu.”

The porter then informs Allatu that her sister Ishtar stands at the door. The goddess is displeased at the news but bids the porter open the door and treat her according to the “ancient laws.” These demanded that she should lose some part of her apparel at each of the seven gates of the under-world until she stood naked before the throne of its goddess. At the first gate the porter takes away her crown and she asks: “Why, O porter, dost thou take the great crown from my head!” He answers: “Enter, O lady, for these are the commands of the mistress of the world.” At each gate Ishtar remonstrates at having her ornaments taken from her, and each time the porter returns the same answer.

When Ishtar comes before Allatu, the latter commands her messenger Namtar to smite the goddess with disease in all parts of her body. But while Ishtar is being detained in the lower world, all life has stopped on the earth’s surface. The gods demand her release. A being is specially created to bring her back. The rest of the story and the meaning of this and the flood myth is told by C. P. Tieleo as follows:a