Section 1a

Return to Ancient Near East index Return to Main Index DESCENT OF THE GODDESS ISHTAR INTO THE LOWER WORLD [From The Civilization of Babylonia and Assyria, M. Jastrow, 1915] To the land of no return, the land of darkness, Ishtar, the daughter of Sin directed her thought, Directed her thought, Ishtar, the daughter of Sin, To the house of shadows, the dwelling, of Irkalla, To the house without exit for him who enters therein, To the road, whence there is no turning, To the house without light for him who enters therein, The place where dust is their nourishment, clay their food.' They have no light, in darkness they dwell. Clothed like birds, with wings as garments, Over door and bolt, dust has gathered. Ishtar on arriving at the gate of the land of no return, To the gatekeeper thus addressed herself: "Gatekeeper, ho, open thy gate! Open thy gate that I may enter! If thou openest not the gate to let me enter, I will break the door, I will wrench the lock, I will smash the door-posts, I will force the doors. I will bring up the dead to eat the living. And the dead will outnumber the living." The gatekeeper opened his mouth and spoke, Spoke to the lady Ishtar: "Desist, O lady, do not destroy it. I will go and announce thy name to my queen Ereshkigal." The gatekeeper entered and spoke to Ereshkigal: "Ho! here is thy sister, Ishtar ... Hostility of the great powers ... When Ereshkigal heard this, As when one hews down a tamarisk she trembled, As when one cuts a reed, she shook: "What has moved her heart [seat of the intellect] what has stirred her liver [seat of the emotions]? Ho there, does this one wish to dwell with me? To eat clay as food, to drink dust as wine? I weep for the men who have left their wives. I weep for the wives torn from the embrace of their husbands; For the little ones cut off before their time. Go, gatekeeper, open thy gate for her, Deal with her according to the ancient decree." The gatekeeper went and opened his gate to her: Enter, O lady, let Cuthah greet thee. Let the palace of the land of no return rejoice at thy presence! He bade her enter the first gate, which he opened wide, and took the large crown off her head: "Why, O gatekeeper, dost thou remove the large crown off my head?" "Enter, O lady, such are the decrees of Ereshkigal." The second gate he bade her enter, opening it wide, and removed her earrings: "Why, O gatekeeper, dost thou remove my earrings?" "Enter, O lady, for such are the decrees of Ereshkigal." The third gate he bade her enter, opened it wide, and removed her necklace: "Why, O gatekeeper, dost thou remove my necklace? " "Enter, O lady, for such are the decrees of Ereshkigal." The fourth gate he bade her enter, opened it wide, and removed the ornaments of her breast: "Why, O gatekeeper, dost thou remove the ornaments of my breast? " "Enter, O lady, for such are the decrees of Ereshkigal." The fifth gate he bade her enter, opened it wide, and removed the girdle of her body studded with birthstones.