1i

He opened great gates on both sides, He made strong the bolt on the left and on the right. In the midst thereof he fixed the zenith; The Moon-god he caused to shine forth, the night he entrusted to him. He appointed him, a being of the night, to determine the days; Every month without ceasing with the crown he covered him, saying: "At the beginning of the month, when thou shinest upon the land, Thou commandest the horns to determine six days, And on the seventh day to divide the crown. On the fourteenth day thou shalt stand opposite, the half.... When the Sun-god on the foundation of heaven...thee, The ... thou shalt cause to ..., and thou shalt make his... ... unto the path of the Sun-god shalt thou cause to draw nigh, And on the ... day thou shalt stand opposite, and the Sun-god shall... ... to traverse her way. ... thou shalt cause to draw nigh, and thou shalt judge the right. ... to destroy..." [Nearly fifty lines are here lost.] The gods, his fathers, beheld the net which he had made, They beheld the bow and how its work was accomplished. They praised the work which he had done... Then Anu raised the ... in the assembly of the gods. He kissed the bow, saving, " It is...!" And thus he named the names of the bow, saving, "'Long-wood' shall be one name, and the second name shall be ..., And its third name shall be the Bow-star, in heaven shall it...!" Then he fixed a station for it... Now after the fate of... He set a throne... ...in heaven... [The remainder of this tablet is missing.] THE SIXTH TABLET When Marduk heard the word of the gods, His heart prompted him and he devised a cunning plan. He opened his mouth and unto Ea he spake That which he had conceived in his heart he imparted unto him: "My blood will I take and bone will I fashion I will make man, that man may I will create man who shall inhabit the earth, That the service of the gods may be established, and that their shrines may be built. But I will alter the ways of the gods, and I will change their paths; Together shall they be oppressed and unto evil shall they.... And Ea answered him and spake the word: "... the ... of the gods I have changed ... and one... ... shall be destroyed and men will I... ... and the gods . ... and they..." [The rest of the text is wanting with the exception of the last few lines of the tablet, which read as follows.] They rejoiced... In Upsukkinnaku they set their dwelling. Of the heroic son, their avenger, they cried: " We, whom he succored.... !" They seated themselves and in the assembly they named him..., They all cried aloud, they exalted him... THE SEVENTH TABLET O Asari, [Marduk] "Bestower of planting," "Founder of sowing" "Creator of grain and plants," "who caused the green herb to spring up!" O Asaru-alim, [Mardk] "who is revered in the house of counsel," "who aboundeth in counsel," The gods paid homage, fear took hold upon them! O Asaru-alim-nuna, [Marduk] "the mighty one," "the Light of the father who begat him," "Who directeth the decrees of Anu Bel, and Ea!" He was their patron, be ordained their...; He, whose provision is abundance, goeth forth...