an copy from the library of Asurbanipal was published
by ZIMMERN as No. 27 of his _Ritual Tafeln_. The Assyrian copy contains
only fifteen symbols with their mystic identifications, in Col. II of the
obverse. The ends of the lines of the right half of Col. I are preserved
on ZIMMERN 27, and these are all restored by the Cassite original. The
obverse of these two restored tablets contained about sixty symbols with
their divine implications. Most of them are the names of plants, metals,
cult utensils and sacrificial animals, each being identified with a deity.
A tablet in the British Museum, dated in the 174th year of the Seleucid
era or 138 B. C., Spartola Collection I 131, published by STRASSMAIER, ZA.
VI 241-4, begins with an astronomical myth concerning the summer and
winter solstices(503) and then inserts a passage on the mystic meanings of
ten symbols. The myth of the solstices runs as follows:

"In the month Tammuz, 11th day, when the deities Minitti and Katuna,
daughters of Esagila,(504) go unto Ezida(505) and in the month Kislev, 3d
day, when the deities Gazbaba and Kazalsurra, daughters of Ezida, go unto
Esagila--Why do they go? In the month Tammuz the nights are short. To
lengthen the nights the daughters of Esagila go unto Ezida. Ezida is the
house of night. In the month Kislev, when the days are short, the
daughters of Ezida to lengthen the days go unto Esagila. Esagila is the
house of day." The tablet then explains the Sumerian ideogram
_gubarra_=Asrat, the western mother goddess Ashtarte, and says that Asrat
of Ezida is poverty stricken.(506) But Asrat of Esagila is full of light
and mighty.(507) Some mystic connection between Asrat or Gestinanna,
mistress of letters and astrology,(508) scribe of the lower world, and the
daughters of night and day existed. This cabalistic tablet here refers to
a mirror which she holds in her hand and says she appeared on the 15th day
to order the decisions. The 15th of the month Tammuz is probably referred
to or the beginning of the so-called dark period when the days begin to
shorten and Nergal the blazing sun descends to the lower world to remain
160 days.(509) For some reason Asrat, here called the queen,(510) appears
to order the decisions, probably the fates of those that die. The phrase
"The divine queen appeared" is usually said of the rising of stars or
astral bodies, but the reference here is wholly obscure. As a star she was
probably Virgo. At any rate some mystic p