-Shamash, "the light of the gods, his fathers," "the
illustrious scion of Sin," passed the night in the depths of the north,
behind the polished metal walls which shut in the part of the firmament
visible to human eyes.

[Illustration: 170.jpg SHAMASH SETS OUT, IN THE MORNING, FROM THE
INTERIOR OF THE HEAVEN BY THE EASTERN GATE.]

Drawn by Faucher-Gudin, from a Chaldaean intaglio of green
jasper in the Louvre. The original measures about 1 3/10
inch in height.

As soon as the dawn had opened the gates for him, he rose in the east
all aflame, his club in his hand, and he set forth on his headlong
course over the chain of mountains which surrounds the world;* six hours
later he had attained the limit of his journey towards the south, he
then continued his journey to the west, gradually lessening his heat,
and at length re-entered his accustomed resting-place by the western
gate, there to remain until the succeeding morning. He accomplished his
journey round the earth in a chariot conducted by two charioteers,
and drawn by two vigorous onagers, "whose legs never grew weary;" the
flaming disk which was seen from earth was one of the wheels of his
chariot.**

* His course along the embankment which runs round the
celestial vault was the origin of the title, _Line of Union
between Heaven and Earth_; he moved, in fact, where the
heavens and the earth come into contact, and appeared to
weld them into one by the circle of fire which he described.
Another expression of this idea occurs in the preamble of
Nergal and Ninib, who were called "the separators"; the
course of the sun might, in fact, be regarded as separating,
as well as uniting, the two parts of the universe.

** The disk has sometimes four, sometimes eight rays
inscribed on it, indicating wheels with four or eight spokes
respectively. Rawlinson supposed "that these two figures
indicate a distinction between the male and female power of
the deity, the disk with four rays symbolizing Shamash, the
orb with eight rays being the emblem of Ai, Gula, or
Anunit."

[Illustration: 171.jpg SHAMASH IN HIS SHRINE, HIS EMBLEM BEFORE HIM ON
THE ALTAR.]

Drawn by Faucher-Gudin, from a photograph by Rassam. The
busts of the two deities on the front of the roof of the
shrine are the two charioteers of the sun; they uphold and
guide the rayed disk upon the altar.