Cf. in the Assyrian
period the winged disk led with cords by two genii.

As soon as he appeared he was hailed with the chanting of hymns: "O Sun,
thou appearest on the foundation of the heavens,--thou drawest back the
bolts which bar the scintillating heavens, thou openest the gate of
the heavens! O Sun, thou raisest thy head above the earth,--Sun, thou
extendest over the earth the brilliant vaults of the heavens."
The powers of darkness fly at his approach or take refuge in their
mysterious caverns, for "he destroys the wicked, he scatters them, the
omens and gloomy portents, dreams, and wicked ghouls--he converts evil
to good, and he drives to their destruction the countries and men--who
devote themselves to black magic." In addition to natural light, he sheds
upon the earth truth and justice abundantly; he is the "high judge"
before whom everything makes obeisance, his laws never waver, his
decrees are never set at naught. "O Sun, when thou goest to rest in the
middle of the heavens--may the bars of the bright heaven salute thee
in peace, and may the gate of heaven bless thee!--May Misharu, thy
well-beloved servant, guide aright thy progress, so that on Rbarra,
the seat of thy rule, thy greatness may rise, and that A, thy cherished
spouse, may receive thee joyfully! May thy glad heart find in her thy
rest!--May the food of thy divinity be brought to thee by her,--warrior,
hero, sun, and may she increase thy vigour;--lord of Ebarra, when
thou ap-proachest, mayest thou direct thy course aright!---0 Sun, urge
rightly thy way along the fixed road determined for thee,--O Sun, thou
who art the judge of the land, and the arbiter of its laws!"

It would appear that the triad had begun by having in the third place a
goddess, Ishtar of Dilbat. Ishtar is the evening star which precedes the
appearance of the moon, and the morning star which heralds the approach
of the sun: the brilliance of its light justifies the choice which
made it an associate of the greater heavenly bodies. "In the days of
the past.... Ea charged Sin, Shamash, and Ishtar with the ruling of the
firmament of heaven; he distributed among them, with Anu, the command
of the army of heaven, and among these three gods, his children,
he apportioned the day and the night, and compelled them to work
ceaselessly."

[Illustration: 173.jpg ISHTAR HOLDING HER STAR BEFORE SIN.]

Drawn by Faucher-Gudin, from an intaglio at Rome.

Ishtar was separated from he