ut by
him, they are beneficent; but once beyond his control, the blessing of
rain is turned into the curse of a deluge and storm, flooding the fields
and sweeping away the habitations of men. This misfortune happens when
Zu robs En-lil of the tablets by means of which law and order are
established. En-lil is powerless. The bold act of Zu causes
consternation among the gods. Anu calls upon some one to pursue Zu and
capture him. The bird dwells in an inaccessible recess in the mountains,
and the gods are afraid to approach his nest. The scene that ensues
reminds us of the episode of the creation epic, where Anshar calls upon
Anu, Bel, and Ea in turn to subdue Tiamat.

Anu opens his mouth and speaks,
Addressing the gods his children:
'Who will force Zu to submit
And thus make his name great among the inhabitants of the whole
world?'

Ramman the storm-god _par excellence_ is first called upon by the
assembled gods:

'Ramman the chief,' they cried, 'the son of Anu.'
Anu communicated to him[1078] the order.[1079]
'Go, my son Ramman, conqueror who yields to no one,
Subdue Zu with thy weapon,[1080]
That thy name be glorified in the assembly of the great gods.
Thou shall be without a rival among the gods thy brothers.'

Anu furthermore promises Ramman that if he triumphs, lofty shrines will
be erected in his honor in many cities.

'Temples will be built in thy honor,
In all quarters of the world thy cities[1081] will be situated,
Thy cities[1082] will reach up to Ekur.[1083]
Show thyself strong among the gods, so that thy name be powerful.'

Ramman, however, is afraid of the contest.

Ramman answered the speech,
Addressing his father Anu:
'My father, who can proceed to the inaccessible mountain?
Who is there like Zu among the gods, thy children?'

He furthermore pleads that Zu, who has the tablets of fate in his hands,
is invincible. He has the power to decree the fates of the gods, and all
must bow to his will. At this point, unfortunately, the text becomes
defective. Anu calls upon two other gods to take up the contest with Zu.
The name of one of these is altogether lost; the second is called
Bar,[1084] and is designated as an offspring of Ishtar. Both these
deities decline, answering Anu in precisely the same manner as Ramman.
What finally happens we are left to conjecture. Harper[1085] supposes
that Shamash is finally called upon by Anu and accepts the challenge. He
base