stem _eberu_) and _itebbiru_ ("he pierced"), a form of _eberu_, and
meaning 'to pass through.'

[765] This metaphor is carried over into astronomical science. The
planets are known as "wandering sheep." See p. 459.

[766] _Bel matate_.

[767] See p. 118.

[768] Similarly in another version of the contest published by
Delitzsch, _Assyr. Woerterbuch_, p. 390.

[769] See p. 54.

[770] Tiele (_Gesch. der Religion im Alterthum_, I. 176) assigns to
Marduk a double character, making him both a god of light and a god of
storms, but I venture to think that the latter attribute represents the
transference of En-lil's power to Marduk.

[771] So Bel is called in contrast to Anu. See p. 53.

[772] One is reminded of the Biblical injunction with regard to the Laws
of Yahwe, Deut. vi. 7: "Thou shall teach them to thy sons and speak
constantly of them."

[773] _I.e._, to the kings who are frequently called 'shepherds' in the
historical texts.

[774] Or, according to the earlier view, to an atmospheric god.

[775] "The Gilgamesh Epic."

[776] First published by Pinches, _Journal of the Royal Asiatic
Society_, 1891, pp. 393-408.

[777] Clay, it will be recalled, was the building material in Babylonia.

[778] The word in the text is generally applied to "a mass" of animals,
but also to human productions. See Delitzsch, _Assyr. Handwoerterbuch_,
p. 467.

[779] Bel's temple at Nippur.

[780] Temple of Ishtar at Erech or Uruk.

[781] _I.e._, Apsu.

[782] City sacred to Ea at the mouth of the Persian Gulf.

[783] Lit., 'totality of lands.'

[784] Zimmern's rendering (Gunkel, _Schoepfung und Chaos_, p. 419)
"sacred" (instead of 'bright') misses the point.

[785] _Cf._ S. A. Smith, Miscellaneous, K. 2866, l. 8, "the great gods
dwelling in the heaven of Anu." The reference, therefore, cannot be to
"the gathering place of the gods," where the fates of mankind are
decided.

[786] The original has _ratum_. Delitzsch, _Assyr. Handwoerterbuch_, p.
663, compares Hebrew _rahat_, "trough." Zimmern (Gunkel, _Schoepfung und
Chaos_, p. 419) translates "Bewegung," but on what grounds I do not
know. The passage is obscure; the text possibly defective.

[787] If the reading E-Sagila is original. It is here used as the name
of Ea's temple in Eridu, but it is of course possible that E-Sagila has
been deliberately introduced to enhance the glory of Marduk's temple in
Babylon.

[788] Ea.

[789] Gen. i. 9.

[790] See Haupt, _Wo