Page:The Babylonian conception of heaven and hell - Jeremias (1902).djvu/37

 conclusion we read, "Within the house he seized Erishkigal by the hair, bent her down from the throne to the ground in order to cut off her head. 'Slay me not, my brother, I have somewhat to say to thee.' Hearing this Nergal stayed his hand. She wept and sobbed (?) 'Thou shalt be my husband, I will be thy wife, I will give thee dominion in the vast Underworld; I will give into thine hands the tablet of wisdom, thou shalt be lord, I will be queen.' When Nergal heard this he seized her, kissed her, wiped away her tears and said: 'What thou ever askedst of me long months ago until now. ' "

In the train of Nergal, who himself was dreaded as the the god of pestilence (in this character known as Urragal), appear all evil spirits and demons. These demons were regarded as the offspring of Hades and said to be born in the west on the mountain of sunset, that is, they were supposed to exercise their activities by night. When the sun comes forth from the mountains on the east—says a poetical magic formula—and all the gods assemble in presence of the Sun-god, then the rays of the sun drive away the spectres. Elsewhere we are told that they exerted their evil powers from the desert; the desert which lay in the west of Babylonia, being supposed, as already noted, to be in close connection with the Underworld. "They shall