Page:The Chaldean Account of Genesis (1876).djvu/212

 5. . . . placed, the city of Ganganna was powerless. 6. . . . their. . . . she asses 7. . . . their. . . . great. 8. Like animals the people feared, 9. like doves the slaves mourned. 10. The gods of Erech Suburi 11. turned to flies and fled away in droves. 12. The spirits of Erech Suburi 13. turned to Sikkim and went out in companies. 14. For three years the city of Erech could not resist the enemy, 15. the great gates were thrown down and trampled upon, 16. the goddess Istar before her enemies could not lift her head. 17. Bel his mouth opened and spake, 18. to Ishtar the queen a speech he made: 19. . . . in the midst of Nipur my hands have placed, 20. . . . my country? Babylon the house of my delight, 21. and my people? my hands have given. 22. . . . he looked at the sanctuaries 23. . . . in the day 24. . . . the great gods.

Here we have a graphic account of the condition of Erech, when the enemy overran the country, and the first question which occurs is, who were these conquerors? My original idea was that they were