The Sleep of Ishtar

Ishtar from whom we derive Easter went through the seven gates of hell to find Tammuz so that he could play the magical flute and smell the incense. The fertility goddess caused all natural processes to fail until she was rescued. The women in Ezekiel 8 lamented for Tammuz while the men held an early Sun Rise Service right there at the Temple in Jerusalem. Ishtar is worshiped in musical praise each year in thousands of churches.

 

Garnet cylinder seal showing Ishtar Neo-Assyrian, 720-700 BC From Mesopotamia

The supreme Mesopotamian goddess This very finely cut seal depicts Ishtar, Mesopotamian goddess of sexuality and warfare. She appears frequently on seals, relief carving, and in descriptions as a mighty warrior who protects the king by defeating his enemies. One Assyrian king, Ashurbanipal (reigned 669-631 BC), was even described as crying before the goddess like a child asking his mother for help. Her strength as a warrior is stressed here, as she is shown with weapons rising from her shoulders. Ishtar appears to have been associated at an early period with the Sumerian goddess Inanna and both deities are depicted with symbols of fertility, such as the date palm, and of aggression, such as the lion. The iconography survived relatively unchanged for over a thousand years. Here, Ishtar's astral quality is also emphasized: above her crown is a representation of the planet Venus. The goddess could be worshipped as both male and female Ishtar, reflecting her dual role of sex and war as well as the evening and morning aspects of the planet.

 

 

Of the Sleep of ISHTAR   Yet ISHTAR Queen of Heaven Bright Light of Nights Mistress of the Gods Set her mind in that direction From Above she set her mind From the Heavens she set forth To the Abyss Out of the Gates of the Living To enter the Gates of Death Out of the Lands we know Into the Lands we know not To the Land of No Return To the Land of Queen ERESHKIGAL ISHTAR, Queen of Heavens, she set her mind ISHTAR, Daughter of SIN, she set forth To the Black Earth, the Land of CUTHA, She set forth To the House of No Return she set her foot Upon the Road whence None Return She set her foot To the Cave, forever unlit Where bowls of clay are heaped upon the altar Where bowls of dust are the food Of residents clothed only in wings To ABSU ISHTAR set forth. Where sleeps the dread CUTHALU ISHTAR set forth.   The Watcher Stood fast. The Watcher NINNGHIZHIDDA Stood fast. And ISHTAR spoke unto him   NINNGHIZHIDDA! Serpent of the Deep! NINNGHIZHIDDA! Horned Serpent of the Deep! NINNGHIZHIDDA! Plumed Serpent of the Deep! Open! Open the Door that I may enter! NINNGHIZHIDDA! Spirit of the Deep, Watcher of the Gate, Remember! In the Name of our Father before the Flight, ENKI, Lord and Master of Magicians Open the Door that I may enter! Open! Lest I attack the Door Lest I break apart its bars Lest I attack the Barrier Lest I take its walls by force Open the Door Open wide the Gate Lest I cause the Dead to rise! I will raise up the Dead! I will cause the Dead to rise and devour the Living! Open the Door Lest I cause the Dead to outnumber the Living! NINNGHIZHIDDA, Spirit of the Deep, watcher of the Gate, Open!   NINNGHIZHIDDA The Great Serpent Coiled back on itself And answered ISHTAR Lady Queen among the Gods I go before my Mistress, ERESHKIGAL Before the Queen of Death I will announce Thee.   And NINNGHIZHIDDA Horned Serpent Approach the Lady ERESHKIGAL And said: Behold, ISHTAR, Thy Sister Queen among the Gods Stands before the Gate! Daughter of SIN, Mistress of ENKI She waits.   Go, Watcher of the Gate. Go, NINNGHIZHIDDA, Watcher of the Gate, Open the Door to ISHTAR And treat Her as it is written In the Ancient Covenant.   And NINNGHIZHIDDA loosed the bolt from the hatch And Darkness fell upon ISHTAR The Dark Waters rose and carried the Goddess of Light To the Realm of the Night. And the Serpent Spoke: Enter Queen of Heaven of the Great Above That KUR may rejoice That CUTHA may give praise That KUTU may smile. Enter That KUTULU may be pleased at Thy presence.   And ISHTAR Entered.   AND there are Seven Gates and Seven decrees.   At the First Gate NINNGHIZHIDDA removed the Crown The Great Crown of Her head he took away. And ISHTAR asked Why, Serpent, has thou removed my First Jewel? And the Serpent answered Thus it is, the Covenant of Old, set down before Time, The Rules of the Lady of KUTU Enter the First Gate   At the Second Gate NINNGHIZHIDDA removed the Wand The Wand of Lapis Lazuli he took away. And ISHTAR asked Why, NETI, has thou removed my Second Jewel? And NETI answered Thus it is, the Covenant of Old, set down before Time, The Decrees of the Lady of KUTU Enter the Second Gate   At the Third Gate NINNGHIZHIDDA removed the Jewels The Jewels around her neck he took away. And ISHTAR asked Why, Gatekeeper, has thou removed my Third Jewel? And the Gatekeeper answered Thus it is, the Covenant of Old, set down before Time, The Decrees of the Lady of KUTU Enter the Third Gate   At the Fourth Gate NINNGHIZHIDDA removed the Jewels The Jewels on her breast he took away. And ISHTAR asked Why, Guardian of the Outer, has thou removed my Fourth Jewel? And the Guardian answered Thus it is, the Covenant of Old, set down before Time, The Rules of the Lady of KUTU Enter the Fourth Gate   At the Fifth Gate NINNGHIZHIDDA removed the Jewels The Belt of Jewels around her hips he took away. And ISHTAR asked Why, Watcher of the Forbidden Entrance, hast thou removed my Jewel? And Watcher answered Thus it is, the Covenant of Old, set down before Time, The Rules of the Lady of KUTU Enter the Fifth Gate   At the Sixth Gate NINNGHIZHIDDA removed the Jewels The Jewels around her wrists And the Jewels around her ankles he took away. And ISHTAR asked Why, NINNKIGAL, has thou removed my Sixth Jewel? And NINNKIGAL answered Thus it is, the Covenant of Old, set down before Time, The Decrees of the Lady of KUTU Enter the Sixth Gate   At the Seventh Gate NINNGHIZHIDDA removed the Jewels The Jeweled Robes of ISHTAR he took away. ISHTAR, without protection, without safety, ISHTAR, without talisman or amulet, asked Why, Messenger of the Ancient Ones, hast thou removed my Seventh Jewel? And Messenger of the Ancient Ones replied Thus it is, the Covenant of Old, set down before Time, The Rules of the Lady of KUTU Enter the Seventh Gate and behold the Nether World   ISHTAR has descended to the Land of KUR To the Depths of CUTHA she went down. Having lost her Seven Talismans of the Upper Worlds Having lost her Seven Powers of the Land of the Living Without Food of Life or water of Life She appeared before ERESHKIGAL, Mistress of Death. ERESHKIGAL screamed at Her presence.   ISHTAR raised up Her arm. ERESHKIGAL summoned NAMMTAR The Magician NAMMTAR Saying these words she spoke to him Go! Imprison her! Bind her in Darkness! Chain her in the Sea belov the Seas! Release against her the Seven ANNUNNAKI! Release against her the Sixty Demons! Against her eyes, the demons of the eyes! Against her sides, the demons of the sides! Against her heart, the demons of the heart! Against her feet, the demons of the feet! Against her head, the demons of the head! Against her entire body, the demons of KUR!   And the demons tore at her, from every side.   And the ANNUNNAKI, Dread Judges Seven Lords of the Underworld Drew Around Her Faceless Gods of ABSU They stared Fixed her with the Eye of Death With the Glance of Death They killed her And hung her corpse from a stake The sixty demons tearing her limbs from her sides Her eyes from the head Her ears from her skull.   ERESHKIGAL rejoiced. Blind AZAG-THOTH rejoiced IAK SAKKAK rejoiced ISHNIGGARAB rejoiced KUTULU rejoiced The MASKIM gave praise to the Queen of Death The GIGIM gave praise to ERESHKIGAL, Queen of Death   And the Elder Ones were rent with fear.   Our Father ENKi Lord of Magick Receiving word by NINSHUBUR ISHTAR's servant NINSHUBUR He hears of ISHTAR's Sleep In the House of Death He hears how GANZIR has been Opened How the Face of the Abyss Opened wide its mouth And swallowed the Queen of Heaven Queen of the Rising of Sun.   And ENKI summoned forth clay And ENKI summoned forth wind And from the clay and from the wind ENKI fashioned two Elementals He fashioned the KURGARRU, spirit of the Earth, He fashioned the KALATURRU, spirit of the Seas, To the KURGARRU he gave the Food of Life To the KALATURRU he gave the Water of Life And to these images he spoke aloud Arise, KURGARRU, Spirit of the Earth Arise, KALATURRU,m Spirit of the Seas Arise, and set thy feet to the Gate GANZIR To the Gate of the Underworld To the Land of No Return Set thine eyes The Seven Gates shall open for thee No spell shall keep thee out For my Number is upon you. Take the bag of the Food of Life Take the bag of the Water of Life And ERESHKIGAL shall not harm you ERESHKIGAL shall not raise her arm against you ERESHKIGAL SHALL HAVE NO POWER OVER YOU.   Fine the corpse of INANNA Find the corpse of ISHTAR our Queen And sprinkle the Food of Life, Sixty Times And sprinkle the Water of Life, Sixty Times Sixty Times the Food of life and the Water of Life Sprinkle upon her body And truly ISHTAR will rise. With giant wings. And scales like serpents   The two elementals flew to the Gate Invisible NINNGIZIDDA saw them not Invisible They passed the Seven Watchers With haste they entered the Palace of Death And they beheld several terrible sights.   The demons of the Abyss lay there Dead but Dreaming, they clung to the walls Of the House of Death Faceless and terrible The ANNUNNAKI stared out Blind and Mad AZAG-THOTH reared up The EYE on the Throne opened The Dark Waters stirred The Gates of Lapis Lazuli glistened In the darkness Unseen Monsters Spawed at the Dawn of Ages Spawned in the Battle of MARDUK and TIAMAT Spawned by HUBUR With the Sign of HUBUR Lead by KINGU...   With haste they fled Through the Palace of Death Stopping only at the corpse of ISHTAR   The Beautiful Queen Mistress of the Gods Lady of all the Harlots of UR Bright Shining One of the Heavens Beloved of ENKI Lay hung and bleeding From a thousand fatal wounds.   ERESHKIGAL Sensing their presence Cried out.   KURGARRU Armed with Fire Looked upon the Queen of Corpses with the Ray of Fire   KALATURRU Armed with Flame Looked upon the Queen of the Graves With the Rays of Flame.   And ERESHKIGAL Mighty in CUTHA Turned her face   Upon the corpse of INANNA Sixty times they sprinkled The Water of Life of ENKI Upon the corpse of ISHTAR Sixty times they sprinkled The Food of Life of ENKI   Upon the corpse Hung from a stake They directed the Spirit of Life   INANNA AROSE.   The Dark Waters trembled and roiled.   AZAG-THOTH screamed upon his throne CUTHALU lurched forth from his sleep ISHNIGARRAB fled the Palace od Death IAK SAKKAK trembled in fear and hate Tha ANNUNNAKI fled their thrones The Eye upon the Throne took flight ERESHKIGAL roared and summoned NAMMTAR The Magician NAMMTAR she called But not for pursuit But for protection.   INANNA ascended from the Underworld.   With the winged elementals she fled the Gates Of GANZIR and NETI she fled And verily The Dead fled ahead of her.   When through the First Gate they fled ISHTAR took back her jeweled robes.   When through the Second Gate they fled ISHTAR took back her jeweled bracelets.   When through the Third Gate they fled ISHTAR took back her jeweled belt.   When through the Fourth Gate they fled ISHTAR took back her jeweled necklace.   When through the Fifth Gate they fled ISHTAR took back her Belt of Jewels.   When through the Sixth Gate they fled ISHTAR took back her Wand of Lapis.   When through the Seventh Gate they fled ISHTAR took back her jeweled Crown.   And the Demons rose And Spirits of the Dead And went with her out of the Gates Looking neither right nor Left Walking in front and behind They went with ISHTAR from the Gate of GANZIR Out of the Netherworld they accompanied her And ERESHKIGAL Scorned Queen of the Abyss Wherein All Are Drowned Pronounced a Curse Solemn and Powerful Against the Queen of the Rising of the Sun And NAMMTAR gave it form.   When the Lover of ISHTAR Beloved of the Queen of Heaven Goes down before me Goes through the Gate of GANZIR To the House of Death When with him the wailing people come The weeping woman and the wailing man When DUMUZI is slain and buried MAY THE DEAD RISE AND SMELL THE INCENSE!

Kenneth Sublett

 

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