The Seven Tablets of the History of Creation: The Fifth Tablet

The Fifth Tablet

1. He.(i.e. Marduk) made the stations for the great gods;

2. The stars, their images, as the stars of the Zodiac, he fixed.

3. He ordained the year and into sections he divided it;

4. For the twelve months he fixed three stars.

5. After he had [...] the days of the year [...] images,

6. He founded the station of Nibir to determine their bounds;

7. That none might err or go astray,

8. He set the station of Bêl and Ea along with him.

9. He opened great gates on both sides,

10. He made strong the bolt on the left and on the right.

11. In the midst thereof he fixed the zenith;

12. The Moon-god he caused to shine forth, the night he entrusted to him.

13. He appointed him, a being of the night, to determine the days;

14. Every month without ceasing with the crown he covered(?) him, (saying):

15. "At the beginning of the month, when thou shinest upon the land,

16. "Thou commandest the horns to determine six days,

17. "And on the seventh day to [divide] the crown.

18. "On the fourteenth day thou shalt stand opposite, the half [...].

19. "When the Sun-god on the foundation of heaven [...] thee,

20. "The [...] thou shalt cause to ..., and thou shalt make his [...].

21. "[...] ... unto the path of the Sun-god shalt thou cause to draw nigh,

22. "[And on the ... day] thou shalt stand opposite, and the Sun-god shall ... [...]

23. "[...] to traverse her way.

24. "[...] thou shalt cause to draw nigh, and thou shalt judge the right.

25. "[...] to destroy

26. "[...] me.

"..."

[The following twenty-two lines are taken from K. 3,449a,
and probably form part of the Fifth Tablet.]

(66 ). [...]

(67) [...]

(68 ) From [...]

(69) In E-sagil [...]

(70) To establish [...]

(71) The station of [...]

(72) The great gods [...]

(73) The gods [...]

(74) He took and [...]

(75) The gods [his fathers] beheld the net which he had made,

(76) They beheld the bow and how [its work] was accomplished.

(77) They praised the work which he had done [...]

(78) Then Anu raised [the ...] in the assembly of the gods.

(79) H e kissed the bow, (saying), "It is [...]!"

(80) And thus he named the names of the bow, (saying),

(81) "'Long-wood' shall be one name, and the second name [shall be ...]

(82) "And its third name shall be the Bow-star, in heaven [shall it ...]"

(83) Then he fixed a station for it [...]

(84) Now after the fate of [...]

(85) [He set] a throne [...]

(86) [...] in heaven [...]

(87) [...] ... [...]

[The following traces of the last thirteen lines of the Fifth Tablet are taken from the reverse of K. 11,641 and from the reverse of K. 8,526.]

(128) "[...] him [...]"

(129) "[...] them [...]"

(130) "[...] him [...]"

(131) "[...] them [...]"

(132) "[...] their [...] may [...]"

(133) [...] the gods spake,

(134) [...] the heavens [...]:

(135) "[... your] son [...]"

(136) "[...] our [...] hath he [...]"

(137) "[...] he hath caused to live [...]"

(138) "[...] splendour [...]"

(139) "[...] not [...]!"

(140) "[...] we [...]!"