famine from want of rain, but there are some obscure words even in this passage.
Here the story is again lost, and where it recommences some one is making a speech, directing another person to cut something into portions, and place seven on each side, then to build brickwork round them. After this comes a single fragment, the connection of which with the former part is obscure.
1. I curse the goddess . . . .
2. to her face also . . . .
3. Anu opened his mouth and spake and said to Nusku
4. Nusku open thy gate thy weapons take
5. in the assembly of the great gods the will? . . . .
6. their speech? . . . .
7. Anu has sent me . . . .
8. your king has sent? . . .
At present no satisfactory story can be made out of the detached fragments of this tablet, but it evidently belongs to the mythical portion of Babylonian history.
The next text is a single fragment, K 2407, belonging to a curious story of a wise man who puts a riddle to the gods.
K 2407.
(Many lines lost.)
1. which in the house is . . . .
2. which in the secret place is . . . .
