Page Content (OCR)
174 The Enlilites' first reaction to Ninharsag's bold initiative was to ac- cuse her of giving aid and comfort to the "demons." Ninharsag denied the accusation: "My House is pure." she answered. But a god whose identity is unclear challenged her sarcastically: "Is the House which is loftier and brightest of all"—the Great Pyramid—also "pure"? "Of that I cannot speak." Ninharsag answered; "its brilliance Gibil is soldiering." After the first accusations and explanations wore off some of the bitterness, a symbolic ceremony of forgiveness was performed. It involved two jars holding waters of the Tigris and Euphrates riv- ers, a ceremony of symbolic baptism making Ninharsag welcome again in Mesopotamia. Enlil touched her with his "bright scep- ter." and the "power of her was not overthrown." The objections of Adad to a peace conference rather than uncon- ditional surrender were already reported by us in the previous chap- ter. But then Enlil agreed, saying to her: "Go, appease my brother." We have already read in another text how Ninharsag crossed the battle lines to arrange the cease-fire. Having brought out Enki and his sons, Ninharsag took them to her abode in the Harsag. The Enlilite gods were already there, waiting. Announcing that she was acting in behalf of "the great lord Anu . Anu the Arbiter," Ninharsag performed a symbolic cere- mony of her own. She lighted seven fires, one each for the gathered gods: Enki and his two sons: Enlil and his three sons (Ninurta, Adad. and Sin). She uttered an incantation as she lit each fire: "A fiery offering to Enlil of Nippur. . . to Ninurta . .. to Adad. . . to Enki coming from the Abzu .. to Nergal coming from Meslam." By nightfall the place was ablaze: "as sunlight was the great light set off by the goddess." Ninharsag then appealed to the wisdom of the gods and extolled the virtues of peace: "Mighty are the fruits of the wise god; the great divine river to his vegetation shall come . . . its overflowing will make [the land) like a garden of god." The abundance of plants and animals, of wheat and other grains, of vines and fruits, and the bene- fits of a "triple-sprouting mankind" planting, building, and serving the gods—all to follow peace—were then outlined by her. After Ninharsag had finished her oracle of peace, Enlil was the first one to speak. "Removed is the affliction from the face of the Earth," Enlil declared to Enki: "the Great Weapon is lifted up.” He agreed to let Enki regain his abode in Sumer: "The E.DIN shall be a place for thy Holy House," with enough land around to bear fruit for the temple and to have seeded fields. THE WARS OF GODS AND MEN