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217 At that time Inanna/Ishtar had the blessing of her parents, Nannar/Sin and Ningal, as well as of her brother Utu/Shamash, to the Romeo-and-Juliet love match between a granddaughter of Enlil and a son of Enki. Some brothers of Dumuzi, and probably Enki himself, also gave their consent. They presented Inanna with a gift of lapis lazuli, the blue-hued precious stone she cherished. As a surprise they hid beads and squares of the stone under a heap of her favorite fruit: dates. In the bedroom she found "a bed of gold, adorned with lapis lazuli, which Gibil had refined for her in the abode of Nergal." And then the fighting broke out, and brother fought brother. As long as the fighting was only between the descendants of Enki, no one saw any particular problem in having a granddaughter of Enlil around. But after the victory of Horus, when Seth occupied lands not his, the situation changed completely: The Second Pyramid War pitched the sons and grandchildren of Enlil against the de- scendants of Enki. "Juliet" had to be separated from her "Ro- —" meo." When the lovers were reunited after that war, and their marriage consummated, they spent many days and nights in bliss and ecstasy—the subject of numerous Sumerian love songs. But even as they were making love Inanna was whispering provoking words to Dumuzi: As sweet as your mouth are your parts. they befit a princely status! Subdue the rebellious country, let the nation multiply: I will direct the country rightly! Thad a vision of a great nation choosing Dumuzi as God of its country . . . For I have made Dumuzi's name exalted, With all that it was not a happy union, for it did not produce an heir—an essential requirement, it appears, for carrying out the di- vine ambitions. Thus it came to pass that in an attempt to have a male heir, Dumuzi resorted to a tactic adopted way back by his own father: he tried to seduce and have intercourse with his own sister. But whereas in bygone days Ninharsag agreed to Enki's ad- The Prisoner in the Pyramid Another time she confessed to him her vision: I gave him status.