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225 Sarpanit goes to a structure that symbolizes Marduk's tomb. She sees a group of mourners. The script explains: These are those who make lament after the gods had locked him up, separating him from among the living. Into the House of Captivity, away from the sun and light, they put him in prison. The drama has reached its ominous peak: Marduk is dead. . . . But wait—all hope is not lost! Sarpanit recites an appeal to the two gods who can approach Inanna regarding Marduk's incarcera- tion, her father Sin and her brother Utu/Shamash: "She prays to Sin and Shamash, saying: 'Give life to Bel!'" Priests, a stargazer, and messengers now appear in procession, reciting prayers and incantations. Offerings are made to Ishtar, "that she may show her mercy." The high priest appeals to the su- preme god, to Sin and to Shamash: "Restore Bel to life!" Now the drama takes a new turn. Suddenly the actor who repre- sents Marduk, clothed with shrouds which "with blood are dyed," speaks out: "I am not a sinner! I shall not be smitten!" He an- nounces that the supreme god has reviewed his case and found him not guilty. Who, then, was the murderer? The attention of the audience is diverted to a doorpost; "it is the doorpost of Sarpanit in Babylon." The audience learns that the real guilty god has been captured. They see his head through the doorway: "That is the head of the evildoer, whom they shall smite and slay." Nabu, who had returned to Borsippa, “comes back from Borsippa; he comes and stands over the evildoer and regards him." We do not learn the identity of The Evildoer, except to be told that Nabu had seen him before in Marduk's company. "This is the sinner," he says, and thereby seals the captive's fate. The priests grab The Evildoer; he is slain: "The one whose sin it was" is carried away in a coffin. The murderer of Dumuzi has paid with his life. But is the sin of Marduk—as the indirect cause of Dumuzi's death—atoned? Sarpanit reappears, wearing the Garments-of- Atonement. Symbolically she wipes away the blood that has been spilled. With pure water she washes her hands: "It is water for hand-washing which they bring after The Evildoer has been carried The Prisoner in the Pyramid