antomime must have been enacted
in the month of Tammuz in which the daughters of Esagila and Ezida and the
queen recorder of Sheol were the principal figures. The pantomime
represented the passing of light, the reign of night and the judgment of
the dead. Clearly an elaborate ritual attended by magic ceremonies
characterized the ceremony. At this point the tablet gives a commentary on
the mystic meaning of cult objects used for the healing of the sick or the
atonement of a sinner. Obviously some connection exists between this
mystagogy and the myth described. The commentary is probably intended to
explain the hidden powers of the objects employed in the weird ritual, at
any rate the mystery is thus explained.(511)

(1) Gypsum is the god Ninurta.(512) (2) Pitch is _the asakku_-demon.(513)
(3) Meal water (which encloses the bed of the sick man) is Lugalgirra and
Meslamtaea.(514) [A string of wet meal was laid about the bed of a sick
man or about any object to guard them against demons. Hence meal water
symbolizes the two gods who guard against demons. See especially EBELING,
KTA. No. 60 Obv. 8 _zisurra talamme-su_, "Thou shalt enclose him with meal
water."]

(4) Three meal cakes are Anu, Enlil and Ea.(515) (5) The design which is
drawn before the bed is the net which overwhelms all evil. (6) The hide of
a great bull is Anu. [Here the hide of the bull is the symbol of the
heaven god as of Zeus Dolichaios in Asia Minor.]

(7) The copper gong(516) is Enlil. But in our tablet II 13 symbol of
Nergal and in CT. 16, 24, 25 apparently of Anu. The term of comparison in
any case is noise, bellowing.

(8) The great reed spears which are set up at the head of the sick man are
the seven great gods sons of Ishara. The seven sons of Ishara are unknown,
but this goddess was a water and vegetation deity closely connected with
Nidaba goddess of the reed.(517) The reed, therefore, symbolizes her sons.

(9) The scapegoat is Ninamasazagga. Here the scapegoat typifies the genius
of the flocks who supplies the goat. See, however, another explanation
below Obv. II 17.

(10) The censer is Azagsud. The deity Azagsud in both theological and cult
texts is now male and now female. As a male deity he is the great priest
of Enlil, CT. 24, 10, 12, and always a god of lustration closely connected
with the fire god Gibil, MEEK, BA. X pt. 1 No. 24,4.(518) But ordinarily
Azagsud is a form of the grain goddess who was also associated with fire
in the r