f the /lilu/
who had no wife, whether his name had been recorded or unrecorded.

The method of exorcising the demons causing all these things is
curious. White and black yarn was spun, and fastened to the side and
canopy of the afflicted person's bed--the white to the side and the
top or canopy, the black to the left hand--and then, apparently, the
following words were said:--

"Evil /utukku/, evil /alu/, evil /edimmu/, evil /gallu/, evil god,
evil /rabisu/, /labartu/, /labasu/, /ahhazu/, /lilu/, /lilithu/,
handmaid of /lilu/, sorcery, enchantment, magic, disaster, machination
which is not good--may they not set their head to his head, their hand
to his hand, their foot to his foot--may they not draw near. Spirit of
heaven, mayest thou exorcise, spirit of earth, mayest thou exorcise."

But this was only the beginning of the real ceremony. The god
Asari-alim-nunna (Merodach), "eldest son of Eridu," was asked to wash
him in pure and bright water twice seven times, and then would the evil
lier-in-wait depart, and stand aside, and a propitious /sedu/ and a
propitious /labartu/ reside in his body. The gates right and left
having been thus, so to say, shut close, the evil gods, demons, and
spirits would be unable to approach him, wherever he might be. "Spirit
of heaven, exorcise, spirit of earth, exorcise." Then, after an
invocation of Eres-ki-gal and Isum, the final paragraph was
pronounced:--

"The afflicted man, by an offering of grace
In health like shining bronze shall be made bright.
As for that man,
Samas shall give him life.
Merodach, first-born son of the Abyss,
It is thine to purify and glorify.
Spirit of heaven, mayest thou exorcise, spirit of
earth, mayest thou exorcise."

Rites and ceremonies.

As may be expected, the Babylonians and Assyrians had numerous rites
and ceremonies, the due carrying out of which was necessary for the
attainment of the grace demanded, or for the efficacy of the thanks
tendered for favours received.

Perhaps the oldest ceremony recorded is that which Ut-napistim, the
Chaldaean Noah, made on the /zikkurat/ or peak of the mountain after
the coming forth from the ship which had saved him and his from the
Flood. The Patriarch's description of this ceremony is short:--

"I sent forth to the four winds, I poured out a libation
I made an offering on the peak of the mountain:
Seven and seven I set incense-vases there,
Into their