" Ea replies to his son Merodach: "My son, what is there that I
could add to thy knowledge?--Merodach, what is there that I could add
to thy knowledge?--That which I know, thou knowest it:--go then, my son,
Merodach,--lead him to the house of purification of the god who prepares
remedies,--and break the spell that is upon him, draw away the charm
which is upon him,--the ill which afflicts his body,--which he suffers
by reason of the curse of his father,--or the curse of his mother,--or
the curse of his eldest brother,--or by the curse of a murderess who is
unknown to the man.--The curse, may it be taken from him by the charm
of Ea,--like a clove of garlic which is stripped skin by skin,--like a
cluster of dates may it be cut off,--like a bunch of flowers may it be
uprooted! The spell, may heaven avert it,--may the earth avert it!" The
god himself deigned to point out the remedy: the sick man was to take
a clove of garlic, some dates, and a stalk bearing flowers, and was to
throw them into the fire, bit by bit, repeating appropriate prayers at
each stage of the operation. "In like manner as this garlic is peeled
and thrown into the fire,--and the burning flame consumes it,--as
it will never be planted in the vegetable garden, it will never draw
moisture from the pond or from the ditch,--its root will never again
spread in the earth,--its stalk will not pierce the ground and behold
the sun,--it will not serve as food for the gods or the king,--so may it
remove the baleful curse, so may it loose the bond--of sickness, of sin,
of shortcomings, of perversity, of crime!--The sickness which is in my
body, in my flesh, in my muscles,--like this garlic may it be stripped
off,--and may the burning flame consume it in this day;--may the spell
of the sorcerer be cast out, that I may behold the light!" The ceremony
could be prolonged at will: the sick person pulled to pieces the cluster
of dates, the bunch of flowers, a fleece of wool, some goats' hair, a
skein of dyed thread, and a bean, which were all in turn consumed in
the fire. At each stage of the operation he repeated the formula,
introducing into it one or two expressions characterizing the nature of
the particular offering; as, for instance, "the dates will no more hang
from their stalks, the leaves of the branch will never again be united
to the tree, the wool and the hair will never again lie on the back
of the animal on which they grew, and will never be used for weaving
g