MEETING OF HEA-BANI AND IZDUBAR.  
Dream of Izdubar.—Hea-bani.—His wisdom.—His solitary life.—Izdubar’s petition.—Zaidu.—Kharimtu and Samkhat.—Tempt Hea-bani.—Might and fame of Izdubar.—Speech of Hea-bani.—His journey to Erech.—The midannu or tiger.—Festival at Erech.—Dream of Izdubar.—Friendship with Hea-bani.
 
 
N this chapter are included the fragments of what appear to be the second and third tablets or books. In this section of the story Izdubar comes prominently forward, and meets with Hea-bani. The notice of his mother Dannat appears in one of the tablets given in this chapter.
 
Izdubar, in the Babylonian and Assyrian sculptures, is always represented with a marked physiognomy, and his peculiarities can be seen by noticing the photograph from a Babylonian gem at the beginning of the book, the engraving from an Assyrian sculpture in the last chapter, and the engraving in page 249202 showing Izdubar and Hea-bani struggling with wild animals. In all these cases, and in every other instance where Izdubar is represented, he is indicated as a man with masses of curls over his head and a large curly beard. The type is so marked and so distinct from either the Assyrian or the Babylonian one that it is hard to say to what race it should be attached.
 
The deity of Izdubar was Lugal-turda, the god who was changed into the bird of storm according to the old myth, from which it may be supposed that he was a native of the district of Amarda or Marad, where that god was worshipped. This district Mr. Smith thought was probably the Amordacia or Mardoc?a of Ptolemy, but its situation is uncertain.
 
The fragments of the second and third tablets assume by their notices that Izdubar was already known as a mighty hunter, and it appears a little later that he claimed descent from the old Babylonian heroes, as he calls Xisuthrus, the Chaldean Noah, his “father.”
 
Tablet II.
 
A single fragment which Mr. Smith believed to belong to this tablet has been found; it is K 3389, and contains part of the third and fourth columns of writing. It appears from this that Izdubar was then at Erech, and had a curious dream. He thought he saw the stars of heaven fall to the ground, and in their descent they struck upon his back. He203 then saw standing over him a terrible being, the aspect of whose face was fierce, and who was armed with claws, like the claws of lions. The greater part of the description of the dream is lost; it probably occupied Columns I. and II. of the second tablet. Thinking that the dream portended some fate to himself, Izdubar calls on all the wise men to explain it, and offers a reward to any one who can interpret the dream. Here the fragment K 3389 comes in:
 
Column III.
 
1. .... ru kili I ....
2. .... he and the princes may he ...
3. .... in the vicinity send him,
4. .... may they ennoble his family,
5. .... at the head of his feast may he set thee
6. .... may he array thee in jewels and gold
7. .... may he enclose thee
8. .... in his .... seat thee
9. into the houses of the gods may he cause thee to enter
10. .... seven wives
11. .... cause illness in his stomach
12. .... went up alone
13. .... his heaviness to his friend
14. .... a dream I dreamed in my sleep
15. .... the stars of heaven fell to the earth
16. .... I stood still
17. .... his face
18. .... his face was terrible
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19. .... like the claws of a lion, were his claws.
20. .... the strength in me
21. .... he slew
22. .... me
23. .... over me
24. .... corpse ....
The first part of this fragment appears to recount the honours offered by Izdubar to any one who should interpret the dream. These included the ennobling of his family, his recognition in assemblies, his being invested with jewels of honour, and his wives being increased. A description of the dream of the hero, much mutilated, follows. The conduct of Nebuchadnezzar in the Book of Daniel, with reference to his dreams, bears some resemblance to that of Izdubar.
 
After this fragment we have again a blank in the story, and it would appear that in this interval application was made to a nondescript creature named Hea-bani that he would go to the city of Erech and interpret the dream of Izdubar.
 
Hea-bani appears, from the representations on seals and other objects on which he is figured, to have been a satyr or faun. He is always drawn with the feet and tail of an ox, and with horns on his head. He is said to have lived in a cave among the wild animals of the forest, and was supposed to possess wonderful knowledge both of nature and human affairs. In appearance he resembles the se’irim or hairy demons, half men, half goats, who inhabited the205 deserts and were a terror to passers-by. Reference is made to them in Lev. xvii. 7, 2 Chron. xi. 15, Is. xiii. 21, xxxiv. 14, from which we learn that worship was paid to them, and that they were supposed to be specially connected with the neighbourhood of Babylon. Hea-bani was angry at the request that he should abandon his solitary life for the friendship of Izdubar, and where our narrative reopens the god Samas is persuading him to accept the offer. It may be added that the name Hea-bani signifies “Hea created me,” from which we may infer that the monster was believed to have originally ascended like Oannes out of the abysses of the sea.
 
Column IV.
 
1. ... me
2. ... on my back
—–———–———–———–
3. And Samas opened his mouth
4. and spake and from heaven said to him:
5. .... and the female Samkhat thou shalt choose
6. they shall array thee in trappings of divinity
7. they shall give thee the insignia of royalty
8. they shall make thee become great
9. and Izdubar thou shalt call and incline him towards thee
10. and Izdubar shall make friendship unto thee
11. he shall cause thee to recline on a grand couch
12. on a beautiful couch he shall seat thee
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13. he will cause thee to sit on a comfortable seat a seat on the left
14. the kings of the earth shall kiss thy feet
15. he shall enrich thee and the men of Erech he shall make silent before thee
16. and he after thee shall take all ....
17. he shall clothe thy body in raiment and ....
—–———–———–———–
18. Hea-bani heard the words of Samas the warrior
19. and the anger of his heart was appeased
20. .... was appeased
Here we are still dealing with the honours which Izdubar promises to the interpreter of his dream, and these seem to show that Izdubar had some power at Erech at this time; he does not, however, appear to have been an independent king, and it is probable that the next two columns of this tablet, now lost, contain negotiations for bringing Hea-bani to Erech, the subject being continued on the third tablet.
 
Tablet III.
 
This tablet is far better preserved than the two previous ones; it gives the account of the successful mission to bring Hea-bani to Erech, opening with a broken account of the wisdom of Hea-bani.
 
Column I.
 
1. .... knows all things
2. .... and difficult
3. .... wisdom of all things
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4. .... the knowledge that is seen and that which is hidden
5. .... bring word of peace to ....
6. from a far off road he will come and I rest and ....
7. .... on tablets and all that rests ....
8. .... and tower of Erech the lofty
9. .... beautiful
10. .... which like ....
11. .... I strove with him not to leave ....
12. .... god? who from ....
13. .... carry ....
14. .... leave ....
(Many lines lost.)
Column II.
 
1. Izdubar did not leave .....
2. Daughter of a warrior .......
3. their might ......
4. the gods of heaven, lord ......
5. thou makest to be sons and family? .....
6. there is not any other like thee ......
7. in the depth made ......
8. Izdubar did not ............