[Footnote 3:  Of this line Mr. Norris (Dict., p. 166) states “that he cannot suggest any rendering.”]

[Footnote 4:  It seems as if the hand were addressed.]

[Footnote 5:  I.e., “in making me their ruler.”]

COLUMN II

1 mayest thou bless!

2 He, the Chief, the honorable, 3 the Prince of the gods, the great Merodach, 4 my gracious Lord, heard 5 and received my prayer; 6 he favored it, and by his exalted power, 7 reverence for his deity 8 placed he in my heart:  9 to bear his tabernacle 10 he hath made my heart firm, 11 with reverence for thy power, 12 for exalted service, 13 greatly and eternally.

14 The foundation of his temple it was 15 which from the upper waters 16 to the lower waters 17 in a remote way, 18 in a spot exposed to winds, 19 in a place whose pavements had been broken, 20 low, dried up, 21 a rugged way, 22 a difficult path, 23 I extended. 24 The disobedient I stirred up, 25 and I collected the poor and 26 gave full directions (for the work) and 27 in numbers I supported them. 28 Wares and ornaments 29 for the women I brought forth, 30 silver, molten gold, precious stones, 31 metal, umritgana and cedar woods, 32 (however their names be written) 33 a splendid abundance, 34 the produce of mountains, 35 sea clay,[1] 36 beautiful things in abundance, 37 riches and sources of joy, 38 for my city Babylon, 39 into his presence have I brought 40 for Bit-Saggatu 41 the temple of his power, 42 ornaments for Dakan[2] 43 Bit-Kua, the shrine 44 of Merodach, Lord of the house of the gods, 45 I have made conspicuous with fine linen[3] 46 and its seats 47 with splendid gold, 48 as for royalty and deity, 49 with lapis lazuli and alabaster blocks[4] 50 I carefully covered them over; 51 a gate of passage, the gate Beautiful,[5] 52 and the gate of Bit-Zida and Bit-Saggatu 53 I caused to be made brilliant as the sun. 54 A fulness of the treasures of countries I accumulated;[6] 55 around the city it was placed as an ornament, 56 when at the festival of Lilmuku at the beginning of the
    year,
57 on the eighth day (and) eleventh day, 58 the divine Prince, Deity of heaven and earth, the Lord
    god,
59 they raised within it. 60 (The statue) of the god El, the beauty of the sphere, 61 reverently they bring; 62 treasure have they displayed before it, 63 a monument to lasting days, 64 a monument of my life.

65 They also placed within it

(Continued on Column III.)

[Footnote 1:  Mr. Norris conjectures “amber.”]

[Footnote 2:  Dagon.]

[Footnote 3:  “Sassanis.”  The root is probably identical with the Hebrew “shesh,” “fine linen”; thus in Ex. xxvi.  I:  “Thou shalt make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen.”]

[Footnote 4:  These are found still in the ruins of Babylon.]