Ishtar’s heart was filled with wrath when she heard the words which Gilgamesh had spoken, and she prevailed upon her father Anu to create a fierce bull which she sent against the lord of Erech.

This monster, however, was slain by Gilgamesh[209] and Ea-bani, but their triumph was shortlived.  Ishtar cursed Gilgamesh.  Ea-bani then defied her and threatened to deal with her as he had dealt with the bull, with the result that he was cursed by the goddess also.

Gilgamesh dedicated the horns of the bull to Shamash and returned with his friend to Erech, where they were received with great rejoicings.  A festival was held, and afterwards the heroes lay down to sleep.  Then Ea-bani dreamt a dream of ill omen.  He met his death soon afterwards, apparently in a battle, and Gilgamesh lamented over him.  From the surviving fragments of the narrative it would appear that Gilgamesh resolved to undertake a journey, for he had been stricken by disease.  He wept and cried out, “Oh! let me not die like Ea-bani, for death is fearful.  I will seek the aid of mine ancestor, Pir-napishtim”—­the Babylonian Noah, who was believed to be dwelling on an island which corresponds to the Greek “Island of the Blessed”.  The Babylonian island lay in the ocean of the Nether World.

It seems that Gilgamesh not only hoped to obtain the Water of Life and the Plant of Life to cure his own disease, but also to restore to life his dead friend, Ea-bani, whom he loved.

Gilgamesh set out on his journey and in time reached a mountain chasm.  Gazing on the rugged heights, he beheld fierce lions and his heart trembled.  Then he cried upon the moon god, who took pity upon him, and under divine protection the hero pressed onward.  He crossed the rocky range and then found himself confronted by the tremendous mountain of Mashi—­“Sunset hill”, which divided the land of the living from the western land of the dead.  The mountain peak rose to heaven, and its foundations were in Aralu, the Underworld.[210] A dark tunnel pierced it and could be entered through a door, but the door was shut and on either side were two monsters of horrible aspect—­the gigantic “scorpion man” and his wife, whose heads reached to the clouds.  When Gilgamesh beheld them he swooned with terror.  But they did him no harm, perceiving that he was a son of a god and had a body like a god.

When Gilgamesh revived, he realized that the monsters regarded him with eyes of sympathy.  Addressing the scorpion giant, he told that he desired to visit his ancestor, Pir-napishtim, who sat in the council of the gods and had divine attributes.  The giant warned him of the dangers which he would encounter, saying that the mountain passage was twelve miles long and beamless and black.  Gilgamesh, however, resolved to encounter any peril, for he was no longer afraid, and he was allowed to go forward.  So he entered through the monster-guarded mountain door and plunged into thick unbroken darkness.  For