ASSYRIAN NEW YEAR
It was the tradition of our anestors, the inhabitants of Bet‑Nahrain (Mesopotamia), to celebrate the New Year annually on the first day of Nissan (April), a celebration of revival and renewal of nature. This was one of the most important religious and national celebrations held in Bet‑Nahrain [1-3].
These celebrations originated from two myths, the myth of creation Ishtar and the myth of underground Tammuz, which were revered by the inhabitants of Bet‑Nahrain. In Babylon the myth of creation assumed central importance owing to the fact that it became associated with the great Babylonian new year or Akitu Festival [4], and was embodied in liturgical form in the poem or chant known for its opening words ENUMA ELISH "When on high" [5]. In this form of the myth the Babylonian god Marduk plays the principal part. The German excavation of the site of Ashur, the old capital of the Assyrian empire, brought to light the Assyrian version of the "ENUMA ELISH", in which the name of the Babylonian god Marduk was replaced by the name of Ashur, the Chief god of Assyria.
The first of these two myths is the myth of creation [6,7], the work consisting of seven tablets. These tablets were first discovered by the British excavation of Nineveh. The outline of this myth begins with a description of the primeval condition of the universe when nothing existed except Apsu, the god of the sweet (fresh) water, and Tiamat, the goddess of the salt water. From the union
of these two, the gods were brought into existence. The first pair, Lahmu and Lahamu, give birth to Anshar and Kishar, interpreted by some scholars as the circular horizons of sky and earth. Anshar and Kishar in turn give birth to Anu, the sky god, and Ea, the earth and water god (also known as the god of wisdom and the source of all magic). Ea then begets Ashur, the hero of the Assyrians form of myth. But before the birth of Ashur, there was an account of the first conflict between the primeval gods and those whom they have begotten. Tiamat and Apsu are disturbed by the noise of the younger gods and take counsel with Mummu, Apsu's vizier, on how to destroy them. Tiamat is reluctant to destroy her offspring, but Apsu and Mummu devise a plan. Their intention is disclosed to the gods, who are alarmed, but Ea, the all‑wise, devises a counter‑scheme; he casts a spell of sleep upon Apsu, slays him, binds Mummu and puts a cord in his nose. He then builds his sacred chamber. In this chamber the birth of Ashur takes place, and a description of his beauty and tremendous strength follow.
The preparation for a renewed conflict between the primeval gods and the younger gods went on. Tiamat is reproached by her other children for having remained quiescent when Apsu was destroyed, and they succeed in stirring her up to take measures for the annihilation of Anu and his associates. She makes Kingu, her first born, the leader of the attack, arms him and invests him with the tablets of destiny. She then begets a horde of monstrous beings, and places Kingu at the head of this host, and prepares to avenge Apsu.
The assembly of the gods received the news of the coming attack. Then Anu is sent armed with the authority of the assembly of the gods to turn Tiamat from her purpose, but he returns unsuccessful. Then Anshar rises in the assemble of gods and proposes that Ashur, the strong hero, should be entrusted with the task. Ashur's father, Ea, advises him to accept the task, and Ashur agrees to undertake it on the condition that he is given full and equal authority in the assembly of the gods, and that his word is to determine destiny unalterably. The gods are satisfied and proclaim "Ashur is King". Then Ashur arms himself for the combat; his weapons are the bow and arrow, mace, lightning, and a net held at the corners by the four winds; he fills his body with flame, and creates the seven raging hurricanes; he mounts his storm chariot and advances against Tiamat and her host. He challenges Tiamat to single combat, he casts his net to enclose her and when she opens her mouth to swallow him, he drives in the evil wind to distend her and transfixes her with his arrow, splitting her heart. Her demon helpers flee, but are caught in the net and bound. Their leader, Kingu, also is caught and bound. Then Ashur takes from Kingu the tablets of destiny and fastens them upon his own breast. He then splits the body of Tiamat in two; he places half of her above the earth as the sky, fixes it with bars, sets guards and charges them not to let her water escape. Ashur declares his intention of creating man for the services of the gods. By the advice of Ea, it is decided that the leader of the rebellion, Kingu, shall die so that mankind may be fashioned. Accordingly Kingu is slain and from his blood mankind is created for the services of the gods. Then the gods build a temple for Ashur, and at the command of Anu, they proclaim the fifty great names of Ashur, a proceeding that occupies the rest of the poem.
The second myth, which gave rise to the choice of April the first to become the beginning of the New Year for the Assyrians and Babylonians, is the myth of Ishtar and her lover Tammuz. The details of this mythical story begin with a discussion between Ishtar and her brother, the god Utu. Initially, she announces her love for the farmer and her desire to marry him, whereas Utu prefers her marry to the shepherd Tammuz. Eventually, she is persuaded to accept her brother's choice especially after listening to Tammuz claim to be gifted with superior qualities. After this meeting, Ishtar falls in love with the shepherd Tammuz, who in turn asks for her hand in marriage. Hence Ishtar, the goddess of love, marries the shepherd Tammuz, who is elevated into the god of Fertility. Their marriage endows the earth with fertility and renewal of life is ensured.
From this myth we also learn of the descent of Ishtar to the Netherworld (land of no return), the realm of Ereshkigal (Ishtar's sister). The original version gave no reasons for this journey, but the Assyrian version states that she sets free some of the dead. The version runs as follows [3]: Ishtar determines to descend to the Netherworld. When Ishtar reaches the gate of the land of no return, she says these words to the gatekeeper:
"O gatekeeper, open thy gate,
Open thy gate so that I may enter!
If thou openest not the gate so that I cannot enter,
I will smash the door. For I will shatter the bolt,
I will smash the doorpost, I will move the doors,
I will raise up the dead, eating the living,
so that the dead will outnumber the living."
Although Ereshkigal is Ishtar's sister, she is filled with joy at the thought of capturing such a prize, and orders her to be admitted. At each of the seven doors of hell, through which she must pass, the keeper of the gate forces Ishtar to remove part of her apparel; first her crown, and then her earrings, her necklaces, her breastband of precious metal, her belt made of charms of "stones of childbirth", her bracelets from her wrists and her ankles, and finally her "garment of modesty." Thus Ishtar appears naked in the presence of the queen of the Netherworld, and overcomes with rage, without a moment's thought, she attacks her. In revenge, Ereshkigal bids her minister, Namtar, to unleash upon Ishtar a multitude of diseases, like a pack of hounds.
During these events in the underworld, everything on earth is withering away. Trees and plants will not turn green; animals and human beings alike are sterile. But Ishtar has already asked her devoted messenger Papsukkal, the vizier of the great gods, to inform Ea, the god of wisdom, of her misfortune if she does not return from the Netherworld within three days. Three days elapse and Ishtar has not appeared. Consequently, Papsukkal pleads with Ea to rescue Ishtar from the Netherworld. When Ea learns of Ishtar's predicament, a being Asushunamir of extreme beauty (or the eunuch) is created and instructed by the god Ea to undertake the rescue of Ishtar from the Netherworld. Ea sends Asushunamir down to induce Ereshkigal to give him the life‑water bag. By his charm he succeeds in doing this, and Ereshkigal reluctantly orders her vizier Namtar to sprinkle Ishtar with the water of life. Ishtar is released and returns, receiving back those articles of adornment and apparel which had been taken from her as she passes through the seven gates on her return journey. But a reference is made to the ransom, which she must pay. Ereshkigal says to Namtar, "If she does not give thee her ransom price, bring her back." What this is to be is not specified, but the mention of Tammuz at the end of the myth seems to imply his return from the underworld, although no indication has been given as to how he came there.
Mr. Yousip Nimrud Canoon, in his article [1], describes in details the mythical story of how Ishtar passes through many cities whose inhabitants are in mourning because of the news of her death. When Ishtar reaches her husband's house, she realizes his indifference to what had happened to her. She also realizes that he is not saddened by her death. Instead he is wearing immaculate robes and sitting in opulent surroundings. In anger Ishtar casts a deathful look on Tammuz followed by an attack of Namtar, but Tammuz escapes several times aided by the god Utu.
Eventually, Tammuz is captured and beaten to death by Namtar and taken to the Netherworld. His sister mourns his death and pleads with Ishtar to set him free; Ishtar also mourns the death of Tammuz her beloved husband. When her anger subsides, Ishtar pleads with the council of gods to restore Tammuz to life, but the gods agree to a partial reprieve only, whereby Tammuz spends six months in the world of living and the following six months in the Netherworld. Hence, Tammuz is restored to life on the 1st of Nissan (April), the 1st day of spring. The event is marked by the renewal of life on earth and the promise of fertility, and Tammuz returns to the Netherworld by the end of August, the onset of autumn.