The Descent into Hades
As the goddess of love Venus is the restorer of life, and as such she descends into the underworld and brings the dead back to life. Lewis Richard Farnell in his Cults of the Greek States16 reproduces a remarkable votive tablet which shows Hermes the soul-dispatcher (psychopompos) confronting a woman holding in her outstretched hand a pomegranate blossom (the symbol of both the chthonian Aphrodite and Persephone) and Eros, the god of love, on her arm. The obvious meaning of the tablet indicates that it is love which redeems from death. This conception of the great goddess found a fit expression in the myth of Demeter’s daughter Persephone (called in Latin “Proserpina”) who, after being snatched away by Pluto, the ruler of Hades, is allowed to return to earth. So life on earth with its bloom of vegetation dies off each winter but returns annually in the spring.
This idea became a symbol of human immortality in the Eleusinian mysteries, presumably derived from older sources which go back to religious cults in Babylonia and Asia Minor, and the Christian doctrine is apparently derived from the same tradition. Paul says (1 Cor. xv. 36-38):
“Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened except it die. And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain. But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body.”
Jesus echoes the same argument and uses the same simile of the grain of wheat in John xii. 24:
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone; but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.”
The most important document still at our command relating to the chthonian Venus is a fragmentary poem called “Istar’s Descent to Hell.” The main subject is introduced in order to justify the possibility of conjuring the dead from Sheol. Dr. Jeremias17 explains the situation as follows:
“A man grieves over the death of his sister. He consults a magus as to how to release the spirit of the deceased from the prison of Hades. The priest tells him the story of Istar’s descent to Sheol for the sake of proving that the gates of Sheol are not unconquerable, and advises him to address Istar, the conqueror of Hades, and Tammuz her consort, with prayer and sacrifice, in order to gain their assistance. He is requested to comply with funeral ceremonies at the coffin of the dead and to begin his mourning with the assistance of the Uhats, the companions of Istar. The spirit of the dead, hearing the lamentations of her brother, requests him to rescue her from the horrors of Sheol through mourners’ music and sacrifices in the days of Tammuz, which is the time when the people sing and weep, as told by Ezekiel viii. 14, and mourn for their dead under the shape of Tammuz. The concluding lines of the poem, which are summed up in these words, form the core of the whole, while the legend of Istar’s descent to Sheol is only an introduction to it, and constitutes a part of the conjuration of the dead. From other documents of Babylonian literature we learn that on the names of Istar and Tammuz, the hero and heroine of the legends of the descent to Sheol, depend the hopes of a rescue from Sheol.” (Loc cit., pp. 7-8.)
It appears that people celebrated with special preference the days of the god Tammuz, who represented the disappearance of vegetation and its resurrection to life. The legend of Istar’s descent18 to Sheol reads in the translation based on Dr. Jeremias’s version as follows:
(OBVERSE OF THE TABLET.)
“To the land of no return, to the land [which thou knowest (?)],19
Istar, the daughter of the moon-god, meditated [to go].
The daughter of the moon-god meditated to go
To the house of darkness, to the seat of Irkalla,
To the house whose visitor never returns, 5.
On the path the descent of which never leads back,
To the house whose occupants are removed from the light,
To the place where dust is food, and dirt is meat,
Where they (the occupants) see no light, where they dwell in darkness,
Where they are clothed like birds, dressed with wings,20. 10.
Where upon gate and bolt dust is spread.
“When Istar had reached the gate of the land of no return,
She spake to the keeper of the gate:
‘Keeper of the waters, open thy gate,
Open thy gate,—I wish to enter! 15.
If thou openest not, if I cannot enter,
I shall demolish the gate, I shall break the bolt,
I shall smash the threshold, I shall break the doors;
I shall lead out the dead, shall make them eat and live,
And unto the crowds of the living the dead shall I join.’ 20.
“The keeper opened his mouth and spake
In reply to the sublime Istar:
‘Stay, my lady, do not upset [the door]!
I will announce thy name to Queen Allatu.’
“The keeper entered and spake to Queen Allatu: 25.
‘The water has been crossed by thy sister Istar....”
[The goddess Allatu is greatly agitated about Istar’s appearance in Sheol. The poem continues:]
“When Goddess Allatu [heard] this....
Like unto a tree cut down....
Like unto reeds mowed down [she drooped and spake]: 30.
‘What has driven her heart, what....
These waters have I [made encompass Sheol]...
Like the inundation of the deluge, like the swelling (?) waters of a great flood,
I will weep over the men who left their wives.
I will weep over the wives who were taken from their consorts, 35.
Over the little children I will weep, who prematurely [were taken away].21
Go, keeper, open the gate,
And strip her according to the primordial decree.’
The keeper went, he opened the door to her:
‘Enter, my lady, let the underworld [Kûtu] rejoice; 40.
Let the palace of the land of no return rejoice at thy arrival!’
“Through the first door he bade her enter and, stripping her,
Took off from her head the golden crown.
‘Why, O keeper, takest thou from my head the golden crown?’
‘Step in, my lady, for such are the commands of the mistress of the earth.’22
Through the second door he bade her enter and, stripping her, 45.
Took off the ornaments from her ears.
‘Why, O keeper, takest thou the ornaments from my ears?’
‘Step in, my lady, for such are the commands of the mistress of the earth.’
Through the third door he bade her enter and, stripping her,
Took off the chains from her neck.
‘Why, O keeper, takest thou the chains from my neck?’
‘Step in, my lady, for such are the commands of the mistress of the earth.’ 50.
Through the fourth door he bade her enter and, stripping her,
Took off the ornaments from her breast.
‘Why, O keeper, takest thou the ornaments from my breast?’
‘Step in, my lady, for such are the commands of the mistress of the earth.’
Through the fifth door he bade her enter and, stripping her,
Took off the gem-covered belt from her hips.
‘Why, O keeper, takest thou the gem-covered belt from my hips?’ 55.
‘Step in, my lady, for such are the commands of the mistress of the earth.’
Through the sixth door he bade her enter and, stripping her,
Took off the bracelets from her hands and feet.
‘Why, O keeper, takest thou the bracelets from my hands and feet?’
‘Step in, my lady, for such are the commands of the mistress of the earth.’
Through the seventh door he bade her enter and, stripping her, 60.
Took off the robe from her body.
“Why, O keeper, takest thou the robe from my body?’
‘Step in, my lady, for such are the commands of the mistress of the earth.’
Now, when Istar was descended to the land of no return—
Allatu beheld her, and vehemently upbraided her;
Istar, forgetful, assaulted her.... 65.
Then Allatu opened her mouth and spake.
Addressing Namtar, her servant, giving him
this command:
‘Go, Namtar, open (?) my....
Let her out... the goddess Istar,
With a disease on her eyes [punish her], 70.
With a disease on her hips [punish her],
With a disease on her feet [punish her],
With a disease on her heart [punish her],
With a disease on her head [punish her],
Upon her whole person [inflict diseases].’ 75.
When Istar, the lady, [was thus afflicted],
The bull no longer covered the cow, the he-ass the she-ass,
The lord no longer sought the maiden of the street.
The lord fell asleep in giving command,
The maid-servant fell asleep....” 80.
REVERSE OF THE TABLET.
“Pap-sukal, the servant of the great gods, scratched his face before Samas,
Clothed in mourning and filled with....
Samas went: he went to Sin, his father [and wept];
Before Ea, the king, he shed tears;
‘Istar has descended into the land and has not returned. 5.
Since Istar descended into the land of no return,
The bull no longer covers the cow,
The jack-ass no longer covers the she-ass,
A man no longer seeks the maiden of the street,
The lord falls asleep in giving command,
The maid-servant falls asleep.... 10.
Then Ea in the wisdom of his heart created a male being,
He created Uddusunâmir,23 the servant of the gods:
‘Go forth, Uddusunâmir! to the door of the land of no return turn thy face,
The seven doors of the land of no return shall open before thee,
Let Allatu see thee, let her rejoice at thy arrival. 15.
When her heart has become calm, and her soul is comforted,
Conjure her in the name of the great gods,24
Lift up thy head over the source of waters (?), make up thy mind (and speak):
‘Not, O my lady, shall the spring be debarred from me; from its waters I will drink.’
When Allatu heard this, 20.
She smote her loins and bit her finger25 (and spake):
‘Thou hast made a demand which cannot be fulfilled—
Hence, Uddusunâmir, I will confine thee in the great prison,
The slime of the city shall be thy food,
The gutters of the street shall be thy drink, 25.
The shadow of the wall shall be thy habitation.
The thresholds, thy dwelling-place,
Prison and confinement shall break thy strength.
[Allatu curses Uddusunâmir, but the conjuration which he uttered is too powerful, and she must obey. Thus the power of the realm of death is broken and Istar is free.]
Allatu opened her mouth and spake,
To give command to Namtar, her servant: 30.
‘Go, Namtar, demolish the eternal palace,
Demolish the pillars, make the thresholds quake;
Lead out the Anunnaki, put them upon the golden throne,26
Sprinkle upon Goddess Istar the water of life;
Take her away from me!’ 35.
Namtar went and demolished the eternal palace,
He demolished the pillars and made the thresholds (?) quake,
He led out the Anunnaki and placed them upon the golden throne,
“He sprinkled upon Goddess Istar the waters of life and led her away:
Through the first door he led her and replaced the robe upon her body; 40.
Through the second door he led her and replaced the bracelets upon her hands and feet;
Through the third door he led her and replaced the gem-covered belt upon her hips;
Through the fourth door he led her and replaced the ornament upon her breast;
Through the fifth door he led her and replaced the chains upon her neck;
Through the sixth door he led her and replaced the ornaments in her ears;
Through the seventh door he led her and replaced upon her head the golden crown.” 45.
[The conjurer here addresses the brother and promises the release of his dead sister from the power of Allatu. The poem continues:]
“‘When she (Allatu) does not afford release, turn to her (to Istar) [thy face].
To Tammuz, the consort of her youth,
Pour pure water and costly balm... [invite a priest].
Cover him with the sacrificial robe, a crystal flute may he [blow].
Let the Uhats weep with grievous [lamentations]. 50.
Let the goddess Belili break the precious utensil27...
With diamonds shall be filled thy....”
[Now the spell takes effect. The spirit of the departed sister rises from Sheol:]
“Thus she heard the lamentations of her brother, the goddess Belili broke the precious utensil,
With diamonds were filled the... [and the departed spirit said:]
‘My only brother, let me not perish, 55.
In the days of Tammuz play the crystal flute,
Play the instrument....
In those days play to me, the male mourners and the female mourners
Let them play upon instruments....
Let them breathe incense....” 60.