A RITUAL TABLET
 

[The first twenty-eight lines are too broken to translate.]

ON  a  favourable  day  thou  shalt  consecrate   thy¬
self * * *
Thou shalt put on a clean garment.
Before the setting of the sun there shall be * * *
An offering for Gula, of pure water, pure * * *
Unleavened bread made of wheat, twelve of each, and

twelve times three, or thirty-six in afl, thou shalt

prepare.
Thou shalt add * * * and salt, sprinkle a young ram.
Strew the censer with cypress twigs and fine flour, and pour

over it sesame wine.
If the flesh of this young ram and the * * * is without

blemish,
* * * at thy right hand,

Then shall the seer arise and go before the * * *
From the hide of the young ram (thou shalt make) a leather

cup (?) for the cedar roots (?), a young ram thou

shalt prepare.
Before Gula the leather cup *   *   *  wine thou shalt pre¬
sent.
After the stars of the heaven have appeared (?),
Thou shalt prepare three tables for Anu, Bel, and Ea,
On each table, twenty-four loaves of unleavened bread

made of wheat,
Three times twenty-four loaves thou shalt prepare.
As the unleavened bread for the three tables.

399