There is a colophon in Semitic Babylonian, written by Nabu-baladhsuigbi, son of Mitsircea (the Egyptian), probably during the reign of Nabonidus, the father of Belshazzar, that is also an invocation in the same style. The inscription of Tiglath-Pileser I, king of Assyria, which "is the longest and most important of early Assyrian records," says Professor Sayce, dates from about 1106 B. C. This inscription was found under the foundations of the four corners of the temple of Kileh Shergha, the ancient city of Asshur, and is now in the British Museum. The one hundred and fifth sentence mentions divining rods as the "Oracle of the Great Divinities," being placed within the temple. "This Elalla," says Professor Sayce, "was a stem of papyrus covered with writing." Many tablets of Assyrian times have been deciphered from the cuneiform text and are designated as "Tablets of Grace," or "Tablets of Good Works." These are supposed to be those that Nebo wrote describing the virtues of men. Besides these, the Babylonians mentioned tablets on which the sins of the evil were recorded. The pious worshipper, therefore, prays that the Tablet of his sins and iniquities may be destroyed, saying: "May the Tablet of my sins be broken," showing how prevalent was the belief that Nebo controlled fate entirely, both when predicting the future and also after death, and in this Thoth resembles him closely. Similar connections are met with in the Old Testament, when Moses cries, "Forgive their sins--; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written." (Exodus xxxii:32.) The belief that such records are kept by the Almighty is referred to also in the New Testament. "Your names are written in Heaven." (St. Luke x:20.) The verse in Ezekiel ix:2, "One man among them was clothed in linen, with a writer's inkhorn by his side," is supposed to refer to Nebo, "the Heavenly Scribe." In a long cuneiform text inscribed on a terra cotta prism found at Nineveh, King Asshur-banapal glories in having received from Nebo and Tashmitu (his consort) the power to understand "the art of tablet-writing." In "Babylonian Magic and Sorcery from the British Museum," by Leonard W. King, M. A., Assistant in the Department of Egyptian and Assyrian Antiquities, British Museum, there are tablets invoking the protection of Nebo as well as of other gods. One of them has been translated as follows: "Oh! Hero Prince, First born of Marduk; Oh! prudent ruler of Spring of Zarpanitu; Oh! Nabu, Bearer of the Tablet of the destiny of the Gods, Director of Isagila, Lord of Izida, Shadow of Borsippa, Darling of Ia, Giver of Life, Prince of Babylon, Protector of the Living." It may be stretching a point to observe that the "arrow-headed" letters on the tablets of Babylonia closely resemble a sheaf of arrows that have fallen haphazard. But this may be seen in the name of the god Nebo. [Illustration] CHAPTER VI THE ATOUTS OF THE TAROTS