Descent of Ishtar to the Underworld

The Akkadian Descent of Ishtar is a shorter and more streamlined adaptation of the earlier Sumerian Descent of Inanna. Ishtar, goddess of love and war, descends to the underworld — the Land of No Return — ruled by her sister Ereshkigal. She passes through seven gates, at each surrendering an article of adornment or clothing. She arrives before Ereshkigal, who orders the keeper Namtar to afflict her with sixty diseases. With Ishtar imprisoned in the underworld, all procreation ceases on earth: no bull mounts a cow, no man impregnates a woman. The vizier of the gods informs Ea of the crisis; Ea creates a figure, Asushu-namir, and sends this being to demand Ishtar's release. Ereshkigal is furious but bound by divine decree to comply. Ishtar is revived with the water of life and returns through the seven gates, recovering her adornments. The text ends with a short passage associating Ishtar's descent with the mourning rites for Tammuz — the Akkadian name for Dumuzi — and establishing that on certain days the dead may return to visit their families.