Literature Review
One of the many fabulous creatures of the Ancient Near East is the scorpion-man, generally called the Girtablullû, and seen as a benevolent creature that has some connection with Shamash, the Sun-god. The name Girtablullû is a composition of gir-tab, which means “scorpion”, and lú-ùlu, which means “untamed man” 1 . In accepting the benevolent character of the scorpion-man, most researchers seem to pass over the fact that there appear to be different kinds of scorpion-people, with more or less 1 Wiggermann 1992: 180; Gubel 2000: 44. Bible Lands e-Review 2016/S1 2 human and animal elements. They do, though, make a distinction between two categories, but this is only iconographically, and not regarding their meaning. The first category (Type 3) is the Girtablullû, shown as a winged, bearded human-headed and human-bodied creature,
As a sun deity, the god Shamash had an important role in two very powerful civilizations -Assyrian and Babylonian. Shamash had similar characteristics and back story as the god Utu. This meant that he was believed to be the enforcer of truth and justice. He also had his divine chariot that he used to fly across the world in order to bring the sun to the people.
It was believed that Shamash was also worshiped by a group of mythical race called the scorpion people – half man and half scorpion. The Babylonians believed that legendary King Hammurabi received the Hammurabi Codes from either Shamash or Marduk
The Aqrabuamelu, or “Scorpion men,” originate from Akkadian myth and are, as I said before, scorpion men. They were originally created by Tiamat to wage a war against the younger and lesser gods for their betrayal of Apsu, her mate. They now guard the gates of the sun god Shamash at the mountains of Mashu.
The Aqrabuamelu have the upper body of a human male and the lower half of a humungous scorpion, much like Dwayne(the rock) Johnson in “the mummy returns.” They have a “glance of death” and their “terror is awesome,” among other things.
At Mashu, the Shamash gates open unto the land of darkness where Shamash retreats every night. The scorpion men guard the gate, releasing and enclosing Shamash every day and night. I suppose “guarding” isn’t the right word for them, because they are said to allow any traveler to go into the dark land any time they please. They don’t have to worry about said travelers ever coming out again.
Significance of Study
Evidence in the Epic of Gilgamesh the Babylonian / Sumerian Mythology always present
The mountains of Mashu are described as follows:
When [he arrived] at the mountain range of Mashu,
Which daily keeps watch over sun[rise and sunset]-
Whose peaks [reach to] the vault of heaven
(And) whose breasts reach to the netherworld below. (ANET, 88; Heidel 1946, 65).
Mashu is said to mean twin and it is from the “twin peaks” of the Mountain Mashu “daily keeps watch over sun[rise and sunset]” (ANET, 88) which was at the center of the Soul of the World and the two main geographic points of East and West. For it is the Western gate which the sun enters at night and the sun travels at night in subterranean caverns back under the earth to come out in the East at sunrise. The cave is also called the “vault of heaven” is the same phrase su-pu-uk same(e) meaning the “foundation of heaven.”
It is here where we find remnants of the Sabien Rite which is the Rites of the Apocalypse being performed by initiated priests known as the scorpion-men whose “glance is death” and guard the entrance to the cave in the mountain of Mashu or Mashi; that is, “the mountain of the Sunset” or “Dark Mountian of the Sunset.”
The scorpion-men of the Mountain would be the immortal and mortal spirits who took the sacrificial oaths at the beginning of this Age and who hold the keys to heaven and hell via binding and loosing. Gilgamesh must cross the Waters of Death and gain entrance to the Cave AKA the “vault of heaven” through the scorpion-men who are the guards in order to fulfill his mission.
The Scorpion Men stand guard outside the gates of the sun god Shamash at the mountains of Mashu. These give entrance to Kurnugi, the land of darkness which was a dark and dreary cavern located deep below the ground, where inhabitants were believed to continue “a shadowy version of life on earth”.
The scorpion men open the doors for Shamash as he travels out each day, and close the doors after him when he returns to the underworld at night. Their heads touch the sky, their “terror is awesome” and their “glance is death”. This meeting of Gilgameš, on his way to Ūta-napišti, with the Scorpion-folk guarding the entrance to the tunnel is described in Iškār Gilgāmeš, tablet IX, lines 47–81.
When one of the scorpion-man sees Gilgamesh at the cave entrance, he addresses his wife: ” He who comes to us is of divine appearance.” The wife agrees that Gilgamesh is in part divine, but she adds that in part he is human. The scorpion-man then announces that it is by the express command of the gods that Gilgamesh has come to the mountain.
It is at this time that Gilgamesh recovers his courage tells the scorpion-man of his purpose. The scorpion-man then proceeds to inform him of the extreme dangers that will come upon anyone who ventures to enter the dreadful district. Now that he is completely aware and conscious of the Gnosis of who he is and his immortal mission, the gate is then opened for Gilgamesh and his epic journey begins.
Gilgamesh magically makes it through the darkness which is enclosing him on all sides and after traversing a distance of twenty-four hours, he beholds a splendid tree decorated with precious stones and bearing beautiful fruit. He then reaches the sea where he meets the maiden Sabitum where she has her palace and throne as guardian (mermaid) of the sea.
When Sabitum sees Gilgamesh, she locks the gates and will not permit him to pass across the sea. Gilgamesh then pleads with Sabitum telling her of the loss of his friend Eabani, ‘who has become dust (mortal fungi – ie: men),” and whose fate he does not wish to share. When Gilgamesh speaks to Sabitum, it is then said in the text; “[Now] Sabitum, which is the way to Ut-Napishtim.”
The Ninth Tablet opens with the lament of Gilgamesh for the death of his friend, and his number one goal which is to seek out the spirit of his ancestor who is named “Tsit-napishtim (Ut-Napishtim)” so he might perhaps escape a similar fate.
Tsit-napishtim informs Gilgamesh that all men must die with he himself being an exception in exceptional circumstances. He then gives Gilgamesh an opportunity of eating the plant of life, which is then lost. However, Tsit-napishtim then cures Gilgamesh of his disease which he has contracted while crossing the Waters of Death, and he is finally restored to King of Erech.
The Babylonian tablet reads:
“For his friend Ea-bani “Gilgamesh wept bitterly and he lay stretched out upon the ground. “(He cried): ‘Let me not die like Ea-bani! “Grief hath entered into my body, and “I fear death, and I lie stretched out upon the
ground.
“To (test) the power of Tsit-napishtim, son of UbaraTutu,
“I will set out, and I will not tarry by the way.’” Gilgamesh describes his journey thus :— “To a mountain gorge I came by night, “Lions I beheld, and I was terrified. “I raised my head and I prayed to the Moon-god, “And to the [chief] of the gods came my cry, “[And he hearkened and] showed favour unto me.”
From what remains of the text it appears that Gilgamesh had a dream in which the Moon-god shewed him the way by which he might safely pass over the mountains. Gilgamesh succeeded in crossing the first mountain range which barred his path, and he next came to a still greater mountain named Mashu, that is to say, the Mountain of the Sunset.
The poem continues as follows:
“Then he came to the Mountain of Mashu, “The portals of which are guarded daily [by monsters];
“Their backs mount up to the ramparts of heaven, “And their fore parts reach down beneath Arallu. “Scorpion-men guard the gate (of Mashu); “They strike terror [into men], and it is death to behold them.
“Their splendour is great, for it overwhelms the mountains; “From sunrise to sunset they guard the Sun. “Gilgamesh beheld them, “And his face grew dark with fear and terror, “And the wildness of their aspect robbed him of his senses.”
One of the Scorpion-men then caught sight of Gilgamesh, and, turning to his wife, told her that the body of the man they saw approaching resembled that of a god. His wife replied that Gilgamesh was partly divine and partly human. The Scorpion-man then told her how Gilgamesh had set out on his long journey in accordance with the will of the gods, and he described the steep mountains which he had already crossed.
Gilgamesh, seeing that the monster regarded him with friendly eyes, recovered from his fright, and told him of the purpose of his journey, namely, to go to Tsit-napishtim, his ancestor, who stood in the assembly of the gods, and had the power over life and death.
The Scorpion-man replied by describing the difficulties and dangers which he would encounter if he persisted in his purpose of traversing the Mountain of Mashu, adding that for twelve kasbu, that is, for a space of twenty-four hours, he would have to pass through thick darkness.
But Gilgamesh was not discouraged.
The Scorpion-man, therefore, yielded to his request, and opened the gate of the mountain and let him through.
For twenty-four hours Gilgamesh marched onwards, “and the darkness was thick and there was no light.” But at the end of this long and dreadful journey he came out once more into the light of the sun, and the first thing he beheld was a beautiful and wonderful tree. The poem describes the tree in the following words:—
“Precious stones it bore as fruit,
“Branches hung from it which were beautiful to behold.
“The top of the tree was lapis lazuli,
“And it was laden with fruit which dazzled the eye of him that beheld.”
This tree grew in a great park or orchard beside THE PRINCESS SABITU.