#tamarix

Tamarix sp. L., Tamaricaceae// trees 29

1.7.2026, Porto Germeno, Attica

“Asher-D

HAPPY is he; his bread is fat, Royal dainties are on his plate, etc.

Here then, for what it is worth, is a list of the jewels of the months and of the tribes. (The breastplate was made entirely of gold in honour of the Sun: but if a sequence of five metals corresponded with the five vowels A.O.U.E.I. it was probably, to judge from the traditional planetary signs still attached to them: silver, gold, copper, tin, lead.)

B

Dec. 24

Red Sard

Reuben

L

Jan. 21

Yellow Chrysolite

Issachar

N

Feb. 18

Sea-green Beryl

Zebulon

F

March 18

Fire-Garnet

Judah

S

April 15

Blood-red Carbuncle

Gad

H

May 13

Lapis Lazuli

Levi

D

June 10

White Carnelian

Asher

T

July 8

Yellow Cairngorm

Simeon

C

Aug. 5

Banded Red Agate

Ephraim

M

Sept. 2

Amethyst

Manasseh

G

Sept. 30

Yellow Serpentine

Dan

Ng

Oct. 28

Clear Green Jasper

Dinah

R

Nov. 25

Dark Green Malachite

Naphtali

For the extra day, Dec. 23rd, which belongs to Benjamin "Son of My Right Hand', that is to say "The Ruler of the South, (since the Sun reaches its most southerly stage in mid-winter) the jewel is amber, which Ezekiel makes the colour of the upper half of Jehovah's body; the lower half being fire. Benjamin's tree was the hyssop, or wild caper, which grows green in walls and crannies and was the prime lustral tree in Hebrew use, or the holy loranthus, which preys on desert tamarisks.”

From our resident nutcase, Robert Graves, in The White Goddess

Sumerian Mythology - The earliest deities of ancient Mesopotamia (42)

Prince Lugalbanda, final - Inanna's advice and King Enmerkar's victory [The story so far]

Lugalbanda's superhuman strength, given to him by the Anzu birds, enabled him to run like the wind and cross the seven mountains in no time at all. Before nightfall, he arrived at the Kulaba in Uruk and bowed before Inanna, who was leaning back on a cushion. Inanna spoke softly to him. "Why have you come alone? What news from Aratta?” Inanna asked gently. Lugalbanda repeated exactly the message of King Emelkar.

When Inanna heard this, she began to speak in riddles. "Over there, in the shallows, there is a divine pond. There is a small fish (Suḫur-maš) eating water plants, a larger fish (Kintur) eating acorns, and the largest fish (Gishesh) jumping around.

And the tree of life, the tamarix, grows in clusters and pours out water. At the edge of the pond, there is a solitary tamarix. In order for the king to defeat Aratta, he must find the pond, cut down the tamarix standing apart, make a bowl, fill it with the biggest fish and offer it to the gods. Then the power of Uruk will prevail and the power of Aratta will be diminished.

While King Enmerkar does not destroy Aratta, but protects its carvings and the artists and craftsmen who made them, and also restores Aratta after it has been damaged in battle, then, and only then, will Enmerkar be victorious and blessed as a great king." Things went according to Inanna's plan.

In Mesopotamia, the first-born son was the most common heir, but Lugalbanda's success in the expedition made him the next king of Uruk, replacing his seven older brothers.

シュメール神話～古代メソポタミア最古の神々(42)

ルガルバンダ王子〜イナンナの助言とエンメルカル王の勝利 [これまでのお話]

ルガルバンダはアンズー鳥から授かった超人的筋力によって、風のように駆け抜け、あっという間に7つの山を越えた。夜になる前にウルクのクラバへ到着し、クッションへもたれかかるイナンナの前に深々と頭を下げる。イナンナは優しく声を掛けた。「何故たった1人でやってきたのですか。アラッタから何か知らせでもあるのですか?」。ルガルバンダはエンメルカル王の伝言をそっくり繰り返した。

これを聞いたイナンナは、謎めいた言葉を述べ始めた。「向こうの浅瀬に、神の池がある。そこには小さな魚（スフルマシュ）が一匹、水草を食べ、それより大きな魚（キントゥル）が一匹、ドングリを食べ、一番大きな魚（ギシュシェシュ）が一匹、跳ねまわっている。

そして生命の木タマリスクが群生して水をすいあげている。そのほとりに一本だけ孤立したタマリスクがある。王がアラッタに勝つためには、その池を見つけ、離れて立つタマリスクを切り倒して器を作り、一番大きな魚を入れて神々に捧げなければならない。そうすればウルクの力が勝り、アラッタの力が衰える。

もしエンメルカル王がアラッタを滅ぼすことなく、アラッタの彫刻品や、それらを作った芸術家や職人を護り、更に、戦いで傷んだアラッタを復興させるならば、そのとき初めて、エンメルカルは大王として勝利と祝福を得られるでしょう」。イナンナの話した通りに事は運んだ。