Fishing from the earliest times - Blog

2THE LADY OF THE WATERS 381by-product of her lavation. Possibly the fish of Chabura (likeexhaled a " most sweet scent," and so effectedthe thyme fish)" the sweet smelling." But probably to preserve their power." they will come to feed from men's hands." ^I have adduced sufficient proof that fish were plentiful inMesopotamia. Additional testimony has needlessly beensought in Professor Sayce's now fairly accepted suggestionthat the ideogram for Nineveh implies the House of the Watersor of Fish.Another explanation of Nineveh as The Lady of the Watersdeduces from Nina (said to be a daughter of Ea and a fishgoddess) lengthening into Nineveh. But the term The Lady,ie The Lady par excellence, in Assyrian especially appliesto Beht the spouse of Asur, who became generaUy identifiedwith Ishtar of Nineveh. ^If The Lady of the Waters translate correctly the ideogramof Nineveh, the term may have sprung from a temple to thisreputed Fish Goddess standing in that city. But even if theexistence of such a temple can be inferred, its original siteprobably lay in Sumerian Lagash, not in Nineveh.1 N. H., XXXII. 7-* Hibbert Lecture (London, 1887), p. 57- ^ , ^ l/ /t ^„^.^r,. Sn the ancient goddess Nin4, see Langdon, f---"^.'{f/ ^^^shtir man;1914). There is no known representation of Nina. Of Bfeht.fJ^^^^^'J^^Yexist : of Ishtar arma ferens that on a seal in Tammuz and Ishtar. Plate I.,No. I. is perhaps the best.