by Brian Godawa
Chapter 2
The Watchers spread out over all the land, claiming their peoples and unveiling secrets to the sons of men — dark occult secrets that men should never have known. They taught mankind the ways of sorcery and alchemy, incantations and the cutting of magical roots, casting of spells and the arts of divination, necromancy, and astrology. Elohim fast became a distant memory for mankind as they worshipped and served the creation instead of the Creator.
The heavens above was one of the most glorious of that creation that man twisted to evil ends. When Elohim placed the heavenly objects in their order, he did so with the intent of expressing his glory not through beauty alone, but also through story. He embedded that story in the very physical structure of the skies above. As the sun, moon, and stars revolved around the face of the earth, observers recorded movements and charted the heavens. Stars were connected by imaginary lines of constellations that depicted the future God ordained. These constellations were pictures that told a story in twelve distinct parts.
The narrative was of a virgin (Virgo) who would bear the promised seed and pay the price of justice to overcome the “wounder of the heel” (Scorpio the scorpion). This promised one would be a conqueror (Sagittarius the archer), who would carry the weight of sins and bring living waters for his people (Aquarius the water-bearer). Those people would be blessed though bound (Pisces the fish). Their blessings would be consummated through a ram of sacrifice who would become a ruling leader (Taurus the bull), a king with two natures (Gemini the twins). He would hold his people fast in his grip (Cancer the crab), and would ultimately reign as tribal king over the earth (Leo the lion).
But this narrative of prophecy would eventually be subverted by the enemies of Elohim, who transformed it into an entire substitute system of astral worship where stars were considered as controlling powers over the lives of men. Though there was no actual power in the stars, it served the purpose of the gods to divert mankind’s attention from the true God of history into a god of one’s own utility.
• • • • •
Of all the forbidden secrets revealed by the gods, none caused as much hope in the heart of Inanna as the arts of whoring and war. She exploited the beauty of human sexuality by enhancing the draw of seduction through ornamentation and cosmetics. It was a particular talent of hers to twist a good thing into something bad. Women and men learned how to advertise more clearly the availability of their bodies for the fulfillment of illicit desires in violation of Elohim’s bigoted exclusionary marriage covenant.
Inanna knew sexuality was a form of worship intrinsic to human nature, so the perversion of that nature into manifold excess would lead to an idolatry of such a deep level as to enslave these wretched creatures to their appetites. The possibilities of sexual depravity were endless. The goal was to inspire sexual union with everyone and everything other than one man and one woman in covenant before Elohim. Even animals, inanimate objects and children were not exempt.
One of the unfortunate results of such unrestricted copulation was the proliferation of offspring, which tended to infect humans with a repulsive desire for moral responsibility and chastity. To counter this disease, the gods taught the medicinal sorcery of bitter herbs to induce miscarriage, as well as the technique of using utensils to smash the embryo in the womb. This would enable unhindered sexual excess while avoiding the natural consequences. Inanna shivered with delight at that thought. It made her want to go out and violate a few humans herself. But that would be for later.
As for war, now that was an art. Inanna taught the craft of making instruments of death more accessible to the wicked. Knives, slings, arrows, shields, breastplates, and spears would become more ubiquitous than instruments of peace. These things were not in and of themselves evil, but in order to inspire mankind to do more damage, provide them with a technology for accomplishing that damage beyond the reach of one man wrestling another to the ground with fists, rocks, and clubs. Evil men will always seek to kill. Warfare technology simply provides them the ability to carry out their evil on grander scales with more destruction. Unfortunately, it would also provide good men with the ability to defend themselves against such evil. But Inanna could overcome that minor technicality with authoritarian control of the populace. Take away the dissidents’ weapons and they are more docile and obedient to the power of the state which was the power of deity. To Inanna, the human race was an unfettered malignancy on the earth that required occasional strangling to keep it from getting out of control.
Chapter 3
At first, people all across the land bowed in awe before the glory of the gods and their revelation of secret knowledge. They worshipped and built shrines expressing their submission. This first step of the three-part plan of the gods had been successful.
At Mount Hermon, Anu inspired the surrounding peoples to build the first holy temple to the gateway of the gods called kadingir. Embedded into the mountain in a step-like structure, it dominated the landscape, serving as the temple of Ereshkigal, goddess of the underworld, Sheol.
The time had come for the second step of their plan. All across the land, in every city and every village presided over by a god, the citizens were called together in congregation before the holy shrine at the center of the city. The priest-king of each city, called the ensi, introduced their patron deity who then heralded a proclamation to the people — the proclamation of the Sacred Marriage.
In the city of Nippur, Enlil, Lord of the air, was supposed to be the patron deity and Inanna a secondary authority. But Inanna’s intensity and assertiveness gained her a more devoted following, of which she never ceased to remind Enlil. She often found ways to usurp Enlil’s authority, as she did that day during his announcement of the Sacred Marriage rite.
Enlil stood before a hushed audience. “Citizens of Nippur. You have been our loyal servants and for that we thank you. You have honored us with these shrines and with your worship and obeisance. But a new day has dawned upon the world. And with it, a new opportunity for union between gods and men.”
Inanna butted in, stealing Enlil’s thunder with her characteristic impatience and bravado. “We are instituting the Sacred Marriage rite. All women will have the opportunity to be given in marriage to the gods.”
The faces in the crowd were unmoved. They did not quite understand what they were hearing.
Inanna continued. “By the authority of the pantheon, we are temporarily suspending all marriage covenants across the land. This will give every woman a right over her own body to choose. If you volunteer for this high honor you will transcend your pathetic earthly limitations and become one with deity. You will be liberated from your oppressed status as the ‘weaker sex.’ And the fruit of your womb will be demigods who will rule the earth.”
Inanna rose to a crescendo as the thought flitted through her mind that even Anu would not be more eloquent at this moment. “I can think of no greater privilege than being a child bearer of the gods! And that privilege begins today. All those women who desire the Sacred Marriage say your goodbyes to your fathers, your husbands, your siblings and your lords, and come to the holy shrine of Enlil this evening. We will perform a mass marriage ceremony and celebrate your newly exalted status!” Inanna was smugly satisfied with her delivery. She had practiced all morning and relished the jealousy Anu might feel at her stirring oration.
The crowd remained unimpressed. They stood in stunned silence. They had not anticipated such an outrageous offer and did not know what to do. Slowly, they melted away with solemn faces, back to their homes to contemplate their options. Was this truly voluntary or was this another play on words that Inanna and Enlil were so adept at doing? Would there be punishment for those who chose not to marry the gods?
Inanna looked with contempt upon the dispersing crowd. Poor insects. They had no idea that she was actually a male, and that Enlil was not the only one who would have his way with their women. Inanna was already concocting scenarios of violation that would be just violen
t enough to satisfy her without killing the victims.
Enlil plotted how he might someday stab Inanna in the back, metaphorically, or literally if at all possible. Either way would suit him just fine.
That evening the priests had eaten their sacrificial meal of goat and barley offerings. They assembled in the courtyard of Enlil’s shrine in anticipation of welcoming the arriving women for preparation in the Sacred Marriage.
Enlil and Inanna bickered all the way from their residence in the shrine out to the courtyard. Inanna thought the images of them carved out of stone and wood were terrible representations. Ugly and unflattering. Enlil thought they were good enough.
“Good enough?” barked Inanna. “Incompetence is not ‘good enough.’ If we chopped off a few hands, you can rest assured, these deplorable artisans would sharpen their skills and take their duty more seriously.”
Before Enlil could respond, they were in the courtyard. The sight was not encouraging.
It was already late into the evening and not a single woman stood in line to offer herself to the gods. Not even a whore or prostitute. A messenger pazuzu, an ugly dog-faced flying creature with a double set of bat-like wings, brought them the message that this was the picture all over the land.
“These malicious conniving ingrates,” spouted Inanna.
Enlil fumed as well. Since taking on flesh, his sexual desires increasingly consumed him as he looked upon the beauty of these daughters of men. He wanted them, and he wanted them now.
“What should we do?” asked Enlil.
Inanna responded flatly, her expression frozen. “If they will not give themselves to us, then we will have to take them by force.”
Enlil broke into a knowing grin. For once, he and Inanna were entirely in agreement.
• • • • •
An unusually quiet night rested over the city of Nippur. Families stayed inside their mud brick homes fearing reprisal for not volunteering their daughters and wives to the gods. Families sat hushed as they ate their meals, and went to bed early, hoping to hasten the coming of the next day and with it, a return to normal life. Many finally fell asleep as their exhaustion overcame their worry with slumber.
The tumult of soldiers marching and barging into homes at random broke the quiet. They held fathers and sons at spear point while companions dragged the females of the households and chained them by the neck to the backs of carts drawn by oxen. Screams cracked the darkness throughout the city, awakening families with fright. They could do nothing to protect themselves, only wait and hope they might be overlooked. They could not even pray to the gods, since it was the gods who were kidnapping their women and girls.
Fifty female hostages were herded into the courtyard of the shrine. They crowded in the small courtyard, trapped by the walls of simple enclosed structures of the shrines.
Inanna watched them and thought they would soon have to build up this unimpressive residence with ornament and pillars and gardens. A god deserved to be in the most expensive and extravagant building of the city. They were gods after all. In fact, she had plans to turn it into an garden brothel of sacred prostitution.
Inanna and Enlil stepped out onto a dais on one side of the large square courtyard bordered with pillars. Some of the women cried hysterically, others shivered in silent terror. Enlil spoke to them.
“My women. My beautiful women. There is no need for you to fear us. Though we were treated disrespectfully this evening, Inanna and I only desire to bless you with our bounty. Sometimes, disobedience to the gods brings chastisement, but it is a chastisement out of love for your best interest.” Enlil scanned the crowd as he spoke, looking for his first choice.
“Oh, stop your pontificating and start choosing,” muttered Inanna. She tromped out into the crowd and grabbed a young girl of only thirteen by the arm, and another of fourteen in her other hand. “The younger, the better.”
The girls squealed and squirmed, but they were like a couple rabbits in the strong arms of the tall divinity as she carried them to her shrine to have her way.
It was going to be a busy night for Enlil. His skin radiated with hunger and virility. But he was not violent like Inanna. He would actually seek to inspire some kind of gratitude in his victims. A mixture of pleasure with the pain would make him feel compassionate and thoughtful.
• • • • •
The night was long. Too long for the unfortunate women of Nippur. But this atrocity occurred elsewhere as well. Before Inanna and Enlil embarked upon their plundering, they sent their flying messenger pazuzus to as many other cities of the plain as possible, explaining their predicament and solution and encouraging the other gods to follow suit.
And follow suit they did. The rapine throughout the land rose up as wailing tears in the ears of Elohim.
Chapter 4
Word reached Anu of Nippur’s horror and its resounding influence on the other cities of the plain. Instantly, he knew it was Inanna’s scheme. It was all he could do to contain himself. He would journey to each city himself and force each god to personally apologize for their reprehensible behavior. But first on his list was Nippur.
• • • • •
When Anu arrived with an escort of twenty other gods, Inanna lay sound asleep from her long night of exertion. By the time she was coherent and aware of what was going on, not even she with all her fury could withstand the ten gods who held her and dragged her out to the courtyard. She saw Enlil bullied in like manner to stand beside her. An audience of the city elders and the families victimized by Inanna and Enlil were assembled before them.
“People of Nippur,” Anu announced, “I return to you the daughters and wives who were unmolested by the reckless actions of your patron deities.”
Thirty of the women had not been violated by Inanna and Enlil. They raced out of the midst of the priests into the arms of their families, weeping with both pain and joy. The others were already impregnated and would have to remain in holy confinement in the quarters built behind the shrine for this purpose.
“And now, your patrons have something they want to tell you.” Anu looked straight at Inanna, awaiting her response.
Inanna stood close enough to hiss at Anu, “We will look weak. They will lost their respect for us.”
Anu returned the hiss. “You are a fool, Inanna. You have already lost their respect. Men do not follow cruelty. They follow justice. Apologize, or I will have you whipped naked. Then we will see how much respect you will receive.”
Inanna glared back at him spitefully. She refused to open her mouth.
Enlil jumped in. “My people. My precious worshippers, Inanna and I would like to extend our deepest heartfelt apology for our — excessive enthusiasm last night.”
His choice of words was clever, thought Inanna. Qualified apology. It gave her an idea.
“As your gods,” she interrupted Enlil, “we are responsible to care for you and provide for your needs.” Anu could see her twist coming. He knew her too well. “And as our people, you are responsible to obey us. We should not have acted so hastily, and we will not be so harsh in the future. But can you not see how you only hurt yourselves when you refuse to offer your daughters and wives out of love? Can you not see how you hurt us as well? Let us move forward and put this behind us. All is forgiven. All is blessed.”
It was amazing, thought Anu, how Inanna could turn an apology into an accusation without a blink. And deliver it as if she was an objective mediator rather than the offending party. Of course, he expected as much. But it was better than nothing.
Inanna would not forget this moment. One day, she would have her chance for revenge on Anu and his bullying ways. Her rising anger was tempered by the amazing fact that afterward, Anu appealed to the people again to volunteer for the Sacred Marriage, and this time, at least thirty came forward. They may have realized they had no real choice or that things would only get worse if they did not “volunteer,” but nevertheless, they volunteered. Inanna could not deny it; Anu had tu
rned the embarrassment into a victory. The gods would have their brides for breeding.
Chapter 5
The offspring of the union between the Sons of God and the daughters of men were called Nephilim. A Naphil grew quickly in the womb and depleted the mother’s nutrition to a deadly level. Their gestation period was five months. Though they were humanoid in appearance, they had a slight bluish grey tinge to their skin color and sported an extra digit on both their hands and feet, for a total of twelve fingers and twelve toes.
But there was one other important trait that would prove to be problematic for the breeding interests of the gods: Nephilim were large, very large. A mature Naphil could reach heights of seven, eight or even nine cubits tall. The Nephilim were giants. The fetus therefore was manifestly huge and tended to stretch a woman’s womb cavity to its limits. For this reason, a Naphil could not be born in a human way. It would have to rip its way out of its mother, killing her in the process. This was all very natural for its kind, since the dead mother would be the newborn’s first meal.
This inconvenient technicality meant that the gods had to cloister the carriers into isolated quarters. They pursued a rigorous disinformation campaign to keep the public from discovering the truth.
But leaks had occurred and rumors spread about the deadly consequences of the Sacred Marriage rite. All of mankind feared what they worshipped in place of Elohim their creator.
Within five months, the first Nephilim were born and celebrated in the cities and villages across the land. These firstborn were called Rephaim because they were the most pure of the breed. They would become kings and rulers of the earth. The inhabitants of Shinar called them the Igigi, demigods who served the Anunnaki gods, or “gods of princely seed.” New flocks of women, regularly chosen, repopulated the harems of the gods with vessels worthy of their seed.
