18. Heabani opened his mouth . . . .
19. . . . . Humbaba in . . . .
20. . . . . one by one and . . . .
(Many other broken lines.)
There are a few fragments of Columns III., IV., and V. and a small portion of Column VI. which reads:
1. . . . . cedar to . . . .
2. . . . . he placed and . . . .
3. . . . . 120 . . . . Heabani . . . .
4. . . . . the head of Humbaba . . . .
5. . . . . his weapon he sharpened . . . .
6. . . . . tablet of the story of fate of . . . .
It appears from the various mutilated fragments of this tablet that Izdubar and Heabani conquer and slay Humbaba and take his goods, but much is wanted to connect the fragments.
The conclusion of this stage of the story and triumph of Izdubar are given at the commencement of the sixth tablet. It appears, when the matter is stripped of the marvellous incidents with which the poets have surrounded it, that Izdubar and his friend went privately to the palace of Humbaba, killed the monarch and carried off his regalia, the death of the oppressor being the signal for the proclamation of Babylonian freedom and the reign of Izdubar.
