This is for my new friend Chasfh who is trying to turn his passion for 3-d into a model making career. I asked Chasfh if he could make a model of a stone tablet for me so that I didn't have to use a book for the new Ishtar series. Not only did he make a tablet virtually overnight it came in three styles! It was so fast that I could use one of them in this first image. Thanks Chas. Check out his newest rocket bike toy which hopefully will be available in RMP at "The Shark" Special thanks also go to Vintorix for prodding me to get on with it and Liz for your continued support, your critiques and for not letting me get away with anything! Now on with the new series: "Ishtar and the Quest for Knowledge" As always it is a big image with lots of detail. My Lady, what is that tablet that you are reading? Ah, Ninshubar, my beloved cousin and vizier, I am so glad that that you are here! Humm, it looks like you are dressed to be having some fun with the local male entertainment (giggle). Well whatever. Take up a cup of ale, sit down beside me and let me tell you of this tablet. My lady, I will not deny that I have taken the chance to enjoy this peaceful time since you have rid yourself of Tammuz. It is fun being a girl and I take pleasure in it! But for now I have had enough; I grow a bit restless. So I have come to see what you are up to. Ninshubar I am glad to see you having a bit of sport! My dear, you earned it getting me out of Ereshkigal's grasp. If not for you I would have died. Now that I am free, I have taken the time to rethink my role and so I have dug up this tablet from my treasures. That tablet, it looks so old and yet it is so beautifully scripted. I have not seen anything like it here in Uruk. That is because it is not from Uruk, it is from Eridu, Grandfather Enki's city; the most ancient and wisest place in the world. This tablet was given to me by Grandfather when the powers of the living and the dead were divided between myself and my sister Ereshkigal. These are my instructions on being a Goddess of both love and war. Ereshkigal was given one about ultimate justice. They are from the senior pantheon of all the Gods. Oh my, I did not know that such knowledge was ever written down! It is incredibly valuable. Tell me Ishtar, do you know if any more of these tablets exist? When Grandfather gave this to me he said he had a whole library of these tablets! Being the God of Wisdom he was entrusted to guard all the knowledge of all culture. Can you imagine, all the gifts of civilization from all the Gods, all stored in one place! I would love to know for sure that such a place exists. My Lady Ishtar, do you think that might why his city of Eridu is so grandiose and its citizens so worldly wise? Do you think Grandfather might be sharing the gifts of his library with his people? It would make sense and I have often wondered if that is so. While our citizens are good hearted people, worship us well, and have built us a beautiful city, we are not nearly so opulent and our citizens are far less worldly than those of Eridu. Sometimes they are just so stupid! They struggle so hard to learn and I wish that I could just give them the gift of wisdom. But I only know what I know; it is much, but it is not everything. My lady, I have an idea. Will you indulge me to hear what I am thinking? Previous

"Ishtar"