Erra & Išum (the Poem of the Plague-God's Rampage)
Coax the king of the gods off his throne for an hour, and the god of plague will burn the world while he's gone.
The Poem of Erra dramatizes the eruption of violence and disorder into the world. Erra — a god of war, plague, and sudden death — is restless and stirred up by his weapons, the Seven (Sebitti). He persuades Marduk, the king of the gods, to step down from his throne in Babylon to have his regalia refurbished; but with Marduk absent, cosmic order lapses and Erra runs riot, visiting war, slaughter, and chaos on Babylon and its cities, sparing neither righteous nor wicked. His wise minister Ishum repeatedly tries to restrain him and at last succeeds in calming his rage, after which Erra relents and even promises blessing. The poem ends by declaring that wherever its text is honored, that house will be spared — so the poem itself functioned as a protective charm against plague. It is a remarkable meditation on senseless violence and the fragility of order.