The information contained in this site originates with a sect of warrior sorcerer's, known as the Datu. The word 'Datu' is of Assyrian origin. It implies, 'one who is ordained'; and in the older Sumerian language it implies, 'a pendulum or an object that wanders a circular course'.

The Datu were established as special bodyguards to the kings of Assyria in 719 B.C. by Sharrukin II, then ruler of Assyria.

In 721 B.C. Sharrukin II ascended the throne of Assyria (modern Iraq), after deposing his half brother (Shalmanesser the fifth).

Sharrukin means 'true king'; and indeed, Sharrukin II was the rightful heir to the throne. However, his brother "Shalmanesser" had been put upon the throne following the death of their father, Tiglathpileser III. Tiglathpileser named his second born son as the heir, due to the influence of his second wife, Sharrukin's step mother.

Sharrukin's stepmother was the favorite of Tiglathpileser, and held sway over Tiglathpileser's judgment. This sel centered second wife demanded that Tiglathpileser kill both his wife and his first born son; but the old king loved them and refused to kill them. The first born heir was rechristened as "Sagi / Sugi (cupbearer)"; while his true name was 'stricken from the tablets and the heart of Assur', and is lost for all time. Tiglathpileser then sent his first wife (Sharrukin's mother) to serve in the temple of the moon god Nanna. 

 

In her vengeance, the ex-queen turned priestess took and hid the symbol of kingship, "The Tablet of Fate," in the inner sanctum of the moon god's temple.

In the mythology of ancient Mesopotamia, the young gods fought a titanic battle against the elder gods. During this battle, a vast amount of damage was unleashed in the heavens and on the earth. This damage was 'repaired' by Enlil the king of the gods (or variously Ninurta, Assur, Marduk, depending on who was considered king of the gods at different times and in different city states.). When all things had been set to right and put in their proper places, the 'Order of the Many Things' was set down on a clay tablet, referred to as the 'Tablet of Fate / Destiny'.

The Tablet of Fate was worn on the breast of the king of the gods, as a sign of his authority; and many legends exist concerning the various gods, monsters, and demons that sought to somehow wrest the tablet from the king of the gods.
While the concept of the Tablet of Fate was associated with the king of the gods, it also had an earthly equivalent associated with the mortal kings of Mesopotamia. In most places, this was a copy of the Tablet of Fate. The Tablet was a symbolic representation of the order of the many things, and was worn on certain occasions of importance. It was carved out of a blue, gold flecked stone, known currently as Lapis Lazuli.

 

The first wife knew, that without the tablet Shalmanneser would never be the true king. She hid it away and payed a servant to claim that an Aramaic slave, who had fled the king's household, had stolen it.

Sagi/Sugi was placed in the position of Shalmanesser's Cupbearer, and most likely would of been lost to history, if not for a number of events that can be found in 'The Stories of the Emissary"', within the main body of this book.

With the help of his mother, Sharrukin took his rightful place on the throne, and set about the task of ruling Assyria. At his mothers request, Sharrukin spared the life of Shalmanesser and his wife Yaba, and sent them to work as field hands in the fields owned by the temple of the Moon; but Shalmanesser was likewise 'stricken from the hearts and Tablets of Assur '.

An examination of ancient Mesopotamian society, will quickly reveal that the people of Mesopotamia were inseparable from their gods. Their entire society was based on the pious worship of the deities of heaven and earth; and they believed that the gods walked amongst them. These people truly believed that they were responsible for the 'care and feeding' of the gods. They believed that the land was the property of the gods, and  the Mesopotamian rulers were the divinely ordained caretakers of the property of the gods. The kings were the highest of the high priests, and as such, they were responsible for the rituals that insured the land's well being. in addition to this the Assyrian kings ruled not as divine decendants of the god , but rather as the truest example of human education and evolution (see the oratory by Ashurbanipal available at any good site conceraning Assyrian history, see also ANCIENT IRAQ by JORGE ROUGE)

Sharrukin, as a 'divinely appointed king', was no exception to this traditional responsibility.

The first year of Sharrukin's rule was spent settling domestic matters:

 

He released the citizens of Assur from any taxation, dismissed the military draft, and soothed the people to peace. At the time of his inauguration bread was the quivalent of 10 dollars a loaf! This accomplished little more that freeing his hands to face Assyria's current foes. Assyria had managed over the previous centuries, to take most of Mesopotamia into its grip; but the various subject states were constantly being prompted to rebel by the various enemies of Assur.

The first of these rebellions came as a harsh dose of reality for Sharrukin. The king of Babylon (Marduk apil idina), who had accended his throne in the same year as Sharrukin, united with the Elemites with the egyptians  and Babylonianbs and refused to kneel to the Assyrians rule. When Sharrukin rode against the combined Babylonian, Egyptian and Elemite forces, he was routed by the Elemites --and never even saw battle against the Babylonians  or Egyptians (720 B.C.).

Almost immediately, the Syrian provinces revolted with the assistance of an Egyptian army; but Sharrukin tasted his first victory against them. He then went home, stabilized his borders as they stood, and took up his duties as king.

 

As a new king ruling a country surrounded by traditional enemies, Sharrukin was at risk of assassination attempts and other political intrigues almost constantly. Sharrukin could secure his safety in most instances, but in the temples he was at a much higher level of risk. Death, or even injury in the temple, represented a tacit denial of Sharrukin's divine right to rule (by the gods themselves as it were).

 

It must be understood, that it was forbidden to bear weapons in the temples.  For it was seen as an insult to the gods and a lack of faith in their protection, to bring a body of armed guards into the temples of the gods --the very deities that had set Sharrukin on the throne would be a horrible insult. Evan Cyrus the Persian would not let his troops carry weapons in the temple hundreds of years later (so strong was this tradition) . However, within his first three years of rule, there were eleven attempts on Sharrukin's life. What was Sharrukin to do?
Sharrukin's solution is said to have come to him in a dream.

Sharrukin dreamed that he stood in a temple, upon the Tablet of Fate / Destiny , and faced all the 'arrayed enemies of Assur '. They beset him at every side, and he thought that he was lost for certain. But suddenly, a large black pendulum appeared; swinging in a wide circle around Sharrukin. Every enemy that approached to strike Sharrukin and steal the Tablet, was driven back by the pendulum stone.
If an enemy tried to stop the pendulum, the decelerating pendulum drew closer to the center, and wove a tighter circle of protection around Sharrukin. In time, the enemies pressed closer; but even as they seemed certain of victory, another blue pendulum appeared and drove them back. In the end, seven pendulums swung around Sharrukin and kept him safe. (Black, Blue Red, Silver, Green, Varicolored, Gold.)

"The Datu (pendulums) represent seven body guards. They are to be drawn from all corners of Harran (a city of tremendous importance to Sin the Moon God). Even as the pendulums danced to save you, these Datu will dance in the temple to save you from the enemies of Assur. If the enemies of Assur press close to you, the Datu will press closer. If the Datu are with you, none will take the Tablet of Fate ? Destiny from beneath your feet ".

The stories of how each of the first Datu was found can found under the chapter heading of "THE STORIES OF THE EMMISSARY."

Sharrukin instituted the Datu as the king's temple dancers. He gave them the right to choose 'apprentices' and instruct them in secret. To insure the silence and cooperation of the apprentices, the apprentices were told that the Datu had been instituted by Sharrukin the first (In 2000s B.C). In this way the neophytes would believe that they served an ancient tradition in noble silence.

The Datu were kept secret from everyone except Sharrukin, his mother, and the dancers themselves. It was decided that not even Sharrukin's heirs should know of them, lest they compromise Sharrukin's safety. It was believed that if the Datu did their work well, Sharrukin could tell the secret to his heir. If misfortune took Sharrukin, his mother could perhaps pass word along. It should be obvious, that if no one knew of the Datu's existence, there had to be a way for the Datu to prove their legitimacy when the time came to serve the heirs of Assur.

Many ideas presented themselves, but none of them were guaranteed to work. There was only one way that the Datu could be certain to gain the trust of an heir to the throne: they would need to be in possession of knowledge that was held only by the kings themselves. The Datu would be given the secrets of the Tablet of Fate / Destiny.

A whole body of esoteric knowledge was associated with the Tablet, and this knowledge (the 'Art of Master Adapa' and the Signs of Heaven and Earth') was taught to the kings in the Bit Reduti, the 'house of succession'. The secrets of the Tablet were forbidden to everyone but the kings, and it would be sure proof that the Datu had been educated by the king. This, along with the claim of an origin attributed to Sharrukin-I, would hopefully insure the cooperation of Sharrukin's heirs.

The Tablet was a wondrous base for the Datu's newly born system. The ability to create a 'long suffering tradition' from scratch put the Datu in a unique position: The position to innovate mystically.

Innovation was a trait among the Mesopotamians. For when they first came to their land, they found a mix of swamp and desert, surmounted by mountains to the north and ocean to the south. There was a complete lack of any of the most commonly used natural materials. There was no stone (building stone), no wood (few trees), and no metal! These people had to become masters of making a living out of mud and reeds; yet they not only survived, they went on to master mathematics, writing, and architecture. They brought water to the desert and created blossoming farmlands and built high walled city-states. They loved lists with a joyous passion and composed lists of every thing from cows to gods.

 

All over the land the various city states had their own gods and goddesses; but all the states were tied together by the three great gods: Ea, Enlil, and Anu/Assur (the gods of the abyss, the sky, and the heavens). All the other gods and goddesses were the same, only the names and ranks varied according to whom the patron god or goddess of the city-state were

Initially the Mesopotamians worshiped a mother goddess of the heavens (nammu / bau) and her male adversary / lover (Azag). Along with Bau and Azag, came their daughter the earth (Ninhursagah) and her lover the waters (Enki). From them, sprang all life. Next came the seven children: Sun (Utu / Shamash), Moon (Nanna / Zuen), Mars (Nergal / Ninurta), Mercury (Nebo / Nibo), Jupiter (Enlil / Marduk), Venus (Inanna / Ishtar), and Saturn (Adad / Niniurta / Adar).

The Datu sought to recapture the old secrets and to blend the underlying principles of the gods. This Gnostic approach allowed them to define the archetypes of the primary deities and their powers. They went to the most ancient accounts of the creation (most undescovered by modern archeologists) and sought the underlying principles of existence. They sought the unchanging principles in order to be able to grasp constantly shifting particulars. They sought the common themes and the essence that bound all the varied details together.

The Datu served Sharrukin in the temples, and when the king went on the road to war in his eighth year of reign, they accompanied him. By the 708 B.C. Sharrukin took back Babylon from Marduk Apil Idina and united most of Mesopotamia. He built a mighty fortress in Korsabad and inaugurated it in 706 B.C..

Just a year later, Sharrukin fell in Battle against Tabal.

The Datu did their duty throughout the years of Sargon's reign, and when his son Sennecherab took the throne they steped up and offered their assistance. However, Sennecherab was not the first born son. His name meant: 'The god Sin / Nanna has compensated for the death of his brother." He was a master of ill conceived battles, fought by generals he did not trust., he had no common sence, and came to near ruin  He had constant rebellion on his hands and was constantly plagued by his father's old rival, Mardul Apil Idinna (Merodach Baladan of the old testiment).

Despite this, the Datu served him just as they had served his father Sargon. They slowly trained a new generation of Datu to attend the king, and with Sennecherab's lack of popularity, they were granted further and further freedom of activity in order to better protect him. The Datu thwarted the attempts of several assassins, the most tragic instance resulting in the death of one of the dancers (Ishtar-ina-kinu). She realized that someone was attempting to push a statue of a winged bull (Shedum) off it's base and onto the king as he prayed alone. The Datu pushed the king out of the way, but she did not get clear in time.

Of all the cities of the ancient world, the crowning jewel was Babylon. It was the single most sacred city (it's name means 'gate of the gods'). It was literaly the 'cord' that bound heaven and earth together. Thus it was unthinkable that anyone would put it to the sword; but that is exactly what Sennecherab did.

Marduk Apil Iddina had been inciting great difficulties for Sennecharab. He had formed an alliance with the king of Elam (where he had taken refuge after his defeat by Sargon II) , and with great boldness he entered Babylon and declared himself King. Sennecherab fought the usurper's army a few weeks later and took Babylon back. Sennecherab plundered the city and deported 208,000 Babylonian citizens to Assyria, and put a puppet king (his cousin) on the throne. Marduk Apil Addina fled....

 

Three years later Marduk Apil Iddina returned and started more trouble. Sennecherab intervined and won again. He unseated the puppet king (who was working with Marduk Apil Iddina) and replaced him with Ashur Nadin Shumi (his own son).

Sennecherab sent an invasion force to Elam, where they sacked a few cities and carried of a load of booty. The Elamites retaliated immediately and invaded, calling on the disatisfied Babylonians to revolt. The Babylonians rose up against Sennecharab and turned his son over to the king of Elam. The son was murdered in Iran.

The Elamites put a king on the throne of Babylon, but he was cast out by Sennecherab's army only a few weeks later. The Babylonians went back to their homes and were calm for a little while.

 

 

 The people of Babylon used the treasure of Temple of Marduk to bribe the current king of Elam into helping them throw off Assyrian control. The Datu informed Sennecherab, and he grew very angry. The ensuing battle was so close to a defeat of Sennecherab's army, that he was over come with rage and shame over the rebellious actions of the Babylonians.

Sennechcheab was warned of his lack of popularity by the them growing Datu , and as a result he set about rebuilding many of the ancient sacred sites of worship but despite warnings from his advisors, Sennecherab destroyed the city of Babylon as completely as he could.

He put every last man, woman, child, and animal to the sword. He tore down the walls and burned the buildings, and even diverted the path of the Euphrates river so it would flow over the ruins and wash them away! He even decreed that the city could not be rebuilt for 70 years! He gathered the soil of Babylon into jars and sent them as presents to his Allies. Today one of these containers of earth is held as a sacred relic of the Datu.

His actions were unacceptable to the Datu, and for the next seven years they pleaded with him to restore the city of the gods, even threatening to with draw their protection... but to no avail. In responce he had Nebo Apil Idin the head of the Datu put to death by burning...

As a result, the Datu withdrew their protection from Sennecherub and turned their attention to his son Essarhaddon.

In 681 B.C. a winged bull came crashing down on the 'great and mad Sennecherab'. The massive damage it caused, covered the multiple stab wounds rather effectively.

 

The Datu went to Sennecherab's son Essarhadon and proved their history to him. They advised him to put to rest the many things that Sennecherab had done to offend the people and the gods...

Essarhaddon claimed that there had been a scribal error in the recording of Sennecherab's decree not to rebuild Babylon; and by flipping the number 70 upsidedown, he was able to claim that the decree had been 11 years not 70 (like our 6 fliped over to become 9,  70 in cuneiform becomes 11 when flipped over!). Thus the 11 years that had passed since the sack of Babylon were sufficiant to relieve the decree.

In the years since their inaguration, the Datu had not been idle. They had inducted and trained many new Datu. These people were able to pass through all the training of the temple and eventualy gained high positions within the temple structure. This eased the further development of the Datu.

 

Up until the invasion by the Persian army in 589 B.C., all the kings of Assyria had followed the same basic gods and the same basic premise of rulership (divine perfection / authority). This made it possible for the Datu to approach the new dynasties with an explanation of their sacred duty. Those kings who declined did not last more than a few years. Those who accepted were well protected.

Over the many years, the Datu had developed into far more than temple dancers and body guards. They had slowly crept into every branch of the temple and even the government. Reading and writing were the domain of scribes/priests, this gave them access to privy knowledge. After all, to read or write a letter, one called a priest. If s/he was Datu, one could count on any dangerous words reaching the ears of the king! Priests often could travel freely when all others were suspect, and even when entire cities were sacked, the temples remained relatively untouched. Most monarchs made the restoration of the temples a form of positive PR. In any event, the Datu were usually spared from deportation, or exile because they were priests.

All of these factors left the Datu in the temples. Sometimes they would stay hidden for years, and then the right king would come along and they would return to active duty. At other times, they aided in the campaigns to restore or overthrow a monarch.

The Datu developed a system of martial arts called Tibir (palm). It was taught as a form of dancing game. It started with simple steps and games, but eventualy progressed to a full speed, full power, combat system complete with weapons training (mace, dagger, sword, spear, staff, sash and beads).

The time spent in secret allowed the developement of an inner sanctum structure complete with mythology, philosophy and theology. Sabian Astrology and astral magic were just beginning to take root at the time of the Datu's inauguration, and it also crept into the tradition.

In addition to serving the Assyrian Monarchs, the Datu brought their services (and the legitimacy of possession of the Tablet of Fate / Destiny ) to Nebuchadrezzar II in Babylon after the defeat of the last king of Assyria. The Datu continued to protect the kings of Babylon till the conquest of Mesopotamia by the Persians (lead by Cyrus) in 539 B.C.

The Datu served Sharrukin, Sennacherab, Esarhaddon, Ashurbanipal, Ashur-Etil-iIllani, Sin-Shumu-Lishtar, Sin-Shar-Ishkun,'Assur-Ubalit the Last', Nebuchadrezzar II, and Nabu-Na'id (Nabonidus).

The Invasion of the Persians (by Cyrus /Curash) in 539B.C. led to the final fall of the Messopitamian Monarchs, and the resultant exodus of the Datu. At first the Persians were unexpectedly indulgent of the Babylonians. Cyrus the Persian allowed the people to worship in the temples and he even 'took the hand of Bel' (claimed to worship Marduk the national god of the Babylonians). He barred his soldiers from carrying weapons in the temples, and claimed to be the true successor to the Mesopotamian kings.

Cyrus allowed Gobryas the Chief general of Nebuchadrezzar II to govern over Babylon, but only a year later, Cyrus set his own son Cambyses on the throne.

 

The Datu watched Cambyses for almost ten years, and considered approaching him in order to serve him; but in 328 B.C. Cyrus died in battle and Cambyses left to ascend the throne of Persia. He died only a few years later (522 BC...) and was replaced by his brother Bardiya the Usurper.

In the uproar that followed, a young prince named Darius began to rise to power...

Darius the Great defeated Bardiya a short eight months later and became Emporer of Persia; but a number of the Satraps (governors set in place by Cambyses) refused to obey him.

 

Both a false Bardiya and a false Nebuchadrezzar appeared and began rallying followers. In the resulting discord, the Babylonians revolted....

 

The revolt in Babylon was put down rapidly and the freedoms of the Babylonians were considerably narrowed. A uniform common law was set over all of Darius' subject peoples. Aramaic became the common tongue for the empire, and only scribes studied the old languages. The gods were still worshiped but the temples were not as well maintained. When the rule of Persia passed to Xerxes, it was only four years before the Babylonians revolted again...

 

Xerxes suppressed the revolt and shortened the Babylonian leash even more. The Temples began to be neglected, and the worship of the Chaldean gods began to be replaced by the Persian deities, Ahura Mazda (the god of Light) and Ahriman (the god of Darkness). Eventually Xerxes outlawed the worship of the Chaldean gods completely.

Several more conquerors came through Mesopotamia, including Alexander of Macedonia. Alexander had the ambition to make Babylon and Alexandria the joint capitals of his empire, but died before Babylon could be reborn.

 

Ironically, it was not military reasons that led to the fall of Babylon. When invaded by the Persians, and later the Macedonians and Scythians, Babylon became part of the 'back yard' of larger empires. It ceased to be a central place of government or an important economic trading city. With no Kings, the traditional responsibilities of maintaining the temples and irrigation canals went unfulfilled. The temples crumbled and the canals silted up, the towns of importance moved to the 'Royal Road' that bypassed Mesopotamia into Syria. The great city-state of Babylon and the seat of power, Assyria crumbled away and the duties of the Datu were no more.

By 100 AD. there were only seven Datu left. Over the previous 250 years, Datu had slowly left the temples to live in common society. These merchants, socerors, diviners and wanderers were able to actively teach a few younger generations of Datu. It was only through the dedication of a few of the Datu that their knowledge went on.

They continued the refinement of their Tibir self defense that was based on dance, and they practiced a religeo-philosophical system based on the Tablet of Fate / Destiny and the Art of Master Adapa. They practiced the 'Chaldean/ Sabian' arts of Astrology.

 

Most importantly, they practiced a unique form of divination called 'shub-ni-garash' (to cast the oracle of the self), and developed a corpus of magical knowledge and techniques. The Datu had codified the knowledge of the Tablet of Fate /Destiny, and their system absorbed and integrated pieces of Sumerian, Acadian, Assyrian, Persian and Greek mysticism. Thankfully, the cumbersome cuneiform writing system had fallen into general disuse, being replaced by the Aramaic and Greek alphabets.

 

The Datu chose to maintain the tradition of secrecy, and passed the knowledge down to close friends and family. The numbers of the Datu slowly grew and, in time, some of the Datu went forth into other parts of the world. Hu the wanderer went to the British Isles; Hiram the Scribe went to Rome. Others went to Syria, Egypt, India, Asia and Africa. They held conclave every seven years, and they absorbed and infused the things that they learned into the Tablet of Fate / Destinies...

 

It was common for a Datu to have a 'circuit' of students, and to wander a circle that brought him to a new student each week or two weeks. Not all Datu choose their students wisely, and one of the misfortunes of the tradition was the rise of the Hanochem (eaters of sin): a sect that twisted the Datu's tradition in to something akin to Satanism. The two paths came together and fought with magic, fire, and sword, and the eaters of sin were defeated. But even their knowledge was absorbed into the Tablet; though now it is taught only to fully educated masters of the Datu's path.

Eventually, the majority of the Datu ended up in the cities of Harran and Eddessa, where they encountered the Syraic alpabet and developed the flame script that is still used today in a cursive form. Aramaic was still spoken in this region and that language (syraic) is still spoken today.

A complete history of the Datu after 440 A.D. is beyond the scope of this work, and is not presented here for several practical reasons.

 

Firstly, a history of the Datu after 400 A.D. is not required to understand the traditions of the Datu or the Tablet of Fate. Secondly, our order feels that the system should be judged by its usefulness rather than on hierophantic-blathering about ancient traditions and rosters of historical figures that have taught or followed it, though you would be suprprise at the list of names.

 

 Lastly, it is preferable to our order to maintain a closed-door policy in regards to the personal lives of our current or past adepts, and any further history of the Datu could potentially prove to be an invasion of that privacy.

The Datu existed inmederate numbers for a long time but the decimation brought by the first and second world wars took a terrible toll on our numbers. By the end of WW II, only three Datu remained. They died in 1954, 1961, and 1979. The last of them had only one fully initiated apprentice (my master).