第2章

类别:其他 作者:Theophilus G.Pinches字数:24280更新时间:19/01/02 17:14:18
13。U—?ab—sibEn—?ag—dugaNuskuNusku14—19havetwoothernamesofNusku,followedbythreenamesofhisconsort。Anumberofnamesofminordivinitiesthenfollow。Atline43fivenamesofêaaregiven,followedbyfourofMerodach:—— 48。U—bi—lu—luEn—bi—lu—luMardukMerodach49。U—Tin—dirkiEn—Tin—dirkiMardukMerodachas\"lordofBabylon。\" 50。U—dimmer—an—kiaEn—dinger—an—kiaMardukMerodachas\"lordgodofheavenandearth。\" 51。U—ab—?ar—uEn—ab—?ar—uMardukMerodach,apparentlyas\"lordofthe36,000steers。\" 52。U—bar—gi—siNin—bar—gi—siZer—pan?tumMerodach’sconsort。 53。Ga?an—abzuNin—abzudam—bisal\"theLadyoftheAbyss,\"hisconsort。 Theremainderoftheobverseismutilated,butgavethenamesofNeboinSumerian,andapparentlyalsoofTa?mêtum,hisconsort。Thebeginningofthereversealsoismutilated,butseemstohavegiventhenamesofthesun—god,?ama?,andhisconsort,followedbythoseofK?ttuandMê?arum,\"justiceandrighteousness,\"hisattendants。Otherinterestingnamesare: /Reverse/ 8。U—libir—siEn—ubar—siDumu—ziTammuz9。Sir—tumuSir—duamaDumuzi—githemotherofTammuz12。Ga?an—annaInnannaI?tarI?tar(Venus)as\"ladyofheaven。\" 20。Nin—si—annaInnannamulI?tarthestar(theplanetVenus)。 21。NinNin—tag—tagaNanaaagoddessidentifiedwithI?tar。 23。U—?ahNina—?ahPap—sukalthegods’messenger。 24。U—bandaLugal—bandaLugal—banda26。U—MersiNin—GirsuNin—GirsuthechiefgodofLaga?。 27。Ma—sib—sibGa—tum—dugaBauBau,agoddessidentifiedwithGula。 Fournon—SemiticnamesofGulafollow,ofwhichthatinline31isthemostinteresting:—— 31。Ga?an—ti—dibbaNin—tin—guuaGula\"theladysavingfromdeath。\" 33。Ga?an—ki—galEre?—ki—galaAllatuPersephone。 36。U—mu—zi—daNin—gi?—zi—daNin—gi?—zida\"thelordoftheeverlastingtree。\" 37。U—urugalNe—eri—galNerigalNergal。 42。Mulu—hursagGalu—hursagAmurrutheAmoritegod。 43。Ga?an—gu—edinaNin—gu—edina(apparentlytheconsortofAmurru)。 Inallprobabilitythislistisoneofcomparativelylatedate,thoughitschronologicalpositionwithregardtotheothersiswhollyuncertain——itmaynotbelater,andmayevenbeearlier,thanthosebeginningwithAnu,thegodoftheheavens。Theimportantthingaboutitis,thatitbeginswith/?lu/,god,ingeneral,whichiswritten,inthestandarddialect(thatofthesecondcolumn)withthesamecharacterasthatusedforthenameofAnu。AfterthiscomesAaorêa,thegodoftheearth,andhisconsort,followedbyEn—lilla,theolderBel——IllinosinDamascius。Thenameofêaisrepeatedagaininline43 andfollowing,whereheisapparentlyre—introducedasthefatherofMerodach,whosenamesimmediatelyfollow。ThispeculiarityisalsofoundinotherlistsofgodsandisundoubtedlyareflectionofthehistoryoftheBabylonianreligion。AsthislistreplacesAnuby/?lu/,itindicatestheruleofEnkiorêa,followedbythatofMerodach,who,ashasbeenshown,becamethechiefdivinityoftheBabylonianpantheoninconsequenceofBabylonhavingbecomethecapitalofthecountry。 CHAPTERIV THEPRINCIPALGODSOFTHEBABYLONIANSANDASSYRIANS Anu。 ThenameofthisdivinityisderivedfromtheSumero—Akkadian/ana/,\"heaven,\"ofwhichhewastheprincipaldeity。Heiscalledthefatherofthegreatgods,though,inthecreation—story,heseemstobedescribedasthesonofAn?arandKi?ar。Inearlynamesheisdescribedasthefather,creator,andgod,probablymeaningthesupremebeing。HisconsortwasAnatu,andthepairareregardedinthelistsasthesameastheLahmuandLahameofthecreation—story,who,withotherdeities,arealsodescribedasgodsoftheheavens。AnuwasworshippedatErech,alongwithI?tar。 Ea。 Isgivenasifitwerethe/Semitic/equivalentof/Enki/,\"thelordoftheearth,\"butitwouldseemtobereallyaSumerianword,laterwritten/Ae/,andcertaininscriptionssuggestthatthetruereadingwas/Aa/。Histitlesare\"kingoftheAbyss,creatorofeverything,lordofall,\"thefirstbeingseeminglyduetothefactthatAaisawordwhichmay,initsreduplicateform,mean\"waters,\"orifread/êa/,\"houseofwater。\"Healso,likeAnu,iscalled\"fatherofthegods。\"Asthisgodwaslikewise\"lordofdeepwisdom,\"itwastohimthathissonMerodachwentforadvicewheneverhewasindoubt。Onaccountofhisknowledge,hewasthegodofartisansingeneral—— potters,blacksmiths,sailors,builders,stone—cutters,gardeners,seers,barbers,farmers,etc。ThisistheAos(aformwhichconfirmsthereadingAa)ofDamascius,andtheOannesoftheextractsfromBerosus,whostatesthathewas\"acreatureendowedwithreason,withabodylikethatofafish,andunderthefish’sheadanotherhead,withfeetbelow,likethoseofaman,withafish’stail。\"Thisdescriptionappliesfairlywelltocertainbas—reliefsfromNimroudintheBritishMuseum。ThecreaturedescribedbyBerosuslivedinthePersianGulf,landingduringthedaytoteachtheinhabitantsthebuildingofhousesandtemples,thecultivationofusefulplants,thegatheringoffruits,andalsogeometry,law,andletters。Fromhim,too,cametheaccountofthebeginningofthingsreferredtoinchapterIII。which,intheoriginalGreek,isprecededbyadescriptionofthecompositemonsterssaidtohaveexistedbeforeMerodachassumedtheruleoftheuniverse。 Thenameofhisconsort,DamkinaorDawkina,probablymeans\"theeternalspouse,\"andherothernames,/Ga?an—ki/(Sumeriandialectic) and/Nin—ki/(non—dialectic),\"Ladyoftheearth,\"sufficientlyindicatesherprovince。Sheisoftenmentionedintheincantationswithêa。 TheforsakingoftheworshipofêaaschiefgodforthatofMerodachseemstohavecausedconsiderableheartburninginBabylonia,ifwemayjudgefromthestoryoftheFlood,foritwasonaccountofhisfaithfulnessthatUtnipi?tim,theBabylonianNoah,attainedtosalvationfromtheFloodandimmortalityafterwards。Allthroughthisadventureitwasthegodêawhofavouredhim,andafterwardsgavehimimmortalitylikethatofthegods。ThereisaninterestingSumeriantextinwhichtheshipofêaseemstobedescribed,thewoodsofwhichitsvariouspartswereformedbeingnamed,andinit,apparently,wereEnki(êa),Damgal—nunna(Damkina),hisconsort,Asari—lu—duga(Merodach),In—ab(orIne?),thepilotofêridu(êa’scity),andNin—igi—nagar—sir,\"thegreatarchitectofheaven\":—— \"Maytheshipbeforetheebringfertility,Maytheshipaftertheebringjoy,Inthyheartmayitmakejoyofheart……\" êawasthegodoffertility,hencethisendingtothepoeticaldescriptionoftheshipofêa。 Bel。 Thedeitywhoismentionednextinorderinthelistgivenaboveisthe\"olderBel,\"socalledtodistinguishhimfromBel—Merodach。Hisprincipalnameswere/Mullil/(dialectic)or/En—lilla/[*](standardspeech),the/Illinos/ofDamascius。Hisnameisgenerallytranslated\"lordofmist,\"so—calledasgodoftheunderworld,hisconsortbeing/Ga?an—lil/or/Nan—lilla/,\"theladyofthemist,\"inSemiticBabylonian/Bêltu/,\"theLady,\"parexcellence。Bel,whosenamemeans\"thelord,\"wassocalledbecausehewasregardedaschiefofthegods。AstherewasconsiderableconfusioninconsequenceofthetitleBelhavingbeengiventoMerodach,Tiglath—pileserI。(about1200 B。C。)referstohimasthe\"olderBel\"indescribingthetemplewhichhebuiltforhimatA??ur。Numerousnamesofmencompoundedwithhisoccuruntilthelatesttimes,implyingthat,thoughthefavouritegodwasMerodach,theworshipofBelwasnotforgotten,evenatBabylon—— thatheshouldhavebeenadoredathisowncity,Niffur,andatDur— Kuri—galzu,whereKuri—galzuI。builtatemplefor\"Bel,thelordofthelands,\"wasnaturallytobeexpected。Being,likeêa,agodoftheearth,heisregardedashavingformedatrinitywithAnu,thegodofheaven,andêa,thegodofthedeep,andprayertothesethreewasasgoodasinvokingallthegodsoftheuniverse。Classificationofthegodsaccordingtothedomainoftheirpowerwouldnaturallytakeplaceinareligioussysteminwhichtheywereallidentifiedwitheachother,andthisclassificationindicates,asJastrowsays,adeepknowledgeofthepowersofnature,andamorethanaverageintelligenceamongtheBabylonians——indeed,heholdsitasaproofthat,attheperiodoftheolderempire,therewereschoolsandstudentswhohaddevotedthemselvestoreligiousspeculationuponthispoint。HealsoconjecturesthatthethirdcommandmentoftheLawofMoseswasdirectedagainstthisdoctrineheldbytheBabylonians。 [*]Ordinarilypronounced/Illila/,ascertainglossesandDamascius’s/Illinos/(for/Illilos/)show。 Beltis。 ThisgoddesswasproperlyonlythespouseoftheolderBel,butas/Bêltu/,herBabylonianname,simplymeant\"lady\"ingeneral(justas/Bêl/or/bêlu/meant\"lord\"),itbecameatitlewhichcouldbegiventoanygoddess,andwasinfactbornebyZer—pan?tum,I?tar,Nanaa,andothers。Itwasthereforeoftenneedfultoaddthenameofthecityoverwhichthespecial/Bêltu/presided,inordertomakeclearwhichofthemwasmeant。BesidesbeingthetitleofthespouseoftheolderBel,havingherearthlyseatwithhiminNiffurandotherlessimportantshrines,theAssyrianssometimesnameBêltuthespouseofA??ur,theirnationalgod,suggestinganidentification,inthemindsofthepriests,withthatdeity。 ênu—rê?tuorNirig。[*] Whether/ênu—rê?tu/beatranslationof/Nirig/ornot,isuncertain,butnotimprobable,themeaningbeing\"primevallord,\"orsomethingsimilar,and\"lord\"thatofthefirstelement,/ni/,intheSumerianform。Insupportofthisreadingandrenderingmaybequotedthefact,thatoneofthedescriptionsofthisdivinityis/a?sarid?laniahê—?u/,\"theeldestofthegodshisbrothers。\"ItisnoteworthythatthisdeitywasaspecialfavouriteamongtheAssyrians,manyofwhosekings,tosaynothingofprivatepersons,borehisnameasacomponentpartoftheirs。Inthebilingualpoementitled/Ana—kimegimma/ (\"FormedlikeAnu\"),heisdescribedasbeingthesonofBel(hencehisappearanceafterBelinthelistprintedabove),andinthelikenessofAnu,forwhichreason,perhaps,hisdivinityiscalled\"Anuship。\"Beginningwithwordspraisinghim,itseemstorefertohisattitudetowardsthegodsofhostilelands,againstwhom,apparently,herodeinachariotofthesacredlapis—lazuli。Anuhavingendowedhimwithterribleglory,thegodsoftheearthfearedtoattackhim,andhisonrushwasasthatofastorm—flood。BythecommandofBel,hiscoursewasdirectedtowardsê—kur,thetempleofBelatNiffur。 HerehewasmetbyNusku,thesuprememessengerofBel,who,withwordsofrespectandofpraise,askshimnottodisturbthegodBel,hisfather,inhisseat,normakethegodsoftheearthtrembleinUp?ukennaku(theheavenlyfestival—hallofthegods),andoffershimagift。[?]Itwillthusbeseenthatênu—rê?tuwasarivaltotheolderBel,whosetemplewasthegreattowerinstagescalledê—kura,inwhich,inallprobability,ê—?u—me—du,theshrineofênu—rê?tu,waslikewisesituated。Theinscriptionscallhim\"godofwar,\"though,unlikeNergal,hewasnotatthesametimegodofdiseaseandpestilence。Toallappearancehewasthegodofthevariouskindsofstones,ofwhichanotherlegendstatesthathe\"determinedtheirfate。\"Hewas\"thehero,whosenetoverthrowstheenemy,whosummonshisarmytoplunderthehostileland,theroyalsonwhocausedhisfathertobowdowntohimfromafar。\"\"Thesonwhosatnotwiththenurse,andeschewed(?)thestrengthofmilk,\"\"theoffspringwhodidnotknowhisfather。\"\"Herodeoverthemountainsandscatteredseed——unanimouslytheplantsproclaimedhisnametotheirdominion,amongthemlikeagreatwildbullheraiseshishorns。\" [*]/ênu—rê?tu/isthereadingwhichIhaveadoptedastheSemiticBabylonianequivalentofthenameofthisdivinity,inconsequenceoftheAramaictranscriptiongivenbycertaincontract—tabletsdiscoveredbytheAmericanexpeditiontoNiffer,andpublishedbyProf。ClayofPhiladelphia。 [?]Theresultofthisrequestisnotknown,inconsequenceofthedefectivestateofthetablets。 ManyotherinterestingdescriptionsofthedeityNirig(generallyreadNin—ip)occur,andshow,withthosequotedhere,thathisstorywasoneofmorethanordinaryinterest。 Nusku。 ThisdeitywasespeciallyinvokedbytheAssyriankings,butwasinnowiseexclusivelyAssyrian,asisshownbythefactthathisnameoccursinmanyBabylonianinscriptions。Hewasthegreatmessengerofthegods,andisvariouslygivenas\"theoffspringoftheabyss,thecreationofêa,\"and\"thelikenessofhisfather,thefirst—bornofBel。\"AsGibil,thefire—god,haslikewisethesamediverseparentage,itisregardedaslikelythatthesetwogodswereidentical。Nuskuwasthegodwhosecommandissupreme,thecounsellorofthegreatgods,theprotectoroftheIgigi(thegodsoftheheavens),thegreatandpowerfulone,thegloriousday,theburningone,thefounderofcities,therenewerofsanctuaries,theprovideroffeastsforalltheIgigi,withoutwhomnofeasttookplaceinê—kura。LikeNebo,heborethegloriousspectre,anditwassaidofhimthatheattackedmightilyinbattle。Withouthimthesun—god,thejudge,couldnotgivejudgment。 Allthispointstotheprobability,thatNuskumaynothavebeenthefire—god,butthebrotherofthefire—god,i。e。eitherflame,orthelightoffire。Thesun—god,withoutlight,couldnotsee,andthereforecouldnotgivejudgment:nofeastcouldbepreparedwithoutfireanditsflame。Astheevidenceofthepresenceoftheshiningorbsintheheavens——thelightoftheirfires——hewasthemessengerofthegods,andwashonouredaccordingly。Fromthisidea,too,hebecametheirmessengeringeneral,especiallyofBel—Merodach,theyoungerBel,whoserequestshecarriedtothegodêaintheDeep。InoneinscriptionheisidentifiedwithNirigorênu—rê?tu,whoisdescribedabove。 Merodach。 Concerningthisgod,andhowhearosetothepositionofkingofallthegodsofheaven,hasbeenfullyshowninchapterIII。Thoughthereisbutlittleinhisattributestoindicateanyconnectionwith?ama?,thereishardlyanydoubtthathewasoriginallyasun—god,asisshownbytheetymologyofhisname。Theform,asithasbeenhandeddowntous,issomewhatshortened,theoriginalpronunciationhavingbeen/Amar—uduk/,\"theyoungsteerofday,\"anamewhichsuggeststhathewasthemorningsun。OfthefournamesgivenattheendofchapterIII。,two——\"lordofBabylon,\"and\"lordgodofheavenandearth,\"——mayberegardedasexpressinghismorewell—knownattributes。/En—ab—?ar— u/,however,isaprovisional,thoughnotimpossible,readingandrendering,andifcorrect,the\"36,000wildbulls\"wouldbeametaphoricalwayofspeakingof\"the36,000heroes,\"probablymeaningthegodsofheaveninalltheirgrades。Thesignificationof/En— bilulu/isunknown。LikemostoftheothergodsoftheBabylonianpantheon,however,Merodachhadmanyothernames,amongwhichmaybementioned/Asari/,whichhasbeencomparedwiththeEgyptianOsiris,/Asari—lu—duga/,\"/Asari/whoisgood,\"comparedwithOsirisUnnefer; /Namtila/,\"life\",/Tutu/,\"begetter(ofthegods),renewer(ofthegods),\"/?ar—azaga/,\"thegloriousincantation,\"/Mu—azaga/,\"thegloriouscharm,\"andmanyothers。Thelasttworefertohisbeingthegodwho,byhiskindness,obtainedfromhisfatherêa,dwellingintheabyss,thosecharmsandincantationswhichbenefitedmankind,andrestoredthesicktohealth。Inthisconnection,afrequenttitlegiventohimis\"themercifulone,\"butmostmercifulwasheinthathesparedthelivesofthegodswho,havingsidedwithTaiwath,werehisenemies,asisrelatedinthetabletofthefifty—onenames。Inconnectionwiththefightheborealsothenames,\"annihilatoroftheenemy,\"\"rooteroutofallevil,\"\"troubleroftheevilones,\"\"lifeofthewholeofthegods。\"FromthesenamesitisclearthatMerodach,indefeatingTiawath,annihilated,atthesametime,thespiritofevil,Satan,theaccuser,ofwhichshewas,probably,theBabyloniantype。ButunliketheSaviourintheChristiancreed,hesavednotonlyman,atthattimeuncreated,butthegodsofheavenalso。As\"kingoftheheavens,\"hewasidentifiedwiththelargestoftheplanets,Jupiter,aswellaswithotherheavenlybodies。Traversingtheskyingreatzigzags,JupiterseemedtotheBabylonianstosuperintendthestars,andthiswasregardedasemblematicofMerodachshepherdingthem——\"pasturingthegodslikesheep,\"asthetablethasit。 AlonglistofgodsgivesasitwerethecourtofMerodach,heldinwhatwasapparentlyaheavenly/ê—sagila/,andamongthespiritualbeingsmentionedare/Mina—?kul—bêli/and/Mina—i?t?—bêli/,\"whatmylordhaseaten,\"and\"whathasmylorddrunk,\"/Nadin—mê—gati/,\"hewhogiveswaterforthehands,\"alsothetwodoor—keepers,andthefourdogsofMerodach,whereinpeopleareinclinedtoseethefoursatellitesofJupiter,which,itisthought,wereprobablyvisibletocertainofthemoresharp—sightedstargazersofancientBabylonia。 Thesedogswerecalled/Ukkumu/,/Akkulu/,/Ik?suda/,and/Iltebu/,\"Seizer,\"\"Eater,\"\"Grasper,\"and\"Holder。\"Imagesofthesebeingswereprobablykeptinthetempleofê—sagilaatBabylon。 Zer—pan?tum。 ThiswasthenameoftheconsortofMerodach,andisgenerallyreadSarp(b)anitum——atranscriptionwhichisagainstthenativeorthographyandetymology,namely,\"seed—creatress\"(Zer—ban?tum)。ThemeaningattributedtothiswordispartlyconfirmedbyanothernamewhichLehmannhaspointedoutthatshepossessed,namely,/Erua/or/Aru’a/,who,inaninscriptionofAntiochusSoter(280—260B。C。)iscalled\"thequeenwhoproducesbirth,\"butmoreespeciallybythecircumstance,thatshemustbeidenticalwithAruru,whocreatedtheseedofmankindalongwithMerodach。Whyshewascalled\"theladyoftheabyss,\"andelsewhere\"thevoiceoftheabyss\"(/Me—abzu/)isnotknown。Zer—pan?tumwasnomerereflectionofMerodach,butoneofthemostimportantgoddessesintheBabylonianpantheon。Thetendencyofscholarshasbeentoidentifyherwiththemoon,Merodachbeingasolardeityandthemeaning\"silvery\"——/Sarpanitum/,from/sarpu/,oneofthewordsfor\"silver,\"wasregardedassupportingthisidea。ShewasidentifiedwiththeElamitegoddessnamedElagu,andwiththeLahamumoftheislandofBahrein,theBabylonianTilmun。 NeboandTa?mêtum。 As\"theteacher\"and\"thehearer\"thesewereamongthemostpopularofthedeitiesofBabyloniaandAssyria。Nebo(inSemiticBabylonianNab?)wasworshippedatthetemple—towerknownasê—zida,\"theever— lastinghouse,\"atBorsippa,nowtheBirsNimroud,traditionallyregardedasthesiteoftheTowerofBabel,thoughthattitle,ashasalreadybeenshown,wouldbestsuitthesimilarstructureknownasê—sagila,\"thehouseofthehighhead,\"inBabylonitself。Incompositionwithmen’snames,thisdeityoccursmorethananyother,evenincludingMerodachhimself——aclearindicationoftheestimationinwhichtheBabyloniansandAssyriansheldthepossessionofknowledge。Thecharacterwithwhichhisnameiswrittenmeans,withthepronunciationof/ak/,\"tomake,\"\"tocreate,\"\"toreceive,\"\"toproclaim,\"andwiththepronunciationof/me/,\"tobewise,\"\"wisdom,\" \"openofear,\"\"broadofear,\"and\"tomake,ofahouse,\"thelastprobablyreferringtothedesignratherthantotheactualbuilding。 Underthenameof/Dim—?ara/hewas\"thecreatorofthewritingofthescribes,\"as/Ni—zu/,\"thegodwhoknows\"(/zu/,\"toknow\"),as/Mermer/,\"thespeeder(?)ofthecommandofthegods\"——ontheSumeriansideindicatingsomeconnectionwithAdduorRimmon,thethunderer,andontheSemiticsidewithênu—rê?tu,whowasoneofthegods’ messengers。AsmallfragmentintheBritishMuseumgavehisattributesasgodofthevariouscitiesofBabylonia,butunfortunatelytheirnamesarelostorincomplete。Fromwhatremains,however,weseethatNebowasgodofditching(?),commerce(?),granaries(?),fasting(?),andfood;itwashewhooverthrewthelandoftheenemy,andwhoprotectedplanting;and,lastly,hewasgodofBorsippa。 TheworshipofNebowasnotalwaysaspopularasitbecameinthelaterdaysoftheBabylonianempireandafteritsfall,andJastrowisofopinionthatHammurabiintentionallyignoredthisdeity,givingthepreferencetoMerodach,thoughhedidnotsuppresstheworship。Whythisshouldhavetakenplaceisnotbyanymeanscertain,forNebowasadeityadoredfarandwide,asmaybegatheredfromthefactthattherewasamountainbearinghisnameinMoab,uponwhichMoses——alsoan\"announcer,\"addsJastrow——died。Besidesthemountain,therewasacityinMoabsonamed,andanotherinJud?a。ThatitwastheBabylonianNebooriginallyisimpliedbytheform——theHebrewcorrespondingwordis/nabi/。 HowoldtheworshipofTa?mêtum,hisconsort,is,isdoubtful,buthernamefirstoccursinadateofthereignofHammurabi。Detailsconcerningherattributesarerare,andJastrowregardsthisgoddessastheresultofBabylonianreligiousspeculations。Itisnoteworthythatherworshipappearsmoreespeciallyinlatertimes,butitmaybedoubtedwhetheritisaproductofthoselatetimes,especiallywhenwebearinmindtheremarkableseal—impressiononanearlytabletof3500—4500B。C。,belongingtoLordAmherstofHackney,inwhichweseeamalefigurewithwide—openmouthseizingastagbyhishorns,andafemalefigurewithnomouthatall,butwithveryprominentears,holdingabullinasimilarmanner。Herewehavethe\"teacher\"andthe\"hearer\"personifiedinaveryremarkablemanner,anditmaywellbethatthisprimitivepictureshowstheideathenprevailingwithregardtothesetwodeities。ItistobenotedthatthenameofTa?mêtumhasaSumerianequivalent,namely,/Kurnun/,andthattheideographbywhichitisrepresentedisonewhosegeneralmeaningseemstobe\"tobind,\"perhapswiththeadditionalsignificationof\"toaccomplish,\" inwhichcase\"shewhohears\"wouldalsobe\"shewhoobeys。\"?ama?andhisconsort。 AtalltimestheworshipofthesuninBabyloniaandAssyriawasexceedinglypopular,as,indeed,wastobeexpectedfromhisimportanceasthegreatestoftheheavenlybodiesandthebrightest,withoutwhosehelpmencouldnotlive,anditisanexceedinglynoteworthyfactthatthisdeitydidnotbecome,likeRainEgypt,theheadofthepantheon。ThisplacewasreservedforMerodach,alsoasun—god,butpossessingattributesofafarwiderscope。?ama?ismentionedasearlyasthereignofê—anna—tum,whosedateissetatabout4200B。C。,andatthisperiodhisSemiticnamedoesnot,naturally,occur,thecharacterusedbeing/Utu/,or,initslongerform,/Utuki/。 Itisworthyofnotethat,inconsequenceoftheBabylonianideaofevolutioninthecreationoftheworld,lessperfectbeingsbroughtforththosewhichweremoreperfect,andthesunwasthereforetheoffspringofNannaraorSin,themoon。Inaccordancewiththesameidea,theday,withtheSemites,beganwiththeevening,thetimewhenthemoonbecamevisible,andthusbecomestheoffspringofthenight。 Intheinscriptions?ama?isdescribedas\"thelightofthingsaboveandthingsbelow,theilluminatoroftheregions,\"\"thesupremejudgeofheavenandearth,\"\"thelordoflivingcreatures,thegraciousoneofthelands。\"Dawninginthefoundationofthesky,heopenedthelocksandthrewwidethegatesofthehighheavens,andraisedhishead,coveringheavenandearthwithhissplendour。Hewastheconstantlyrighteousinheaven,thetruthwithintheearsofthelands,thegodknowingjusticeandinjustice,righteousnesshesupporteduponhisshoulders,unrighteousnessheburstasunderlikealeatherbond,etc。Itwillthusbeseen,thatthesun—godwasthegreatgodofjudgmentandjustice——indeed,heisconstantlyalludedtoas\"thejudge,\"thereasoninallprobabilitybeing,thatasthesunshinesupontheearthalldaylong,andhislightpenetrateseverywhere,hewasregardedasthegodwhoknewandinvestigatedeverything,andwasthereforebestinapositiontojudgearight,anddeliverajustdecision。ItisforthisreasonthathisimageappearsattheheadofthesteleinscribedwithHammurabi’slaws,andlegalceremonieswereperformedwithintheprecinctsofhistemples。Thechiefseatsofhisworshipwerethegreattemplescalledê—babbara,\"thehouseofgreatlight,\"inthecitiesofLarsaandSippar。 Theconsortof?ama?wasAa,whosechiefseatwasatSippar,sidebysidewith?ama?。Thoughonlyaweakreflexofthesun—god,herworshipwasexceedinglyancient,beingmentionedinaninscriptionofMan—i?tusu,whoisregardedashavingreignedbeforeSargonofAgadé。 Fromthefactthat,inoneofthelists,shehasnamesformedbyreduplicatingthenameofthesun—god,/Utu/,shewouldseemoncetohavebeenidenticalwithhim,inwhichcaseitmaybesupposedthatshepersonifiedthesettingsun——\"thedoublesun\"fromthemagnifieddiscwhichhepresentsatsunset,when,accordingtoahymntothesettingsunsungatthetempleatBorsippa,Aa,intheSumerianlineKur—nirda,wasaccustomedtogotoreceivehim。Accordingtothelistreferredtoabove,Aa,withthenameofBuridainSumerian,wasmoreespeciallytheconsortof?a—zu,\"himwhoknowstheheart,\"oneofthenamesofMerodach,whowasprobablythemorningsun,andthereforetheexactcounterpartofthesunatevening。 Besides?ama?andUtu,thelatterhisordinarySumerianname,thesun— godhadseveralothernon—Semiticnames,including/Gi?nu/,[*]\"thelight,\"/Ma—banda—anna/,\"thebarkofheaven,\"/U—ê/,\"therisingsun,\"/Mitra/,apparentlythePersianMithra;/Ume—?ima?/andNahunda,Elamitenames,andSahi,theKassitenameofthesun。HealsosometimesbearsthenamesofhisattendantsKittuandMê?aru,\"Truth\" and\"Righteousness,\"whoguidedhimuponhispathasjudgeoftheearth。 [*]Itisthegroupexpressingthiswordwhichisusedfor?ama?inthenameof?ama?—?um—uk?n(Saosduchinos),thebrotherofA??ur— bani—apli(Assurbanipal)。TheGreekequivalentimpliesthepronunciation/?awa?/,aswellas/?ama?/。 TammuzandI?tar。 ThedateoftheriseofthemythofTammuzisuncertain,butasthenameofthisgodisfoundontabletsofthetimeofLugal—andaandUru—ka—gina(about3500B。C。),itcanhardlybeoflaterdatethan4000B。C。,andmaybemuchearlier。Asheisrepeatedlycalled\"theshepherd,\"andhadadomainwherehepasturedhisflock,ProfessorSayceseesinTammuz\"DaonusorDaos,theshepherdofPantibibla,\" who,accordingtoBerosus,ruledinBabyloniafor10/sari/,or36,000 years,andwasthesixthkingofthemythicalperiod。Accordingtotheclassicstory,themotherofTammuzhadunnaturalintercoursewithherownfather,beingurgedtheretobyAphroditewhomshehadoffended,andwhohaddecidedthustoavengeherself。Beingpursuedbyherfather,whowishedtokillherforthiscrime,sheprayedtothegods,andwasturnedintoatree,fromwhosetrunkAdoniswasafterwardsborn。Aphroditewassocharmedwiththeinfantthat,placinghiminachest,shegavehimintothecareofPersephone,who,however,whenshediscoveredwhatatreasureshehadinherkeeping,refusedtopartwithhimagain。Zeuswasappealedto,anddecidedthatforfourmonthsintheyearAdonisshouldbelefttohimself,fourshouldbespentwithAphrodite,andfourwithPersephone,andsixwithAphroditeonearth。Hewasafterwardsslain,whilsthunting,byawildboar。 NothinghascomedowntousasyetconcerningthislegendexcepttheincidentofhisdwellinginHades,whitherI?tar,theBabylonianVenus,wentinsearchofhim。Itisnotbyanymeansunlikely,however,thatthewholestoryexistedinBabylonia,andthencespreadtoPh?nicia,andafterwardstoGreece。InPh?niciaitwasadaptedtothephysicalconditionsofthecountry,andtheplaceofTammuz’sencounterwiththeboarwassaidtobethemountainsofLebanon,whilsttherivernamedafterhim,Adonis(nowtheNahrIbrahim),whichranredwiththeearthwasheddownbytheautumnrains,wassaidtobesocolouredinconsequenceofbeingmingledwithhisblood。ThedescentofTammuztotheunderworld,typifiedbytheflowingdownoftheearth—ladenwatersoftheriverstothesea,wasnotonlycelebratedbythePh?nicians,butalsobytheBabylonians,whohadatleasttwoseriesoflamentationswhichwereusedonthisoccasion,andwereprobablytheoriginalsofthosechantedbytheHebrewwomeninthetimeofEzekiel(about597B。C。)。Whilstonearth,hewastheonewhonourishedtheeweandherlamb,thegoatandherkid,andalsocausedthemtobeslain——probablyinsacrifice。\"Hehasgone,hehasgonetothebosomoftheearth,\"themournerscried,\"hewillmakeplentytooverflowforthelandofthedead,foritslamentationsforthedayofhisfall,intheunpropitiousmonthofhisyear。\"Therewasalsolamentationforthecessationofthegrowthofvegetation,andoneofthesehymns,afteraddressinghimastheshepherdandhusbandofI?tar,\"lordoftheunderworld,\"and\"lordoftheshepherd’sseat,\" goesontolikenhimtoagermwhichhasnotabsorbedwaterinthefurrow,whosebudhasnotblossomedinthemeadow;tothesaplingwhichhasnotbeenplantedbythewatercourse,andtothesaplingwhoseroothasbeenremoved。Inthe\"Lamentations\"intheManchesterMuseum,I?tar,oroneofherdevotees,seemstocallforTammuz,saying,\"Return,myhusband,\"asshemakesherwaytotheregionofgloominquestofhim。Ere?—ê—gala,\"theladyofthegreathouse\" (Persephone),isalsoreferredto,andthetextseemstoimplythatI?tarenteredherdomaininspiteofher。Inthistextothernamesaregiventohim,namely,/Tumu—giba/,\"sonoftheflute,\"/Ama—elaggi/,and/?i—umunnagi/,\"lifeofthepeople。\" ThereferencetosheepandgoatsintheBritishMuseumfragmentrecallsthefactthatinanincantationforpurificationthepersonusingitistoldtogetthemilkofayellowgoatwhichhasbeenbroughtforthinthesheep—foldofTammuz,recallingtheflocksoftheGreeksun—godHelios。Thesewerethecloudsilluminatedbythesun,whichwerelikenedtosheep——indeed,oneoftheearlySumerianexpressionsfor\"fleece\"was\"sheepofthesky。\"ThenameofTammuzinSumerianisDumu—zi,orinitsrarefullestform,Dumu—zida,meaning\"true\"or\"faithfulson。\"Thereisprobablysomelegendattachedtothiswhichisatpresentunknown。 InallprobabilityI?tar,thespouseofTammuz,isbestknownfromherdescentintoHadesinquestofhimwhenwithPersephone(Ere?—ki—gal) intheunderworld。Inthisshehadtopassthroughsevengates,andanarticleofclothingwastakenfromherateach,untilshearrivedintheunderworldquitenaked,typifyingtheteaching,thatmancantakenothingawaywithhimwhenhedepartsthislife。Duringherabsence,thingsnaturallybegantogowrongupontheearth,andthegodswereobligedtointervene,anddemandherrelease,whichwasultimatelygranted,andateachgate,asshereturned,theadornmentswhichshehadleftweregivenbacktoher。Itisuncertainwhetherthehusbandwhomshesoughttoreleasewassetfree,buttheendoftheinscriptionseemstoimplythatI?tarwassuccessfulinhermission。 Inthisstoryshetypifiesthefaithfulwife,butotherlegendsshowanothersideofhercharacter,asinthatofGilgame?,rulerofhercityErech,towhomshemakeslove。Gilgame?,however,knowingthecharacterofthedivinequeenofhiscitytoowell,reproachesherwithhertreatmentofherhusbandandherotherlovers——Tammuz,towhom,fromyeartoyear,shecausedbitterweeping;thebrightcolouredAllalabird,whomshesmoteandbrokehiswings;thelionperfectinstrength,inwhomshecutwounds\"bysevens\";thehorsegloriousinwar,towhomshecausedhardshipanddistress,andtohismotherSililibitterweeping;theshepherdwhoprovidedforherthingswhichsheliked,whomshesmoteandchangedtoajackal;I?ullanu,herfather’sgardener,whomshetried,apparently,topoison,butfailing,shesmotehim,andchangedhimtoastatue(?)。Onbeingthusremindedofhermisdeeds,I?tarwasnaturallyangry,and,ascendingtoheaven,complainedtoherfatherAnuandhermotherAnatu,theresultbeing,thatadivinebullwassentagainstGilgame?andEnki—du,hisfriendandhelper。Thebull,however,waskilled,andaportionoftheanimalhavingbeencutoff,Enki—duthrewitatthegoddess,sayingatthesametimethat,ifhecouldonlygetholdofher,hewouldtreathersimilarly。ApparentlyI?tarrecognisedthattherewasnothingfurthertobedoneinthematter,so,gatheringthehand—maidens,pleasure— womenandwhores,intheirpresencesheweptovertheportionofthedivinebullwhichhadbeenthrownather。 TheworshipofI?tar,shebeingthegoddessofloveandwar,wasconsiderablymorepopularthanthatofherspouse,Tammuz,who,asamongthewesternSemiticnations,wasadoredratherbythewomenthanthemen。Herworshipwasinallprobabilityofequalantiquity,andbranchedout,sotosay,inseveraldirections,asmaybejudgedbyhermanynames,eachofwhichhadatendencytobecomeadistinctpersonality。Thusthesyllabariesgivethecharacterwhichrepresentshernameashavingalsobeenpronounced/Innanna/,/Ennen/,and/Nin/,whilstanotuncommonnameinotherinscriptionsis/Ama—Innanna/,\"motherI?tar。\"TheprincipalseatofherworshipinBabyloniawasatErech,andinAssyriaatNineveh——alsoatArbela,andmanyotherplaces。Shewasalsohonoured(atErechandelsewhere)undertheElamitenamesofTi?pakand?u?inak,\"theSusiangoddess。\" Nina。 Fromthename/Nin/,whichI?tarbore,thereishardlyanydoubtthatsheacquiredtheidentificationwithNina,whichisprovableasearlyasthetimeoftheLaga?itekings,Lugal—andaandUru—ka—gina。AsidentifiedwithAruru,thegoddesswhohelpedMerodachtocreatemankind,I?tarwasalsoregardedasthemotherofall,andintheBabylonianstoryoftheFlood,sheismadetosaythatshehadbegottenman,butlike\"thesonsofthefishes,\"hefilledthesea。 Nina,then,asanotherformofI?tar,wasagoddessofcreation,typifiedintheteeminglifeoftheocean,andhernameiswrittenwithacharacterstandingforahouseorreceptacle,withthesignfor\"fish\"within。HerearliestseatwasthecityofNinainsouthernBabylonia,fromwhichplace,inallprobability,colonistswentnorthwards,andfoundedanothershrineatNinevehinAssyria,whichafterwardsbecamethegreatcentreofherworship,andonthisaccountthecitywascalledafterherNinaaorNinua。Astheirtutelarygoddess,thefishermenintheneighbourhoodoftheBabylonianNinaandLaga?wereaccustomedtomaketoher,aswellastoInnannaorI?tar,largeofferingsoffish。 Asthemasculinedeitieshadfeminineforms,soitisnotbyanymeansimprobablethatthegoddesseshadmasculineforms,andifthatbethecase,wemaysupposethatitwasamasculinecounterpartofNinawhofoundedNineveh,which,asiswellknown,isattributedtoNinos,thesamenameasNinawiththeGreekmasculinetermination。 Nin—Gursu。 ThisdeityisprincipallyofimportanceinconnectionwiththeancientBabylonianstateofLaga?,thehomeofanoldandimportantlineofkingsandviceroys,amongthelatterbeingthecelebratedGudea,whosestatuesandinscribedcylindersnowadorntheBabyloniangalleriesoftheLouvreatParis。Hisnamemeans\"LordofGirsu,\"whichwasprobablyoneofthesuburbs,andtheoldestpart,ofLaga?。ThisdeitywassonofEn—lilaorBêl,andwasidentifiedwithNirigorênu—rê?tu。 Toallappearancehewasasun—deity。Thedialecticformofhisnamewas/U—Mersi/,ofwhichavariant,/En—Mersi/,occursinanincantationpublishedinthefourthvolumeofthe/CuneiformInscriptionsofWesternAsia/,pl。27,where,fortheSumerian\"TakeawhitekidofEn—Mersi,\"theSemitictranslationis\"ofTammuz,\" showingthathewasidentifiedwiththelattergod。InthesecondvolumeofthesameworkNin—Girsuisgivenasthepronunciationofthenameofthegodofagriculturalists,confirmingthisidentification,Tammuzbeingalsogodofagriculture。 Bau。 ThisgoddessatalltimesplayedaprominentpartinancientBabylonianreligion,especiallywiththerulersbeforethedynastyofHammurabi。Shewasthe\"mother\"ofLaga?,andhertemplewasatUru—azaga,adistrictofLaga?,thechiefcityofNin—Girsu,whosespouseshewas。LikeNin—Girsu,sheplanted(notonlygrainandvegetation,butalsotheseedofmen)。Inhercharacterofthegoddesswhogavelifetomen,andhealedtheirbodiesinsickness,shewasidentifiedwithGula,oneofthosetitlesis\"theladysavingfromdeath\"。Ga—tum—duga,whosenameprobablymeans\"makingandproducinggood,\"wasalsoexceedinglypopularinancienttimes,andthoughidentifiedwithBau,isregardedbyJastrowhashavingbeenoriginallydistinctfromher。 Ere?—ki—galorAllatu。 AstheprototypeofPersephone,thisgoddessisoneofmuchimportanceforcomparativemythology,andthereisalegendconcerningherofconsiderableinterest。ThetextisoneofthosefoundatTel—el— Armana,inEgypt,andstatesthatthegodsoncemadeafeast,andsenttoEre?—ki—gal,sayingthat,thoughtheycouldgodowntoher,shecouldnotascendtothem,andaskinghertosendamessengertofetchawaythefooddestinedforher。Thisshedid,andallthegodsstooduptoreceivehermessenger,exceptone,whoseemstohavewithheldthistokenofrespect。Themessenger,whenhereturned,apparentlyrelatedtoEre?—ki—galwhathadhappened,andangeredthereat,shesenthimbacktothepresenceofthegods,askingforthedelinquenttobedeliveredtoher,thatshemightkillhim。Thegodsthendiscussedthequestionofdeathwiththemessenger,andtoldhimtotaketohismistressthegodwhohadnotstoodupinhispresence。 Whenthegodswerebroughttogether,thattheculpritmightberecognised,oneofthemremainedinthebackground,andonthemessengeraskingwhoitwaswhodidnotstandup,itwasfoundtobeNerigal。Thisgodwasdulysent,butwasnotatallinclinedtobesubmissive,forinsteadofkillinghim,asshehadthreatened,Ere?— ki—galfoundherselfseizedbythehairanddraggedfromherthrone,whilstthedeath—dealinggodmadereadytocutoffherhead。\"Donotkillme,mybrother,letmespeaktothee,\"shecried,andonhisloosinghisholduponherhair,shecontinued,\"thoushaltbemyhusband,andIwillbethywife——Iwillcauseyoutotakedominioninthewideearth。Iwillplacethetabletofwisdominthinehand——thoushaltbelord,Iwillbelady。\"Nerigalthereupontookher,kissedher,andwipedawayhertears,saying,\"Whateverthouhastaskedmeformonthspastnowreceivesassent。\" Ere?—ki—galdidnottreatherrivalintheaffectionsofTammuzsogentlywhenI?tardescendedtoHadesinsearchofthe\"husbandofheryouth。\"Accordingtothestory,notonlywasI?tardeprivedofhergarmentsandornaments,butbytheordersofEre?—ki—gal,Namtarsmoteherwithdiseaseinallhermembers。ItwasnotuntilthegodsintervenedthatI?tarwassetfree。Themeaningofhernameis\"ladyofthegreatregion,\"adescriptionwhichissupposedtoapplytoHades,andofwhichavariant,Ere?—ki—gal,\"ladyofthegreathouse,\" occursintheHymnstoTammuzintheManchesterMuseum。 Nergal。 Thisnameissupposedtomean\"lordofthegreathabitation,\"whichwouldbeaparalleltothatofhisspouseEre?—ki—gal。HewastherulerofHades,andatthesametimegodofwarandofdiseaseandpestilence。Aswarrior,henaturallyfoughtonthesideofthosewhoworshippedhim,asinthephrasewhichdescribeshimas\"thewarrior,thefiercestorm—floodoverthrowingthelandoftheenemy。\"AspointedoutbyJastrow,hediffersfromNirig,whowasalsoagodofwar,inthathesymbolises,asgodofdiseaseanddeath,themiseryanddestructionwhichaccompanythestrifeofnations。Itisinconsequenceofthissideofhischaracterthatheappearsalsoasgodoffire,thedestroyingelement,andJensensaysthatNerigalwasgodofthemiddayorofthesummersun,andthereforeofallthemisfortunescausedbyanexcessofhisheat。 ThechiefcentreofhisworshipwasCuthah(/Kut?/,Sumerian/Gudua/) nearBabylon,nowrepresentedbythemoundsofTelIbrahim。TheidentitywiththeGreekAriesandtheRomanMarsisprovedbythefactthathisplanetwas/Mu?tabarr?—m?tanu/,\"thedeath—spreader,\"whichisprobablythenameofMarsinSemiticBabylonian。 Amurru。 AlthoughthisisnotbyanymeansafrequentnameamongthedeitiesworshippedinBabylonia,itisworthyofnoticeonaccountofitsbearinguponthedateofthecompilationofthetabletwhichhasbeentakenasabasisofthislistofgods。Hewasknownas\"Lordofthemountains,\"andhisworshipbecameverypopularduringtheperiodofthedynastytowhichHammurabibelonged——sayfrom2200to1937B。C。,whenAmurruwasmuchcombinedwiththenamesofmen,andisfoundbothontabletsandcylinder—seals。Theideographicmannerofwritingitis/Mar—tu/,awordthatisusedfor/Amurru/,thelandoftheAmorites,whichstoodfortheWestingeneral。AmoriteshadenteredBabyloniainconsiderablenumbersduringthisperiod,sothatthereisbutlittledoubtthathispopularitywaslargelyduetotheirinfluence,andthetabletcontainingthesenameswasprobablydrawnup,oratleasthadtheSemiticequivalentsadded,towardsthebeginningofthatperiod。 SinorNannara。 Thecultofthemoon—godwasoneofthemostpopularinBabylonia,thechiefseatofhisworshipbeingatUru(nowMuqayyar)theBiblicalUroftheChaldees。TheoriginofthenameSinisunknown,butitisthoughtthatitmaybeacorruptionofZu—ena,\"knowledge—lord,\"asthecompoundideographexpressinghisnamemaybereadandtranslated。 Besidesthiscompoundideograph,thenameofthegodSinwasalsoexpressedbythecharacterfor\"30,\"providedwiththeprefixofdivinity,anideographwhichisduetothethirtydaysofthemonth,andisthoughttobeoflatedate。WithregardtoNannar,JastrowexplainsitasbeingforNarnar,andrendersit\"light—producer。\"Inalonghymntothisgodheisdescribedinmanylinesas\"thelord,princeofthegods,whoinheavenaloneissupreme,\"andas\"fatherNannar。\"Amonghisotherdescriptivetitlesare\"greatAnu\"(Sum。/anagale/,SemiticBab。/Anurab?/)——anotherinstanceoftheidentificationoftwodeities。Hewasalso\"lordofUr,\"\"lordofthetempleGi?nu—gala,\"\"lordoftheshiningcrown,\"etc。Heisalsosaidtobe\"themightysteerwhosehornsarestrong,whoselimbsareperfect,whoisbeardedwithabeardoflapis—stone,[*]whoisfilledwithbeautyandfullness(ofsplendour)。\" [*]Probablyofthecolouroflapisonly,notmadeofthestoneitself。 BesidesBabyloniaandAssyria,hewasalsoworshippedinotherpartsoftheSemiticeast,especiallyatHarran,towhichcityAbrahammigrated,scholarssay,inconsequenceofthepatron—deitybeingthesameasatUroftheChaldees,wherehehadpassedtheearlieryearsofhislife。TheMountainofSinaiandtheDesertofSin,bothbearhisname。 AccordingtokingDungi(about2700B。C。),thespouseofSinorNannarawasNin—Uruwa,\"theladyofUr。\"SargonofAssyria(722—705 B。C。)callsherNin—gala。 AdduorRammanu。 ThenumerousnameswhichHadadbearsintheinscriptions,bothnon— SemiticandSemitic,testifytothepopularitywhichthisgodenjoyedatalltimesinBabylonia。Amonghisnon—SemiticnamesmaybementionedMer,Mermer,Muru,all,itmaybeimagined,imitative。AdduisexplainedasbeinghisnameintheAmoritelanguage,andavariantform,apparently,whichhaslostitsfirstsyllable,namely,Dadu,alsoappears——theAssyriansseemalwaystohaveusedtheterminationlessformofAddu,namely,Adad。InallprobabilityAddu,Adad,andDaduarederivedfromtheWestSemiticHadad,buttheothername,Rammanu,isnativeBabylonian,andcognatewithRimmon,whichisthusshownbytheBabylonianformtomean\"thethunderer,\"orsomethingsimilar。Hewasthegodofwinds,storms,andrain,fearedonaccountoftheformer,andworshipped,andhisfavoursought,onaccountofthelast。InhisnameBirqu,heappearsasthegodoflightning,andJastrowisofopinion,thatheissometimesassociatedonthataccountwith?ama?,bothofthembeing(althoughindifferentdegrees)godsoflight,andthisisconfirmedbythefactthat,incommonwiththesun—god,hewascalled\"godofjustice。\"IntheAssyrianinscriptionsheappearsasagodofwar,andthekingsconstantlycomparethedestructionwhichtheirarmieshadwroughtwiththatof\"Adadtheinundator。\"Forthemhewas\"themightyone,inundatingtheregionsoftheenemy,landsandhouses,\"andwasprayedtostrikethelandofthepersonwhoshowedhostilitytotheAssyrianking,withevil—workinglightning,tothrowwant,famine,drought,andcorpsestherein,toorderthatheshouldnotliveonedaylonger,andtodestroyhisnameandhisseedintheland。 TheoriginalseatofhisworshipwasMuruinSouthBabylonia,towhichthepatesiofGirsuinthetimeofIbi—Sinsentgrainasanoffering。 Itssiteisunknown。Otherplaces(oraretheyothernamesofthesame?)wherehewasworshippedwereEnnigiandKakru。TheconsortofAdduwas?ala,whoseworshipwaslikewiseverypopular,andtowhomthereweretemples,notonlyinBabyloniaandAssyria,butalsoinElam,seeminglyalwaysinconnectionwithAddu。 A??ur。 Inallthedeitiestreatedofabove,weseethechiefgodsoftheBabylonianandAssyrianpantheon,whichwereworshippedbybothpeoplesextensively,noneofthembeingspecificallyAssyrian,thoughworshippedbytheAssyrians。Therewasonedeity,however,whosenamewillnotbefoundintheBabylonianlistsofgods,namely,A??ur,thenationalgodofAssyria,whowasworshippedinthecityofA??ur,theoldcapitalofthecountry。 Fromthiscircumstance,itmayberegardedascertain,thatA??urwasthelocalgodofthecitywhosenamehebore,andthatheattainedtothepositionofchiefgodoftheAssyrianpantheoninthesamewayasMerodachbecamekingofthegodsinBabylonia——namely,becauseA??urwasthecapitalofthecountry。Hisacceptanceaschiefdivinity,however,wasmuchmoregeneralthanthatofMerodach,astemplestohimweretobefoundallovertheAssyriankingdom——acircumstancewhichwasprobablyduetoAssyriabeingmorecloselyunitedinitselfthanBabylonia,causinghisnametoarousepatrioticfeelingswhereveritmightbereferredto。Thiswasprobablypartlyduetothefact,thatthekinginAssyriawasmoretherepresentativeofthegodthaninBabylonia,andthatthegodfollowedhimonwarlikeexpeditions,andwhenengagedinreligiousceremonies——indeed,itisnotbyanymeansimprobablethathewasthoughttofollowhimwhereverhewent。 Onthesculpturesheisseenaccompanyinghimintheformofacircleprovidedwithwings,inwhichisshownsometimesafull—lengthfigureofthegodinhumanform,sometimestheupperpartonly,facingtowardsanddrawinghisbowagainstthefoe。Inconsequenceofitsgeneralappearance,theimageofthegodhasbeenlikenedtothesunineclipse,thefar—stretchingwingsbeingthoughttoresemblethelongstreamersvisibleatthemomentoftotality,anditmustbeadmittedasprobablethatthismayhavegiventheideaofthesymbolshownonthesculptures。Asasun—god,andatthesametimenotthegod?ama?,heresembledtheBabylonianMerodach,andwaspossiblyidentifiedwithhim,especiallyas,inatleastonetext,Bêltu(Bêltis)isdescribedashisconsort,whichwouldpossiblyidentifyA??ur’sspousewithZer—pan?tum。TheoriginalformofhisnamewouldseemtohavebeenAu?ar,\"water—field,\"probablyfromthetractwherethecityofA??urwasbuilt。HisidentificationwithMerodach,ifthatwaseveraccepted,mayhavebeenduetothelikenessofthewordtoAsari,oneofthatdeity’snames。ThepronunciationA??ur,however,seemstohaveledtoacomparisonwiththeAn?arofthefirsttabletoftheCreation—story,thoughitmayseemstrangethattheAssyriansshouldhavethoughtthattheirpatron—godwasadeitysymbolisingthe\"hostofheaven。\"Nevertheless,theGreektranscriptionofAn?ar,namely,/Assoros/,givenbyDamascius,certainlystrengthenstheindicationsoftheideographinthismatter。DelitzschregardsthewordA??ur,orA?ur,ashereadsit,asmeaning\"holy,\"andquotesalistofthegodsofthecityofNineveh,wherethewordA??uroccursthreetimes,suggestingtheexclamation\"holy,holy,holy,\"or\"theholy,holy,holyone。\"Inallprobability,however,therepetitionofthenamethreetimessimplymeansthattherewerethreetemplesdedicatedtoA??urinthecitiesinquestion。[*]JastrowagreeswithDelitzschinregardingA?urasanotherformofA?ir(foundinearlyCappadociannames),buthetranslatesitratheras\"overseer\"or\"guardian\"ofthelandandthepeople——theterminationlessformof/a?iru/,whichhasthismeaning,andisappliedtoMerodach。 [*]OrtheremayhavebeenthreeshrinestoA??urineachtemplereferredto。 Astheuseofthecharacters/An—?ar/forthegodA??uronlyappearsatalatedate(JastrowsaystheeighthcenturyB。C。),thiswouldseemtohavebeentheworkofthescribes,whowishedtoreadintothenametheearliersignificationofAn?ar,\"thehostofheaven,\"anexplanationfullyinaccordwithJastrow’sreasoningswithregardtothenatureofthedeity。Asherepresentednopersonificationorpowerofnature,hesays,butthegeneralprotectingspiritoftheland,theking,thearmy,andthepeople,thecapitalofthecountrycouldbetransferredfromA??urtoCalah,fromtherebacktoA??ur,andfinallytoNineveh,withoutaffectingthepositionoftheprotectinggodofthelandinanyway。Heneedednotemple——thoughsuchthingswereerectedtohim——hehadnoneedtofearthatheshouldsufferinesteembythepreferenceforsomeothergod。AstheembodimentofthespiritoftheAssyrianpeoplethepersonalsideofhisbeingremainedtoacertainextentinthebackground。Ifhewasthe\"hostofheaven,\"allthedeitiesmightberegardedashavingtheirbeinginhim。 SuchwasthechiefdeityoftheAssyrians——anationalgod,graftedonto,butalwaysdistinctfrom,therestofthepantheon,which,ashasbeenshown,wasofBabylonianorigin,andalwaysmaintainedthecharacteristicsandstampofitsorigin。 ThespouseofA??urdoesnotappearinthehistoricaltexts,andhermentionelsewhereunderthetitleofBêltu,\"thelady,\"doesnotallowofanyidentificationbeingmade。Inoneinscription,however,A??urituiscalledthegoddess,andA??urthegod,ofthestarSib—zi— anna,identifiedbyJensenwithRegulus,whichwasapparentlythestarofMerodachinBabylonia。This,however,bringsusnonearer,forA??urituwouldsimplymean\"theAssurite(goddess)。\" Theminordivinities。 Amongthehundredsofnameswhichthelistsfurnish,afewareworthyofmention,eitherbecauseofmorethanordinaryinterest,orinconsequenceoftheirfurnishingthenameofsomedeity,chiefinitslocality,butidentifiedelsewherewithoneofthegreatergods。 Aa。——Thismayberegardedeitherasthegodêa(thoughthenameiswrittendifferently),orasthesun—godassumingthenameofhisconsort;or(whatis,perhaps,moreprobable)asawayofwritingA’uorYa’u(theHebrewJah),withouttheendingofthenominative。Thislastisalsofoundundertheform/Aa’u/,/ya’u/,/yau/,and/ya/。 Abil—addu。——Thisdeityseemstohaveattainedacertainpopularityinlatertimes,especiallyamongimmigrantsfromtheWest。As\"thesonofHadad,\"hewastheequivalentoftheSyrianBen—Hadad。AtabletinNewYorkshowsthathisnamewasweakenedinformto/Ablada/。 Aku,themoon—godamongtheheavenlybodies。ItisthisnamewhichisregardedasoccurringinthenameoftheBabyloniankingEri—Aku,\"servantofthemoon—god,\"thebiblicalArioch(Gen。xiv。)。 Amma—an—ki,êaorAaaslordofheavenandearth。 Amna。——Anameonlyfoundinasyllabary,andassignedtothesun—god,fromwhichitwouldseemthatitisaformoftheEgyptianAmmon。 Anunitum,thegoddessofoneofthetwoSippars,calledSipparofAnunitum,whowasworshippedinthetempleê—ulma?withinthecityofAgadé(Akkad)。Sayceidentifies,onthisaccount,thesetwoplacesasbeingthesame。Inalistofstars,Anunitumiscoupledwith?inunutum,whichareexplainedas(thestarsof)theTigrisandEuphrates。ThesewereprobablynamesofVenusasthemorningandevening(oreveningandmorning)star。 Apsu。——ThedeepdissociatedfromtheevilconnectionwithTiawath,andregardedas\"thehouseofdeepwisdom,\"i。e。thehomeofthegodêaorAa。 Aruru。——OneofthedeitiesofSipparandAruru(inthetimeofthedynastyofHammurabicalledYa’ruru),ofwhichshewasthechiefgoddess。Aruruwasoneofthenamesofthe\"ladyofthegods,\"andaidedMerodachtomaketheseedofmankind。 Bêl。——Asthisnamemeans\"lord,\"itcouldbeapplied,likethePh?nicianBaal,tothechiefgodofanycity,asBêlofNiffur,BêlofHursag—kalama,BêlofAratta,BêlofBabylon,etc。Thisoftenindicatesalsothestarwhichrepresentedthechiefgodofaplace。 Bêltu。——InthesamewayBêltu,meaning\"lady,\"meantalsothechiefgoddessofanyplace,as\"Aruru,ladyofthegodsofSipparofAruru,\" \"Nin—mah,ladyofthegodsofê—mah,\"acelebratedtemplewithinBabylon,recentlyexcavatedbytheGermans,\"Nin—hur—saga,ladyofthegodsofKê?,\"etc。 Bunene。——Agodassociatedwith?ama?andI?taratSipparandelsewhere。He\"gave\"and\"renewed\"tohisworshippers。 Dagan。——Thisdeity,whoseworshipextendsbacktoanexceedinglyearlydate,isgenerallyidentifiedwiththePh?nicianDagon。HammurabiseemstospeakoftheEuphratesasbeing\"theboundaryofDagan,\"whomhecallshiscreator。InlaterinscriptionstheformDaguna,whichapproachesnearertotheWestSemiticform,isfoundinafewpersonalnames。ThePh?nicianstatuesofthisdeityshowedhimwiththelowerpartofhisbodyintheformofafish(see1Sam。v。4)。Whetherthedeitiesclothedinafish’sskinintheNimroudgallerybeDagonornotisuncertain——theymaybeintendedforêaorAa,theOannesofBerosus,whowasrepresentedinthisway。Probablythetwodeitieswereregardedasidentical。 Damu。——agoddessregardedasequivalenttoGulabytheBabyloniansandAssyrians。Shewasgoddessofhealing,andmadeone’sdreamshappy。 Dumu—zi—abzu,\"TammuzoftheAbyss。\"——ThiswasoneofthesixsonsofêaorAa,accordingtothelists。Hisworshipisexceedinglyancient,andgoesbacktothetimeofE—anna—tumofLaga?(about4000B。C。)。 Whatconnection,ifany,hemayhavewithTammuz,thespouseofI?tar,isunknown。Jastrowapparentlyregardshimasadistinctdeity,andtranslateshisname\"thechildofthelifeofthewater—deep。\" Elali。——AdeityidentifiedwiththeHebrewHelal,thenewmoon。OnlyfoundinnamesofthetimeoftheHammurabidynasty,inoneofwhichheappearsas\"acreator。\" En—nugiisdescribedas\"lordofstreamsandcanals,\"and\"lordoftheearth,lordofno—return。\"Thislastdescription,whichgivesthemeaningofhisname,suggeststhathewasoneofthegodsoftherealmofEre?—ki—gal,thoughhemayhavebornethatnamesimplyasgodofstreams,whichalwaysflowdown,neverthereverse。 Gibil。——Oneofthenamesofthegodoffire,sometimestranscribedGirrubyAssyriologists,themeaningapparentlybeing\"thefire— bearer\"or\"light—bearer。\"Girruisanothernameofthisdeity,andtranslatesanideographicgroup,renderedbyDelitzsch\"great\"or\"highestdecider,\"suggestingthecustomoftrialbyordeal。HewasidentifiedwithNirig,inSemiticênu—rê?tu。 Gu?qi—bandaorKuski—banda,oneofthenamesofêa,probablyasgodofgold—workers。 I?um,\"theglorioussacrificer,\"seeminglyanameofthefire—godasameanswherebyburntofferingsweremade。N?r—I?um,\"lightofI?um,\"isfoundasaman’sname。 Kaawanu,theplanetSaturn。 Lagamal。——AgodidentifiedwiththeElamiteLagamar,whosenameisregardedasexistinginChedorlaomer(cf。Gen。xiv。2)。HewasthechiefgodofMair,\"theship—city。\" Lugal—AmaradaorLugal—Marad。——Thisnamemeans\"kingofMarad,\"acityasyetunidentified。ThekingofthisplaceseemstohavebeenNerigal,ofwhom,therefore,Lugal—Maradisanothername。 Lugal—banda。——Thisnamemeans\"thepowerfulking,\"orsomethingsimilar,andthegodbearingitissupposedtobethesameasNerigal。