The Religion of Babylonia and Assyria

[222] Semitic alphabet.

[223] A form of Nebo, according to Meissner-Rost, Bauinschriften Sanherib's, p. 105.

[224] See Meissner-Rost, ib. p. 108.

[225] As e.g., En-e-in-pal (Meissner-Rost, ib. p. 76). Sherua and Arag-sir (ib. p. 101). For further lists of deities, see pp. 234, 238.

[226] The Assyrian kings are fond of mentioning foreign deities, and of adding them to their pantheon. In his annals (VR. col. vi. ll. 30-43) Ashurbanabal gives a list of twenty Elamitic deities captured by him.

[227] Tiele (Babyl.-Assyr. Geschichte, p. 519) suggests Ea.

[228] An interesting example of this tendency is furnished by a tablet published by T. G. Pinches (Journal of the Victoria Institute, xxviii. 8-10), in which the name Marduk is treated almost as a generic term for deity. Nergal is called 'the Marduk of warfare'; Nebo, 'the Marduk of earthly possessions'; Ninib, 'the Marduk of strength'; En-lil, 'the Marduk of sovereignty'; and so on, in a long enumeration, the gods are regarded as so many forms of Marduk. Pinches' conclusion that the list points to monotheistic beliefs is, however, unwarranted. The list only illustrates a tendency towards a centralization of divine powers in Marduk, that accompanies the political centralization of the period.

[229] See below, pp. 228, 229.

[230] So the gods of the Assyrian pantheon are generally termed in the inscriptions of the kings.

[231] See below, p. 195.

[232] See below, p. 220.

[233] A description of this symbol occurs in a text of Sennacherib (Meissner-Rost, Bauinschriften Sanherib's, p. 94). The symbol itself is found on sculptured slabs and on seal cylinders.

[234] So Sennacherib still speaks of Images of Ashur, and of the great gods erected by him (Meissner-Rost, Bauinschriften Sanherib's, p. 94).

[235] See Stevenson, "The Feather and the Wing in Mythology," Oriental Studies of the Phila. Oriental Club, pp. 236-239.

[236]Babyl.-Assyr. Geschichte, p. 533.

[237] For the sake of convenience it is customary to distinguish between Ashur the god, and the country by writing the latter with a double sh—Ashshur.

[238]Geschichte, p. 533.

[239] See Jensen Zeits. für Assyr. i. 1 seq. and Delitzsch, Das Babylonische Weltschöpfungsepos, p. 94.

[240] By the assimilation of the n to the following consonant.

[241] See above, pp. 173, 175.

[242] Jensen, Kosmologie, p. 275.

[243] The combination of religious supremacy with political power, which characterizes the social state of ancient Babylonia and Assyria, gives to the title patesi a double significance. In Babylonia, moreover, it acquires the force of vassal-king.

[244] The full list is Anu, Ashur, Shamash, Ramman, and Ishtar.

[245] More precisely Arba-ilu, signifying 'city of the fourfold divinity' or 'four-god' city. Cf. the Palestinian form Kiryath-Arba, "four city,"—originally perhaps, likewise, a city of four gods, rather than four roads or four quarters, as commonly explained.

[246] IR. 14, l. 86.

[247]Babyl.-Assyr. Geschichte, p. 85.

[248] See above, p. 83.

[249] See above, pp. 83, 84.

[250] Cylinder B, col. v. ll. 30 seq.; elsewhere (Rassam Cylinder, col. ii. ll. 115 seq.) he prays to Ashur and Ishtar.

[251] Rassam Cylinder, col. viii. l. 92. Elsewhere, Cylinder B, col. v. 17, Ishtar is called the daughter of Bel. This, however, must be an error; either Sin must be read for Bel, or khirat (consort) for marat (daughter).

[252] See above, p. 151.

[253] See Barton, "The Semitic Ishtar Cult" (Hebraica, x. 9-12).

[254]I.e., c. 1800 B.C.

[255] See p. 154.

[256] See above, p. 149.

[257] See below, p. 237.

[258] A king of Nippur (c. 2500 B.C.) bears the name Ishme-Dagan.

[259] See above, p. 154; Tiele, Geschichte der Religion im Alterthum, i. 172.

[260] See Hommel, Geschichte, p. 490. How much earlier Samsi-Ramman I. reigned is not known—perhaps only 40 or 50 years.

[261] The d of Dagon would be represented by d in cuneiform writing.