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。