the religion of babylonia and assyria-第14章

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Damascius；　in　his　valuable　account　of　the　belief　of　the　Babylonians　concerning　the　Creation；　states　that；　like　the　other　barbarians；　they　reject　the　doctrine　of　the　one　origin　of　the　universe；　and　constitute　two；　Tauthé　（Tiawath）　and　Apason　（Apsu）。　This　twofold　principle；　however；　is　only　applicable　to　the　system　in　that　it　makes　of　the　sea　and　the　deep　（for　such　are　the　meanings　of　the　two　words）　two　personagesthe　female　and　the　male　personifications　of　prim？val　matter；　from　which　all　creation　sprang；　and　which　gave　birth　to　the　gods　of　heaven　themselves。　As　far　as　the　physical　constituents　of　these　two　principals　are　concerned；　their　tenets　might　be　described　as　having　〃materialistic　monism〃　as　their　basis；　but　inasmuch　as　they　believed　that　each　of　these　two　principals　had　a　mind；　the　description　〃idealistic　monism〃　cannot　be　applied　to　itit　is　distinctly　a　dualism。


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　And　Monism。

Divested　of　its　idealistic　side；　however；　there　would　seem　to　be　no　escape　from　regarding　the　Babylonian　idea　of　the　origin　of　things　as　monistic。＇*＇　This　idea　has　its　reflection；　though　not　its　reproduction；　in　the　first　chapter　of　Genesis；　in　which；　verses　2；　6；　and　7；　water　is　represented　as　the　first　thing　existing；　though　not　the　first　abode　of　life。　This　divergency　from　the　Babylonian　view　was　inevitable　with　a　monotheistic　nation；　such　as　the　Jews　were；　regarding　as　they　did　the　Deity　as　the　great　source　of　everything　existing。　What　effect　the　moving　of　the　Spirit　of　God　upon　the　face　of　the　waters　（v。2）　was　supposed　by　them　to　have　had；　is　uncertain；　but　it　is　to　be　noted　that　it　was　the　land　（vv。　11；　12）　which　first　brought　forth；　at　the　command　of　God。

＇*＇　Monism。　The　doctrine　which　holds　that　in　the　universe　there　is　　　　　only　a　single　element　or　principle　from　which　everything　is　　　　　developed；　this　single　principle　being　either　mind　（/idealistic　　　　　monism/）　or　matter　（/materialistic　monism/）。　（Annandale。）


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　The　future　life。

The　belief　in　a　future　life　is　the　natural　outcome　of　a　religious　belief　such　as　the　Babylonians；　Assyrians；　and　many　of　the　surrounding　nations　possessed。　As　has　been　shown；　a　portion　of　their　creed　consisted　in　hero…worship；　which　pre…supposes　that　the　heroes　in　question　continued　to　exist；　in　a　state　of　still　greater　power　and　glory；　after　the　conclusion　of　their　life　here　upon　earth。

〃The　god　Bêl　hates　meI　cannot　dwell　in　this　land；　and　in　the　territory　of　Bêl　I　cannot　set　my　face。　I　shall　descend　then　to　the　Abyss；　with　Aa　my　lord　shall　I　constantly　dwell。〃　It　is　with　these　words　that；　by　the　counsel　of　the　god　Aa；　Ut…napi？tim　explained　to　those　who　questioned　him　the　reason　why　he　was　building　the　ship　or　ark　which　was　to　save　him　and　his　from　the　Flood；　and　there　is　but　little　doubt　that　the　author　of　the　story　implied　that　he　announced　thereby　his　approaching　death；　or　his　departure　to　dwell　with　his　god　without　passing　the　dread　portals　of　the　great　leveller。　This　belief　in　the　life　beyond　the　grave　seems　to　have　been　that　which　was　current　during　the　final　centuries　of　the　third　millennium　before　Christwhen　a　man　died；　it　was　said　that　his　god　took　him　to　himself；　and　we　may　therefore　suppose；　that　there　were　as　many　heavensplaces　of　contentment　and　blissas　there　were　gods；　and　that　every　good　man　was　regarded　as　going　and　dwelling　evermore　with　the　deity　which　he　had　worshipped　and　served　faithfully　during　his　lifetime。

Gilgame？；　the　half…divine　king　of　Erech；　who　reigned　during　the　half…　mythical　period；　on　losing　his　friend　and　counsellor；　Enki…du；　set　out　to　find　him；　and　to　bring　him　back；　if　possible；　from　the　underworld　where　he　was　supposed　to　dwell。　His　death；　however；　had　not　been　like　that　of　an　ordinary　man；　it　was　not　Namtaru；　the　spirit　of　fate；　who　had　taken　him；　nor　a　misfortune　such　as　befalls　ordinary　men；　but　Nerigal's　unsparing　lier…in…waityet　though　Nerigal　was　the　god　of　war；　Enki…du　had　not　fallen　on　the　battlefield　of　men；　but　had　been　seized　by　the　earth　（apparently　the　underworld　where　the　wicked　are　is　meant）　in　consequence；　seemingly；　of　some　trick　or　trap　which　had　been　laid　for　him。

The　gods　were　therefore　prayed；　in　turn；　to　bring　him　back；　but　none　of　them　listened　except　êa；　who　begged　him　of　Nerigal；　whereupon　the　latter　opened　the　entrance　to　the　place　where　he　wasthe　hole　of　the　earthand　brought　forth　〃the　spirit　（/utukku/）　of　Enki…du　like　mist。〃　Immediately　after　this　come　the　words；　〃Tell；　my　friend；　tell；　my　friendthe　law　of　the　land　which　thou　sawest；　tell；〃　and　the　answer；　〃I　will　not　tell　thee；　friend；　I　will　not　tell　theeif　I　tell　thee　the　law　of　the　land　which　I　saw；　。　。　。　sit　down；　weep。〃　Ultimately；　however；　the　person　appealed　toapparently　the　disembodied　Enki…du　reveals　something　concerning　the　condition　of　the　souls　in　the　place　of　his　sojourn　after　death；　as　follows：

　　〃Whom　thou　sawest　＇die＇　the　death（？）　＇of＇＇*＇　。　。　。　＇I　see＇　　　In　the　resting…place　of　。　。　。　reposing；　pure　waters　he　drinketh。　　　Whom　in　the　battle　thou　sawest　killed；　I　see　　　His　father　and　his　mother　raise　his　head；　　　　　And　his　wife　upon　＇him　leaneth？＇。　　　Whose　corpse　thou　hast　seen　thrown　down　in　the　plain；　I　see　　　His　/edimmu/　in　the　earth　reposeth　not。　　　Whose　/edimmu/　thou　sawest　without　a　caretaker；　I　see　　　The　leavings　of　the　dish；　the　remains　of　the　food；　　　　　Which　in　the　street　is　thrown；　he　eateth。〃

＇*＇　（？）〃The　death　of　the　righteous；〃　or　something　similar？

It　is　naturally　difficult　to　decide　in　a　passage　like　this；　the　difference　existing　between　a　man's　/utukku/　and　his　/edimmu/；　but　the　probability　is；　that　the　former　means　his　spiritual　essence；　whilst　the　latter　stands　for　the　ghostly　shadow　of　his　body；　resembling　in　meaning　the　/ka/　of　the　Egyptians。　To　all　appearance　the　abode　described　above　is　not　the　place　of　the　punishment　of　the　wicked；　but　the　dwelling　of　those　accounted　good；　who；　if　lucky　in　the　manner　of　their　death；　and　the　disposal　of　their　bodies；　enjoyed　the　highest　happiness　in　the　habitation　of　the　blest。　The　other　place；　however；　is　otherwise　described　（it　occurs　in　the　account　of　I？tar's　descent　into　Hades；　and　in　the　seventh　tablet　of　the　Gilgame？　seriesthe　latter　differing　somewhat）：

　　〃Upon　the　land　of　No…return；　the　region　of　。　。　。；　　　＇Set＇　Istar；　daughter　of　Sin；　her　ear。　　　The　daughter　of　Sin　set　then　her　ear　。　。　。　　　Upon　the　house　of　gloom；　the　seat　of　Irkalla＇*＇　　　Upon　the　house　whose　entrance　hath　no　exit；＇？＇　　　Upon　the　path　whose　way　hath　no　return；　　　Upon　the　house　whose　enterers　are　deprived　of　light；　　　Where　dust　is　their　nourishment；　their　food　mud；　　　Light　they　see　not；　in　darkness　they　dwell；　　　Clothed　also；　like　a　bird；　in　a　dress　of　feathers。　　　Upon　the　door　and　bolt　the　dust　hath　blown。〃

＇*＇　One　of　the　names　of　Nergal。

＇？＇　Or　〃whose　enterer　goeth　not　forth。〃

Seven　gates　gave　access　to　this　place　of　gloom；　and　the　porter；　as　he　let　the　visitor　in；　took　from　her　（the　goddess　I？tar　in　the　narrative）　at　each　an　article　of　clothing；　until；　at　the　last；　she　entered　quite　naked；　apparently　typifying　the　fact　that　a　man　can　take　nothing　with　him　when　he　dieth；　and　also；　in　this　case；　that　he　has　not　even　his　good　deeds　wherewith　to　clothe　himself；　for　had　they　outweighed　his　evil　ones；　he　would　not　have　found　himself　in　that　dread　abode。

On　the　arrival　of　I？tar　in　Hades；　Erê？…ki…gal　commanded　Namtaru；　the　god　of　fate；　to　smite　I？tar　with　disease　in　all　her　memberseyes；　sides；　feet；　heart；　and　head。　As　things　went　wrong　on　the　earth　in　consequence　of　the　absence　of　the　goddess　of　love；　the　gods　sent　a　messenger　to　effect　her　release。　When　he　reached　the　land　of　No…　return；　the　queen　of　the　region　threatened　him　with　all　kinds　of　tormentsthe　food　of　the　gutters　of　the　city　were　to　be　his　food；　the　oil…jars　of　the　city　（naptha？）　his　drink；　the　gloom　of　the　castle　his　resting…place；　a　stone　slab　his　seat；　and　hunger　and　thirst　were　to　shatter　his　strength。　These　were　evidently　the　punishments　inflicted　there；　but　as　the　messenger　threatened　was　a　divine　one；　they　were　probably　not　put　into　execution；　and　he　obtained　his　demand；　for　I？tar　was　set　free；　receiving　back　at　each　gate；　in　reverse　order；　the　clothing　and　ornaments　which　had　been　taken　from　her　when　she　had　descended　thither。　It　is　uncertain　whether　Tammuz；　for　whom　she　had　gone　down；　was　set　free　also；　but　as　he　is　referred　to；　it　is　not　improbable　that　this　was　the　case。





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