the religion of babylonia and assyria-第2章

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trict；　including　Palestine　and　the　neighbouring　tracts；　was　known　by　the　Babylonians　and　Assyrians　as　the　land　of　the　Amorites；　a　term　which　stood　for　the　West　in　general　even　when　these　regions　no　longer　bore　that　name。　The　Babylonians　maintained　their　claim　to　sovereignty　over　that　part　as　long　as　they　possessed　the　power　to　do　so；　and　naturally　exercised　considerable　influence　there。　The　existence　in　Palestine；　Syria；　and　the　neighbouring　states；　of　creeds　containing　the　names　of　many　Babylonian　divinities　is　therefore　not　to　be　wondered　at；　and　the　presence　of　West　Semitic　divinities　in　the　religion　of　the　Babylonians　need　not　cause　us　any　surprise。


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　The　Babylonian　script　and　its　evidence。

In　consequence　of　the　determinative　prefix　for　a　god　or　a　goddess　being；　in　the　oldest　form；　a　picture　of　an　eight…rayed　star；　it　has　been　assumed　that　Assyro…Babylonian　mythology　is；　either　wholly　or　partly；　astral　in　origin。　This；　however；　is　by　no　means　certain；　the　character　for　〃star〃　in　the　inscriptions　being　a　combination　of　three　such　pictures；　and　not　a　single　sign。　The　probability　therefore　is；　that　the　use　of　the　single　star　to　indicate　the　name　of　a　divinity　arises　merely　from　the　fact　that　the　character　in　question　stands　for　/ana/；　〃heaven。〃　Deities　were　evidently　thus　distinguished　by　the　Babylonians　because　they　regarded　them　as　inhabitants　of　the　realms　aboveindeed；　the　heavens　being　the　place　where　the　stars　are　seen；　a　picture　of　a　star　was　the　only　way　of　indicating　heavenly　things。　That　the　gods　of　the　Babylonians　were　in　many　cases　identified　with　the　stars　and　planets　is　certain；　but　these　identifications　seem　to　have　taken　place　at　a　comparatively　late　date。　An　exception　has　naturally　to　be　made　in　the　case　of　the　sun　and　moon；　but　the　god　Merodach；　if　he　be；　as　seems　certain；　a　deified　Babylonian　king；　must　have　been　identified　with　the　stars　which　bear　his　name　after　his　worshippers　began　to　pay　him　divine　honours　as　the　supreme　deity；　and　naturally　what　is　true　for　him　may　also　be　so　for　the　other　gods　whom　they　worshipped。　The　identification　of　some　of　the　deities　with　stars　or　planets　is；　moreover；　impossible；　and　if　êa；　the　god　of　the　deep；　and　Anu；　the　god　of　the　heavens；　have　their　representatives　among　the　heavenly　bodies；　this　is　probably　the　result　of　later　development。＇*＇

＇*＇　If　there　be　any　historical　foundation　for　the　statement　that　　　　　Merodach　arranged　the　sun；　the　moon；　the　planets；　and　the　stars；　　　　　assigning　to　them　their　proper　places　and　dutiesa　tradition　　　　　which　would　make　him　the　founder　of　the　science　of　astronomy　　　　　during　his　life　upon　earththis；　too；　would　tend　to　the　　　　　probability　that　the　origin　of　the　gods　of　the　Babylonians　was　not　　　　　astral；　as　has　been　suggested；　but　that　their　identification　with　　　　　the　heavenly　bodies　was　introduced　during　the　period　of　his　reign。


　　　　　　　　　Ancestor　and　hero…worship。　The　deification　of　kings。

Though　there　is　no　proof　that　ancestor…worship　in　general　prevailed　at　any　time　in　Babylonia；　it　would　seem　that　the　worship　of　heroes　and　prominent　men　was　common；　at　least　in　early　times。　The　tenth　chapter　of　Genesis　tells　us　of　the　story　of　Nimrod；　who　cannot　be　any　other　than　the　Merodach　of　the　Assyro…Babylonian　inscriptions；　and　other　examples；　occurring　in　semi…mythological　times；　are　/En…we…dur…an…ki/；　the　Greek　Edoreschos；　and　/Gilgame？/；　the　Greek　Gilgamos；　though　Aelian's　story　of　the　latter　does　not　fit　in　with　the　account　as　given　by　the　inscriptions。　In　later　times；　the　divine　prefix　is　found　before　the　names　of　many　a　Babylonian　rulerSargon　of　Agadé；＇*＇　Dungi　of　Ur　（about　2500　B。C。）；　Rim…Sin　or　Eri…Aku　（Arioch　of　Ellasar；　about　2100　B。C。）；　and　others。　It　was　doubtless　a　kind　of　flattery　to　deify　and　pay　these　rulers　divine　honours　during　their　lifetime；　and　on　account　of　this；　it　is　very　probable　that　their　godhood　was　utterly　forgotten；　in　the　case　of　those　who　were　strictly　historical；　after　their　death。　The　deification　of　the　kings　of　Babylonia　and　Assyria　is　probably　due　to　the　fact；　that　they　were　regarded　as　the　representatives　of　God　upon　earth；　and　being　his　chief　priests　as　well　as　his　offspring　（the　personal　names　show　that　it　was　a　common　thing　to　regard　children　as　the　gifts　of　the　gods　whom　their　father　worshipped）；　the　divine　fatherhood　thus　attributed　to　them　naturally　could；　in　the　case　of　those　of　royal　rank；　give　them　a　real　claim　to　divine　birth　and　honours。　An　exception　is　the　deification　of　the　Babylonian　Noah；　Ut…napi？tim；　who；　as　the　legend　of　the　Flood　relates；　was　raised　and　made　one　of　the　gods　by　Aa　or　Ea；　for　his　faithfulness　after　the　great　catastrophe；　when　he　and　his　wife　were　translated　to　the　〃remote　place　at　the　mouth　of　the　rivers。〃　The　hero　Gilgame？；　on　the　other　hand；　was　half　divine　by　birth；　though　it　is　not　exactly　known　through　whom　his　divinity　came。

＇*＇　According　to　Nabonidus's　date　3800　B。C。；　though　many　　　　　Assyriologists　regard　this　as　being　a　millennium　too　early。


　　　　　　　　　　　　The　earliest　form　of　the　Babylonian　religion。

The　state　of　development　to　which　the　religious　system　of　the　Babylonians　had　attained　at　the　earliest　period　to　which　the　inscriptions　refer　naturally　precludes　the　possibility　of　a　trustworthy　history　of　its　origin　and　early　growth。　There　is　no　doubt；　however；　that　it　may　be　regarded　as　having　reached　the　stage　at　which　we　find　it　in　consequence　of　there　being　a　number　of　states　in　ancient　Babylonia　（which　was　at　that　time　like　the　Heptarchy　in　England）　each　possessing　its　own　divinitywho；　in　its　district；　was　regarded　as　supremewith　a　number　of　lesser　gods　forming　his　court。　It　was　the　adding　together　of　all　these　small　pantheons　which　ultimately　made　that　of　Babylonia　as　a　whole　so　exceedingly　extensive。　Thus　the　chief　divinity　of　Babylon；　as　has　already　been　stated；　as　Merodach；　at　Sippar　and　Larsa　the　sun…god　？ama？　was　worshipped；　at　Ur　the　moon…god　Sin　or　Nannar；　at　Erech　and　Dêr　the　god　of　the　heavens；　Anu；　at　Muru；　Ennigi；　and　Kakru；　the　god　of　the　atmosphere；　Hadad　or　Rimmon；　at　êridu；　the　god　of　the　deep；　Aa　or　êa；　at　Niffur＇*＇　the　god　Bel；　at　Cuthah　the　god　of　war；　Nergal；　at　Dailem　the　god　Ura？；　at　Ki？　the　god　of　battle；　Zagaga；　Lugal…Amarda；　the　king　of　Marad；　as　the　city　so　called；　at　Opis　Zakar；　one　of　the　gods　of　dreams；　at　Agadé；　Nineveh；　and　Arbela；　I？tar；　goddess　of　love　and　of　war；　Nina　at　the　city　Nina　in　Babylonia；　etc。　When　the　chief　deities　were　masculine；　they　were　naturally　all　identified　with　each　other；　just　as　the　Greeks　called　the　Babylonian　Merodach　by　the　name　of　Zeus；　and　as　Zer…pan？tum；　the　consort　of　Merodach；　was　identified　with　Juno；　so　the　consorts；　divine　attendants；　and　children　of　each　chief　divinity；　as　far　as　they　possessed　them；　could　also　be　regarded　as　the　same；　though　possibly　distinct　in　their　different　attributes。

＇*＇　Noufar　at　present；　according　to　the　latest　explorers。　Layard　　　　　（1856）　has　Niffer；　Loftus　（1857）　Niffar。　The　native　spelling　is　　　　　Noufer；　due　to　the　French　system　of　phonetics。


　　　　　　　　　　　　How　the　religion　of　the　Babylonians　developed。

The　fact　that　the　rise　of　Merodach　to　the　position　of　king　of　the　gods　was　due　to　the　attainment；　by　the　city　of　Babylon；　of　the　position　of　capital　of　all　Babylonia；　leads　one　to　suspect　that　the　kingly　rank　of　his　father　êa；　at　an　earlier　period；　was　due　to　a　somewhat　similar　cause；　and　if　so；　the　still　earlier　kingship　of　Anu；　the　god　of　the　heavens；　may　be　in　like　manner　explained。　This　leads　to　the　question　whether　the　first　state　to　attain　to　supremacy　was　Dêr；　Anu's　seat；　and　whether　Dêr　was　succeeded　by　êridu；　of　which　city　êa　was　the　patronconcerning　the　importance　of　Babylon；　Merodach's　city；　later　on；　there　is　no　doubt　whatever。　The　rise　of　Anu　and　êa　to　divine　overlordship；　however；　may　not　have　been　due　to　the　political　supremacy　of　the　cities　where　they　were　worshippedit　may　have　come　about　simply　on　account　of　renown　gained　through　religious　enthusiasm　due　to　wonders　said　to　have　been　performed　where　they　were　worshipped；　or　to　the　reported　discovery　of　new　records　concerning　their　temples；　or　to　the　influence　of　some　renowned　high…priest；　like　En…we…dur…an…ki　of　Sippar；　whose　devotion　undoubtedly　brought　great　renown　to　the　city　of　his　dominion。


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Was　Animism　its　original　form？

But　the　question　naturally　arises；　can　we　go　back　beyond　the　indications　of　the　inscriptions？　The　Babylonians　attributed　life；　in　certain　not　very　numerous　cases；　to　such　things　as　trees　and　plants；　and　naturally　to　the　winds；　and　the　heavenly　bodies。　Whether　they　regarded　stones；　rocks；　mountains；　storms；　and　rain　in　the　same　way；　however；　is　doubtful；　but　it　may　be　taken　for　granted；　that　the　sea；　with　all　its　rivers　and　streams；　was　regarded　as　animated　with　the　spirit　of　êa　and　his　children；　whilst　the　great　cities　and　temple…towers　were　pervaded　with　the　spirit　of　the　god　whose　abode　they　were。　Innumerable　good　and　evil　spirits　were　believed　in；　such　as　the　spirit　of　the　mountain；　the　sea；　the　plain；　and　the　grave。　These　spirits　were　of　various　kinds；　and　bore　names　which　do　not　always　reveal　their　real　charactersuch　as　the　/edimmu/；　/utukku/；　/？êdu/；　/a？akku/　（spirit　of　fevers）；　/namtaru/　（spirit　of　fate）；　/al？/　（regarded　as　the　spirit　of　the　south　wind）；　/gallu/；　/rabisu/；　/labartu/；　/labasu/；　/ahhazu/　（the　seizer）；　/lilu/　and　/lilithu/　（male　and　female　spirits　of　the　mist）；　with　their　attendants。

All　this　points　to　animism　as　the　pervading　idea　of　the　worship　of　the　peoples　of　the　Babylonian　states　in　the　prehistoric　periodthe　attribution　of　life　to　every　appearance　of　nature。　The　question　is；　however；　Is　the　evidence　of　the　inscriptions　sufficient　to　make　this　absolutely　certain？　It　is　hard　to　believe　that　such　intelligent　people；　as　the　primitive　Babylonians　naturally　were；　believed　that　such　things　as　stones；　rocks；　mountains；　storms；　and　rain　were；　in　themselves；　and　apart　from　the　divinity　which　they　regarded　as　presiding　over　them；　living　things。　A　stone　might　be　a　/b？t　？li/　or　bethela　〃house　of　god；〃　and　almost　invested　with　the　status　of　a　living　thing；　but　that　does　not　prove　that　the　Babylonians　thought　of　every　stone　as　being　endowed　with　life；　even　in　prehistoric　times。　Whilst；　therefore；　there　are　traces　of　a　belief　similar　to　that　which　an　animistic　creed　might　be　regarded　as　possessing；　it　must　be　admitted　that　these　seemingly　animistic　doctrines　may　have　originated　in　another　way；　and　be　due　to　later　developments。　The　power　of　the　gods　to　create　living　things　naturally　makes　possible　the　belief　that　they　had　also　power　to　endow　with　a　soul；　and　therefore　with　life　and　intelligence；　any　seemingly　inanimate　object。　Such　was　probably　the　nature　of　Babylonian　animism；　if　it　may　be　so　called。　The　legend　of　Tiawthu　（Tiawath）　may　with　great　probability　be　regarded　as　the　remains　of　a　primitive　animism　which　was　the　creed　of　the　original　and　comparatively　uncivilised　Babylonians；　who　saw　in　the　sea　the　producer　and　creator　of　all　the　monstrous　shapes　which　are　found　therein；　but　any　development　of　this　idea　in　other　directions　was　probably　cut　short　by　the　priests；　who　must　have　realised；　under　the　influence　of　the　doctrine　of　the　divine　rise　to　perfection；　that　animism　in　general　was　altogethe