the religion of babylonia and assyria-第15节

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ng　along　the　serpentine　body　of　Tiawath；　who　turns　her　head　to　attack　him；　whilst　the　god　threatens　her　with　a　pointed　weapon　which　he　carries。　Another；　published　by　the　same　scholar；　shows　a　deity；　whom　he　regards　as　being　Merodach；　driven　in　a　chariot　drawn　by　a　winged　lion；　upon　whose　shoulders　stands　a　naked　goddess；　holding　thunderbolts　in　each　hand；　whom　he　describes　as　Zer…pan？tum。　Another　cylinder…seal　shows　the　corn…deity；　probably　Nisaba；　seated　in　flounced　robe　and　horned　hat；　with　corn…stalks　springing　out　from　his　shoulders；　and　holding　a　twofold　ear　of　corn　in　his　hand；　whilst　an　attendant　introduces；　and　another　with　a　threefold　ear　of　corn　follows；　a　man　carrying　a　plough；　apparently　as　an　offering。　On　another；　a　beautiful　specimen　from　Assyria；　I？tar　is　shown　standing　on　an　Assyrian　lion；　which　turns　his　head　as　if　to　caress　her　feet。　As　goddess　of　war；　she　is　armed　with　bow　and　arrows；　and　her　star　is　represented　upon　the　crown　of　her　tiara。


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　On　boundary…stones；　etc。

On　the　boundary…stones　of　Babylonia　and　the　royal　monoliths　of　Assyria　the　emblems　of　the　gods　are　nearly　always　seen。　Most　prominent　are　three　horned　tiaras；　emblematic；　probably；　of　Merodach；　Anu；　and　Bêl　（the　older）。　A　column　ending　in　a　ram's　head　is　used　for　êa　or　Ae；　a　crescent　for　Sin　or　Nannar；　the　moon…god；　a　disc　with　rays　for　？ama？；　the　sun…god；　a　thunderbolt　for　Rimmon　or　Hadad；　the　god　of　thunder；　lightning；　wind；　and　storms；　a　lamp　for　Nusku；　etc。　A　bird；　perhaps　a　hawk；　stood　for　Utu…gi？gallu；　a　deity　whose　name　has　been　translated　〃the　southern　sun；〃　and　is　explained　in　the　bilingual　inscriptions　as　？ama？；　the　sun…god；　and　Nirig；　one　of　the　gods　of　war。　The　emblem　of　Gal…alim；　who　is　identified　with　the　older　Bêl；　is　a　snarling　dragon's　head　forming　the　termination　of　a　pole；　and　that　of　Dun…a？aga　is　a　bird's　head　similarly　posed。　On　a　boundary…stone　of　the　time　of　Nebuchadnezzar　I。；　about　1120　B。C。；　one　of　the　signs　of　the　gods　shows　a　horse's　head　in　a　kind　of　shrine；　probably　the　emblem　of　Rimmon's　storm…bird；　Z？；　the　Babylonian　Pegasus。


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Other　divine　figures。

One　of　the　finest　of　all　the　representations　of　divinities　is　that　of　the　〃Sun…god…stone；〃　found　by　Mr。　Hormuzd　Rassam　at　Abu…habbah　（the　ancient　Sippar）；　which　was　one　of　the　chief　seats　of　his　worship。　It　represents　him；　seated　in　his　shrine；　holding　in　his　hand　a　staff　and　a　ring；　his　usual　emblems；　typifying　his　position　as　judge　of　the　world　and　his　endless　course。　The　position　of　Merodach　as　sun…god　is　confirmed　by　the　small　lapis…lazuli　relief　found　by　the　German　expedition　at　the　mound　known　as　Amran　ibn　'Ali；　as　he　also　carries　a　staff　and　a　ring；　and　his　robe　is　covered　with　ornamental　circles；　showing；　in　all　probability；　his　solar　nature。　In　the　same　place　another　small　relief　representing　Rimmon　or　Hadad　was　found。　His　robe　has　discs　emblematical　of　the　five　planets；　and　he　holds　in　each　hand　a　thunderbolt；　one　of　which　he　is　about　to　launch　forth。　Merodach　is　accompanied　by　a　large　two…horned　dragon；　whilst　Hadad　has　a　small　winged　dragon；　typifying　the　swiftness　of　his　course；　and　another　animal；　both　of　which　he　holds　with　cords。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　CHAPTER　V

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　DEMONS：　EXORCISMS　AND　CEREMONIES

Good　and　evil　spirits；　gods　and　demons；　were　fully　believed　in　by　the　Babylonians　and　Assyrians；　and　many　texts　referring　to　them　exist。　Naturally　it　is　not　in　some　cases　easy　to　distinguish　well　between　the　special　functions　of　these　supernatural　appearances　which　they　supposed　to　exist；　but　their　nature　is；　in　most　cases；　easily　ascertained　from　the　inscriptions。

To　all　appearance；　the　Babylonians　imagined　that　spirits　resided　everywhere；　and　lay　in　wait　to　attack　mankind；　and　to　each　class；　apparently；　a　special　province　in　bringing　misfortune；　or　tormenting；　or　causing　pain　and　sickness；　was　assigned。　All　the　spirits；　however；　were　not　evil；　even　those　whose　names　would　suggest　that　their　character　was　suchthere　were　good　〃liers　in　wait；〃　for　instance；　as　well　as　evil　ones；　whose　attitude　towards　mankind　was　beneficent。

The　/utukku/。　This　was　a　spirit　which　was　supposed　to　do　the　will　of　Anu；　the　god　of　the　heavens。　There　was　the　/utukku/　of　the　plain；　the　mountains；　the　sea；　and　the　grave。

The　/al？/。　Regarded　as　the　demon　of　the　storm；　and　possibly；　in　its　origin；　the　same　as　the　divine　bull　sent　by　I？tar　to　attack　Gilgame？；　and　killed　by　Enki…du。　It　spread　itself　over　a　man；　overpowering　him　upon　his　bed；　and　attacking　his　breast。

The　/êdimmu/。　This　is　generally；　but　wrongly；　read　/êkimmu/；　and　translated　〃the　seizer；〃　from　/êkemu/；　〃to　seize。〃　In　reality；　however；　it　was　an　ordinary　spirit；　and　the　word　is　used　for　the　wraiths　of　the　departed。　The　〃evil　/êdimmu/〃　was　apparently　regarded　as　attacking　the　middle　part　of　a　man。

The　/gallu/。　As　this　word　is　borrowed　from　the　Sumerian　/galla/；　which　has　a　dialectic　form；　/mulla/；　it　is　not　improbable　that　it　may　be　connected　with　the　word　/mula/；　meaning　〃star；〃　and　suggesting　something　which　is　visible　by　the　light　it　givespossibly　a　will…o'…　the…wisp；though　others　are　inclined　to　regard　the　word　as　being　connected　with　/gala/；　〃great。〃　In　any　case；　its　meaning　seems　to　have　become　very　similar　to　〃evil　spirit〃　or　〃devil〃　in　general；　and　is　an　epithet　applied　by　the　Assyrian　king　A？？ur…bani…apli　to　Te…umman；　the　Elamite　king　against　whom　he　fought。

The　/？lu　limnu/；　〃evil　god；〃　was　probably　originally　one　of　the　deities　of　Tiawath's　brood；　upon　whom　Merodach's　redemption　had　had　no　effect。

The　/rabisu/　is　regarded　as　a　spirit　which　lay　in　wait　to　pounce　upon　his　prey。

The　/labartu/；　in　Sumerian　/dimme/；　was　a　female　demon。　There　were　seven　evil　spirits　of　this　kind；　who　were　apparently　regarded　as　being　daughters　of　Anu；　the　god　of　the　heavens。

The　/labasu/；　in　Sumerian　/dimmea/；　was　apparently　a　spirit　which　overthrew；　that　being　the　meaning　of　the　root　from　which　the　word　comes。

The　/ahhazu/；　in　Sumerian　/dimme…kur/；　was　apparently　so　called　as　〃the　seizer；〃　that　being　the　meaning　indicated　by　the　root。

The　/lilu/；　in　Sumerian　/lila/；　is　generally　regarded　as　〃the　night…　monster；〃　the　word　being　referred　to　the　Semitic　root　/l？l/　or　/layl/；　whence　the　Hebrew　/layil/；　Arabic　/layl/；　〃night。〃　Its　origin；　however；　is　Sumerian；　from　/lila/；　regarded　as　meaning　〃mist。〃　To　the　word　/lilu/　the　ancient　Babylonians　formed　a　feminine；　/lil？thu/；　which　entered　the　Hebrew　language　under　the　form　of　/lilith/；　which　was；　according　to　the　rabbins；　a　beautiful　woman；　who　lay　in　wait　for　children　by　night。　The　/lilu/　had　a　companion　who　is　called　his　handmaid　or　servant。

The　/namtaru/　was　apparently　the　spirit　of　fate；　and　therefore　of　greater　importance　than　those　already　mentioned。　This　being　was　regarded　as　the　beloved　son　of　Bêl；　and　offspring　of　/Ere？…ki…gal/　or　Persephone；　and　he　had　a　spouse　named　/Hu？…bi…？aga/。　Apparently　he　executed　the　instructions　given　him　concerning　the　fate　of　men；　and　could　also　have　power　over　certain　of　the　gods。

The　/？êdu/　were　apparently　deities　in　the　form　of　bulls。　They　were　destructive；　of　enormous　power；　and　unsparing。　In　a　good　sense　the　/？êdu/　was　a　protecting　deity；　guarding　against　hostile　attacks。　Erech　and　the　temple　ê…kura　were　protected　by　spirits　such　as　these；　and　to　one　of　them　I？um；　〃the　glorious　sacrificer；〃　was　likened。

The　/lamassu/；　from　the　Sumerian　/lama/；　was　similar　in　character　to　the　/？êdu/；　but　is　thought　to　have　been　of　the　nature　of　a　colossusa　winged　man…headed　bull　or　lion。　It　is　these　creatures　which　the　kings　placed　at　the　sides　of　the　doors　of　their　palaces；　to　protect　the　king's　footsteps。　In　early　Babylonian　times　a　god　named　Lama　was　one　of　the　most　popular　deities　of　the　Babylonian　pantheon。


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　A　specimen　incantation。

Numerous　inscriptions；　which　may　be　regarded　as　dating；　in　their　origin；　from　about　the　middle　of　the　third　millennium　before　Christ；　speak　of　these　supernatural　beings；　and　also　of　others　similar。　One　of　the　most　perfect　of　these　inscriptions　is　a　large　bilingual　tablet　of　which　a　duplicate　written　during　the　period　of　the　dynasty　of　Hammurabi　（before　2000　B。C。）　exists；　and　which　was　afterwards　provided　with　a　Semitic　Babylonian　translation。　This　inscription　refers　to　the　evil　god；　the　evil　/utukku/；　the　/utukku/　of　the　plain；　of　the　mountain；　of　the　sea；　and　of　the　grave；　the　evil　/？êdu/；　the　glorious　/al？/；　or　divine　bull；　and　the　evil　unsparing　wind。　There　was　also　that　which　takes　the　form　of　a　man；　the　evil　face；　the　evil　eye；　the　evil　mouth；　the　evil　tongue；　the　evil　lip；　the　evil　breath；　also　the　afflicting　/asakku/　（regarded　as　the　demon　of　fever）；　the　/asakku/　which　does　not　leave　a　man：　the　afflicting　/namtaru/　（fate）；　the　severe　/namtaru/；　the　/namtaru/　which　does　not　quit　a　man。　After　this　are　mentioned　various　diseases；　bodily　pains；　annoyances；　such　as　〃the　old　shoe；　the　broken　shoe…lace；　the　food　which　afflicts　the　body　of　a　man；　the　food　which　turns　in　eating；　the　water　which　chokes　in　drinking；〃　etc。　Other　things　to　be　exorcised　included　the　spirit　of　death；　people　who　had　died　of　hunger；　thirst；　or　in　other　ways；　the　handmaid　of　the　/lilu/　who　had　no　hus