the religion of babylonia and assyria-第8节

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ga　（Merodach）；　In…ab　（or　Ine？）；　the　pilot　of　êridu　（êa's　city）；　and　Nin…igi…nagar…sir；　〃the　great　architect　of　heaven〃：

　　〃May　the　ship　before　thee　bring　fertility；　　　May　the　ship　after　thee　bring　joy；　　　In　thy　heart　may　it　make　joy　of　heart　。　。　。　。〃

êa　was　the　god　of　fertility；　hence　this　ending　to　the　poetical　description　of　the　ship　of　êa。


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Bel。

The　deity　who　is　mentioned　next　in　order　in　the　list　given　above　is　the　〃older　Bel；〃　so　called　to　distinguish　him　from　Bel…Merodach。　His　principal　names　were　/Mullil/　（dialectic）　or　/En…lilla/＇*＇　（standard　speech）；　the　/Illinos/　of　Damascius。　His　name　is　generally　translated　〃lord　of　mist；〃　so…called　as　god　of　the　underworld；　his　consort　being　/Ga？an…lil/　or　/Nan…lilla/；　〃the　lady　of　the　mist；〃　in　Semitic　Babylonian　/Bêltu/；　〃the　Lady；〃　par　excellence。　Bel；　whose　name　means　〃the　lord；〃　was　so　called　because　he　was　regarded　as　chief　of　the　gods。　As　there　was　considerable　confusion　in　consequence　of　the　title　Bel　having　been　given　to　Merodach；　Tiglath…pileser　I。　（about　1200　B。C。）　refers　to　him　as　the　〃older　Bel〃　in　describing　the　temple　which　he　built　for　him　at　A？？ur。　Numerous　names　of　men　compounded　with　his　occur　until　the　latest　times；　implying　that；　though　the　favourite　god　was　Merodach；　the　worship　of　Bel　was　not　forgotten；　even　at　Babylon　that　he　should　have　been　adored　at　his　own　city；　Niffur；　and　at　Dur…　Kuri…galzu；　where　Kuri…galzu　I。　built　a　temple　for　〃Bel；　the　lord　of　the　lands；〃　was　naturally　to　be　expected。　Being；　like　êa；　a　god　of　the　earth；　he　is　regarded　as　having　formed　a　trinity　with　Anu；　the　god　of　heaven；　and　êa；　the　god　of　the　deep；　and　prayer　to　these　three　was　as　good　as　invoking　all　the　gods　of　the　universe。　Classification　of　the　gods　according　to　the　domain　of　their　power　would　naturally　take　place　in　a　religious　system　in　which　they　were　all　identified　with　each　other；　and　this　classification　indicates；　as　Jastrow　says；　a　deep　knowledge　of　the　powers　of　nature；　and　a　more　than　average　intelligence　among　the　Babyloniansindeed；　he　holds　it　as　a　proof　that；　at　the　period　of　the　older　empire；　there　were　schools　and　students　who　had　devoted　themselves　to　religious　speculation　upon　this　point。　He　also　conjectures　that　the　third　commandment　of　the　Law　of　Moses　was　directed　against　this　doctrine　held　by　the　Babylonians。

＇*＇　Ordinarily　pronounced　/Illila/；　as　certain　glosses　and　Damascius's　　　　　/Illinos/　（for　/Illilos/）　show。


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Beltis。

This　goddess　was　properly　only　the　spouse　of　the　older　Bel；　but　as　/Bêltu/；　her　Babylonian　name；　simply　meant　〃lady〃　in　general　（just　as　/Bêl/　or　/bêlu/　meant　〃lord〃）；　it　became　a　title　which　could　be　given　to　any　goddess；　and　was　in　fact　borne　by　Zer…pan？tum；　I？tar；　Nanaa；　and　others。　It　was　therefore　often　needful　to　add　the　name　of　the　city　over　which　the　special　/Bêltu/　presided；　in　order　to　make　clear　which　of　them　was　meant。　Besides　being　the　title　of　the　spouse　of　the　older　Bel；　having　her　earthly　seat　with　him　in　Niffur　and　other　less　important　shrines；　the　Assyrians　sometimes　name　Bêltu　the　spouse　of　A？？ur；　their　national　god；　suggesting　an　identification；　in　the　minds　of　the　priests；　with　that　deity。


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　ênu…rê？tu　or　Nirig。＇*＇

Whether　/ênu…rê？tu/　be　a　translation　of　/Nirig/　or　not；　is　uncertain；　but　not　improbable；　the　meaning　being　〃primeval　lord；〃　or　something　similar；　and　〃lord〃　that　of　the　first　element；　/ni/；　in　the　Sumerian　form。　In　support　of　this　reading　and　rendering　may　be　quoted　the　fact；　that　one　of　the　descriptions　of　this　divinity　is　/a？sarid　？lani　ahê…？u/；　〃the　eldest　of　the　gods　his　brothers。〃　It　is　noteworthy　that　this　deity　was　a　special　favourite　among　the　Assyrians；　many　of　whose　kings；　to　say　nothing　of　private　persons；　bore　his　name　as　a　component　part　of　theirs。　In　the　bilingual　poem　entitled　/Ana…kime　gimma/　（〃Formed　like　Anu〃）；　he　is　described　as　being　the　son　of　Bel　（hence　his　appearance　after　Bel　in　the　list　printed　above）；　and　in　the　likeness　of　Anu；　for　which　reason；　perhaps；　his　divinity　is　called　〃Anuship。〃　Beginning　with　words　praising　him；　it　seems　to　refer　to　his　attitude　towards　the　gods　of　hostile　lands；　against　whom；　apparently；　he　rode　in　a　chariot　of　the　sacred　lapis…lazuli。　Anu　having　endowed　him　with　terrible　glory；　the　gods　of　the　earth　feared　to　attack　him；　and　his　onrush　was　as　that　of　a　storm…flood。　By　the　command　of　Bel；　his　course　was　directed　towards　ê…kur；　the　temple　of　Bel　at　Niffur。　Here　he　was　met　by　Nusku；　the　supreme　messenger　of　Bel；　who；　with　words　of　respect　and　of　praise；　asks　him　not　to　disturb　the　god　Bel；　his　father；　in　his　seat；　nor　make　the　gods　of　the　earth　tremble　in　Up？ukennaku　（the　heavenly　festival…hall　of　the　gods）；　and　offers　him　a　gift。＇？＇　It　will　thus　be　seen　that　ênu…rê？tu　was　a　rival　to　the　older　Bel；　whose　temple　was　the　great　tower　in　stages　called　ê…kura；　in　which；　in　all　probability；　ê…？u…me…du；　the　shrine　of　ênu…rê？tu；　was　likewise　situated。　The　inscriptions　call　him　〃god　of　war；〃　though；　unlike　Nergal；　he　was　not　at　the　same　time　god　of　disease　and　pestilence。　To　all　appearance　he　was　the　god　of　the　various　kinds　of　stones；　of　which　another　legend　states　that　he　〃determined　their　fate。〃　He　was　〃the　hero；　whose　net　overthrows　the　enemy；　who　summons　his　army　to　plunder　the　hostile　land；　the　royal　son　who　caused　his　father　to　bow　down　to　him　from　afar。〃　〃The　son　who　sat　not　with　the　nurse；　and　eschewed（？）　the　strength　of　milk；〃　〃the　offspring　who　did　not　know　his　father。〃　〃He　rode　over　the　mountains　and　scattered　seedunanimously　the　plants　proclaimed　his　name　to　their　dominion；　among　them　like　a　great　wild　bull　he　raises　his　horns。〃

＇*＇　/ênu…rê？tu/　is　the　reading　which　I　have　adopted　as　the　Semitic　　　　　Babylonian　equivalent　of　the　name　of　this　divinity；　in　consequence　　　　　of　the　Aramaic　transcription　given　by　certain　contract…tablets　　　　　discovered　by　the　American　expedition　to　Niffer；　and　published　by　　　　　Prof。　Clay　of　Philadelphia。

＇？＇　The　result　of　this　request　is　not　known；　in　consequence　of　the　　　　　defective　state　of　the　tablets。

Many　other　interesting　descriptions　of　the　deity　Nirig　（generally　read　Nin…ip）　occur；　and　show；　with　those　quoted　here；　that　his　story　was　one　of　more　than　ordinary　interest。


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Nusku。

This　deity　was　especially　invoked　by　the　Assyrian　kings；　but　was　in　no　wise　exclusively　Assyrian；　as　is　shown　by　the　fact　that　his　name　occurs　in　many　Babylonian　inscriptions。　He　was　the　great　messenger　of　the　gods；　and　is　variously　given　as　〃the　offspring　of　the　abyss；　the　creation　of　êa；〃　and　〃the　likeness　of　his　father；　the　first…born　of　Bel。〃　As　Gibil；　the　fire…god；　has　likewise　the　same　diverse　parentage；　it　is　regarded　as　likely　that　these　two　gods　were　identical。　Nusku　was　the　god　whose　command　is　supreme；　the　counsellor　of　the　great　gods；　the　protector　of　the　Igigi　（the　gods　of　the　heavens）；　the　great　and　powerful　one；　the　glorious　day；　the　burning　one；　the　founder　of　cities；　the　renewer　of　sanctuaries；　the　provider　of　feasts　for　all　the　Igigi；　without　whom　no　feast　took　place　in　ê…kura。　Like　Nebo；　he　bore　the　glorious　spectre；　and　it　was　said　of　him　that　he　attacked　mightily　in　battle。　Without　him　the　sun…god；　the　judge；　could　not　give　judgment。

All　this　points　to　the　probability；　that　Nusku　may　not　have　been　the　fire…god；　but　the　brother　of　the　fire…god；　i。e。　either　flame；　or　the　light　of　fire。　The　sun…god；　without　light；　could　not　see；　and　therefore　could　not　give　judgment：　no　feast　could　be　prepared　without　fire　and　its　flame。　As　the　evidence　of　the　presence　of　the　shining　orbs　in　the　heavensthe　light　of　their　fireshe　was　the　messenger　of　the　gods；　and　was　honoured　accordingly。　From　this　idea；　too；　he　became　their　messenger　in　general；　especially　of　Bel…Merodach；　the　younger　Bel；　whose　requests　he　carried　to　the　god　êa　in　the　Deep。　In　one　inscription　he　is　identified　with　Nirig　or　ênu…rê？tu；　who　is　described　above。


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Merodach。

Concerning　this　god；　and　how　he　arose　to　the　position　of　king　of　all　the　gods　of　heaven；　has　been　fully　shown　in　chapter　III。　Though　there　is　but　little　in　his　attributes　to　indicate　any　connection　with　？ama？；　there　is　hardly　any　doubt　that　he　was　originally　a　sun…god；　as　is　shown　by　the　etymology　of　his　name。　The　form；　as　it　has　been　handed　down　to　us；　is　somewhat　shortened；　the　original　pronunciation　having　been　/Amar…uduk/；　〃the　young　steer　of　day；〃　a　name　which　suggests　that　he　was　the　morning　sun。　Of　the　four　names　given　at　the　end　of　chapter　III。；　two〃lord　of　Babylon；〃　and　〃lord　god　of　heaven　and　earth；〃may　be　regarded　as　expressing　his　more　well…known　attributes。　/En…ab…？ar…　u/；　however；　is　a　provisional；　though　not　impossible；　reading　and　rendering；　and　if　correct；　the　〃36；000　wild　bulls〃　would　be　a　metaphorical　way　of　speaking　of　〃the　36；000　heroes；〃　probably　meaning　the　gods　of　heaven　in　all　their　grades。　The　signification　of　/En…　bilulu/　is　unknown。　Like　most　of　the　other　gods　of　the　Babylonian　pantheon；　however；　Merodach　had　many　other　names；　among　which　may　be　mentioned　/Asari/；　which　has　been　compared　with　the　Egyptian　Osiris；　/Asari…lu…duga/；　〃/Asari/　who　is　good；〃　compared