Folk Lore | Page 4

Gods, Creator. Lord of the city
of Nipur.

3. Hea, Maker of fate, Lord of the deep, God of wisdom and knowledge.
Lord of the city of Eridu.
4. Sin, Lord of crowns, Maker of brightness. Lord of the city Urr.
5. Merodash, Just Prince of the Gods, Lord of birth. Lord of the city
Babylon.
6. Vul, the strong God, Lord of canals and atmosphere. Lord of the city
Mura.
7. Shama, Judge of heaven and earth, Director of all. Lord of the cities
of Larsa and Sippara.
8. Ninip, Warrior of the warriors of the Gods, Destroyer of wicked.
Lord of the city Nipur.
9. Nergal, Giant King of war. Lord of the city Cutha.
10. Nusku, Holder of the Golden Sceptre, the lofty God.
11. Belat, Wife of Bel, Mother of the great Gods. Lady of the city
Nipur.
12. Ishtar, Eldest of Heaven and Earth, Raising the face of warriors.
"Below these deities there were a large body of gods, forming the bulk
of the Pantheon; and below these were arranged the Igege or angels of
heaven; and the anunaki or angels of earth; below these again came
curious classes of spirits or genii, some were evil and some good."
The gods of the Greeks were numbered by thousands, and this at a time
when--according to classical scholars--the arts and sciences were at
their highest point of development in that nation. Their religion was of
the grossest nature. Whatever conception they may have had of a first
cause--a most high Creator of heaven and earth--it is evident they did
not believe he took anything to do directly with man or the phenomena
of nature; but that these were under the immediate control of
deputy-deities or of a conclave of divinities, who possessed both divine
and human attributes--having human appetites, passions, and affections.
Some of these were local deities, others provincial, others national, and
others again phenomenal: every human emotion, passion and affection,
every social circumstance, public or private, was under the control or
guardianship of one or more of these divinities, who claimed from men
suitable honour and worship, the omission of which honour and
worship was considered to be not only offensive to the divinities, but as
likely to be followed by punishment. The vengeance of the deities was
thought to be avertable by the performance of certain propitiatory deeds,

or by offering certain sacrifices. The kind of sacrifice required had
relation to the particular department over which the divinity was
supposed to be guardian; and these deeds and sacrifices were in many
cases most gross and offensive to morality. The phenomena of nature,
being under the direction of one or more divinities, every aspect of
nature was regarded as an expression of anger or pleasure on the part of
the divinities. Thunder, lightning, eclipses, comets, drought, floods,
storms--anything strange or terrible, the cause of which was not
understood, was ascribed to the wrath of some divinity; and men
hastened to propitiate, as best they might, the divinities who were
supposed to be scourging or threatening them. These deputy-gods were
supposed to occupy the space between the earth and moon, and, being
almost numberless and invisible, their worshippers held them in the
same dread as if they possessed the attribute of omniscience.
For the purpose of guiding men in their relations towards these gods,
there existed a large body of men whose office it was to understand the
divinities, their natures and attributes, and direct men in their religious
duties. This body of men acted as mediums between the gods and the
people, and not only were they held in high esteem as priests, but
frequently they attained great power in the State. Often this priestly
incorporation had greater influence and control than the civil power;
nor is this to be wondered at, when we remember that they were
supposed to be in direct communication with the holy gods, in whose
hands were the destinies of men.
The sun, the giver and vivifier of all life, was the primary god of
antiquity, being worshipped by Assyrians, Chaldeans, Phoenicians, and
Hebrews under the name of Baal or Bell, and by other nations under
other names. The priests of Baal always held a high position in the
State. As the sun was his image or symbol in heaven, so fire was his
symbol on earth, and hence all offerings made to Baal were burned or
made to pass through the fire, or were presented before the sun.
Wherever, in the worship of any nation, we find the fire element, we
may at once suspect that there we have a survival of ancient
sun-worship.
The moon was regarded as a female deity, consort of the sun or Baal,
and was worshipped by the Jews under the name of Ashtoreth, or