the religion of babylonia and assyria-第11章

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　or　Sin；　the　moon。　In　accordance　with　the　same　idea；　the　day；　with　the　Semites；　began　with　the　evening；　the　time　when　the　moon　became　visible；　and　thus　becomes　the　offspring　of　the　night。　In　the　inscriptions　？ama？　is　described　as　〃the　light　of　things　above　and　things　below；　the　illuminator　of　the　regions；〃　〃the　supreme　judge　of　heaven　and　earth；〃　〃the　lord　of　living　creatures；　the　gracious　one　of　the　lands。〃　Dawning　in　the　foundation　of　the　sky；　he　opened　the　locks　and　threw　wide　the　gates　of　the　high　heavens；　and　raised　his　head；　covering　heaven　and　earth　with　his　splendour。　He　was　the　constantly　righteous　in　heaven；　the　truth　within　the　ears　of　the　lands；　the　god　knowing　justice　and　injustice；　righteousness　he　supported　upon　his　shoulders；　unrighteousness　he　burst　asunder　like　a　leather　bond；　etc。　It　will　thus　be　seen；　that　the　sun…god　was　the　great　god　of　judgment　and　justiceindeed；　he　is　constantly　alluded　to　as　〃the　judge；〃　the　reason　in　all　probability　being；　that　as　the　sun　shines　upon　the　earth　all　day　long；　and　his　light　penetrates　everywhere；　he　was　regarded　as　the　god　who　knew　and　investigated　everything；　and　was　therefore　best　in　a　position　to　judge　aright；　and　deliver　a　just　decision。　It　is　for　this　reason　that　his　image　appears　at　the　head　of　the　stele　inscribed　with　Hammurabi's　laws；　and　legal　ceremonies　were　performed　within　the　precincts　of　his　temples。　The　chief　seats　of　his　worship　were　the　great　temples　called　ê…babbara；　〃the　house　of　great　light；〃　in　the　cities　of　Larsa　and　Sippar。

The　consort　of　？ama？　was　Aa；　whose　chief　seat　was　at　Sippar；　side　by　side　with　？ama？。　Though　only　a　weak　reflex　of　the　sun…god；　her　worship　was　exceedingly　ancient；　being　mentioned　in　an　inscription　of　Man…i？tusu；　who　is　regarded　as　having　reigned　before　Sargon　of　Agadé。　From　the　fact　that；　in　one　of　the　lists；　she　has　names　formed　by　reduplicating　the　name　of　the　sun…god；　/Utu/；　she　would　seem　once　to　have　been　identical　with　him；　in　which　case　it　may　be　supposed　that　she　personified　the　setting　sun〃the　double　sun〃　from　the　magnified　disc　which　he　presents　at　sunset；　when；　according　to　a　hymn　to　the　setting　sun　sung　at　the　temple　at　Borsippa；　Aa；　in　the　Sumerian　line　Kur…nirda；　was　accustomed　to　go　to　receive　him。　According　to　the　list　referred　to　above；　Aa；　with　the　name　of　Burida　in　Sumerian；　was　more　especially　the　consort　of　？a…zu；　〃him　who　knows　the　heart；〃　one　of　the　names　of　Merodach；　who　was　probably　the　morning　sun；　and　therefore　the　exact　counterpart　of　the　sun　at　evening。

Besides　？ama？　and　Utu；　the　latter　his　ordinary　Sumerian　name；　the　sun…　god　had　several　other　non…Semitic　names；　including　/Gi？nu/；＇*＇　〃the　light；〃　/Ma…banda…anna/；　〃the　bark　of　heaven；〃　/U…ê/；　〃the　rising　sun；〃　/Mitra/；　apparently　the　Persian　Mithra；　/Ume…？ima？/　and　Nahunda；　Elamite　names；　and　Sahi；　the　Kassite　name　of　the　sun。　He　also　sometimes　bears　the　names　of　his　attendants　Kittu　and　Mê？aru；　〃Truth〃　and　〃Righteousness；〃　who　guided　him　upon　his　path　as　judge　of　the　earth。

＇*＇　It　is　the　group　expressing　this　word　which　is　used　for　？ama？　in　　　　　the　name　of　？ama？…？um…uk？n　（Saosduchinos）；　the　brother　of　A？？ur…　　　　　bani…apli　（Assurbanipal）。　The　Greek　equivalent　implies　the　　　　　pronunciation　/？awa？/；　as　well　as　/？ama？/。


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Tammuz　and　I？tar。

The　date　of　the　rise　of　the　myth　of　Tammuz　is　uncertain；　but　as　the　name　of　this　god　is　found　on　tablets　of　the　time　of　Lugal…anda　and　Uru…ka…gina　（about　3500　B。C。）；　it　can　hardly　be　of　later　date　than　4000　B。C。；　and　may　be　much　earlier。　As　he　is　repeatedly　called　〃the　shepherd；〃　and　had　a　domain　where　he　pastured　his　flock；　Professor　Sayce　sees　in　Tammuz　〃Daonus　or　Daos；　the　shepherd　of　Pantibibla；〃　who；　according　to　Berosus；　ruled　in　Babylonia　for　10　/sari/；　or　36；000　years；　and　was　the　sixth　king　of　the　mythical　period。　According　to　the　classic　story；　the　mother　of　Tammuz　had　unnatural　intercourse　with　her　own　father；　being　urged　thereto　by　Aphrodite　whom　she　had　offended；　and　who　had　decided　thus　to　avenge　herself。　Being　pursued　by　her　father；　who　wished　to　kill　her　for　this　crime；　she　prayed　to　the　gods；　and　was　turned　into　a　tree；　from　whose　trunk　Adonis　was　afterwards　born。　Aphrodite　was　so　charmed　with　the　infant　that；　placing　him　in　a　chest；　she　gave　him　into　the　care　of　Persephone；　who；　however；　when　she　discovered　what　a　treasure　she　had　in　her　keeping；　refused　to　part　with　him　again。　Zeus　was　appealed　to；　and　decided　that　for　four　months　in　the　year　Adonis　should　be　left　to　himself；　four　should　be　spent　with　Aphrodite；　and　four　with　Persephone；　and　six　with　Aphrodite　on　earth。　He　was　afterwards　slain；　whilst　hunting；　by　a　wild　boar。

Nothing　has　come　down　to　us　as　yet　concerning　this　legend　except　the　incident　of　his　dwelling　in　Hades；　whither　I？tar；　the　Babylonian　Venus；　went　in　search　of　him。　It　is　not　by　any　means　unlikely；　however；　that　the　whole　story　existed　in　Babylonia；　and　thence　spread　to　Ph？nicia；　and　afterwards　to　Greece。　In　Ph？nicia　it　was　adapted　to　the　physical　conditions　of　the　country；　and　the　place　of　Tammuz's　encounter　with　the　boar　was　said　to　be　the　mountains　of　Lebanon；　whilst　the　river　named　after　him；　Adonis　（now　the　Nahr　Ibrahim）；　which　ran　red　with　the　earth　washed　down　by　the　autumn　rains；　was　said　to　be　so　coloured　in　consequence　of　being　mingled　with　his　blood。　The　descent　of　Tammuz　to　the　underworld；　typified　by　the　flowing　down　of　the　earth…laden　waters　of　the　rivers　to　the　sea；　was　not　only　celebrated　by　the　Ph？nicians；　but　also　by　the　Babylonians；　who　had　at　least　two　series　of　lamentations　which　were　used　on　this　occasion；　and　were　probably　the　originals　of　those　chanted　by　the　Hebrew　women　in　the　time　of　Ezekiel　（about　597　B。C。）。　Whilst　on　earth；　he　was　the　one　who　nourished　the　ewe　and　her　lamb；　the　goat　and　her　kid；　and　also　caused　them　to　be　slainprobably　in　sacrifice。　〃He　has　gone；　he　has　gone　to　the　bosom　of　the　earth；〃　the　mourners　cried；　〃he　will　make　plenty　to　overflow　for　the　land　of　the　dead；　for　its　lamentations　for　the　day　of　his　fall；　in　the　unpropitious　month　of　his　year。〃　There　was　also　lamentation　for　the　cessation　of　the　growth　of　vegetation；　and　one　of　these　hymns；　after　addressing　him　as　the　shepherd　and　husband　of　I？tar；　〃lord　of　the　underworld；〃　and　〃lord　of　the　shepherd's　seat；〃　goes　on　to　liken　him　to　a　germ　which　has　not　absorbed　water　in　the　furrow；　whose　bud　has　not　blossomed　in　the　meadow；　to　the　sapling　which　has　not　been　planted　by　the　watercourse；　and　to　the　sapling　whose　root　has　been　removed。　In　the　〃Lamentations〃　in　the　Manchester　Museum；　I？tar；　or　one　of　her　devotees；　seems　to　call　for　Tammuz；　saying；　〃Return；　my　husband；〃　as　she　makes　her　way　to　the　region　of　gloom　in　quest　of　him。　Ere？…ê…gala；　〃the　lady　of　the　great　house〃　（Persephone）；　is　also　referred　to；　and　the　text　seems　to　imply　that　I？tar　entered　her　domain　in　spite　of　her。　In　this　text　other　names　are　given　to　him；　namely；　/Tumu…giba/；　〃son　of　the　flute；〃　/Ama…elaggi/；　and　/？i…umunnagi/；　〃life　of　the　people。〃

The　reference　to　sheep　and　goats　in　the　British　Museum　fragment　recalls　the　fact　that　in　an　incantation　for　purification　the　person　using　it　is　told　to　get　the　milk　of　a　yellow　goat　which　has　been　brought　forth　in　the　sheep…fold　of　Tammuz；　recalling　the　flocks　of　the　Greek　sun…god　Helios。　These　were　the　clouds　illuminated　by　the　sun；　which　were　likened　to　sheepindeed；　one　of　the　early　Sumerian　expressions　for　〃fleece〃　was　〃sheep　of　the　sky。〃　The　name　of　Tammuz　in　Sumerian　is　Dumu…zi；　or　in　its　rare　fullest　form；　Dumu…zida；　meaning　〃true〃　or　〃faithful　son。〃　There　is　probably　some　legend　attached　to　this　which　is　at　present　unknown。

In　all　probability　I？tar；　the　spouse　of　Tammuz；　is　best　known　from　her　descent　into　Hades　in　quest　of　him　when　with　Persephone　（Ere？…ki…gal）　in　the　underworld。　In　this　she　had　to　pass　through　seven　gates；　and　an　article　of　clothing　was　taken　from　her　at　each；　until　she　arrived　in　the　underworld　quite　naked；　typifying　the　teaching；　that　man　can　take　nothing　away　with　him　when　he　departs　this　life。　During　her　absence；　things　naturally　began　to　go　wrong　upon　the　earth；　and　the　gods　were　obliged　to　intervene；　and　demand　her　release；　which　was　ultimately　granted；　and　at　each　gate；　as　she　returned；　the　ado