the religion of babylonia and assyria-第18章
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
u；〃 was asked to wash him in pure and bright water twice seven times； and then would the evil lier… in…wait depart； and stand aside； and a propitious /？êdu/ and a propitious /labartu/ reside in his body。 The gates right and left having been thus； so to say； shut close； the evil gods； demons； and spirits would be unable to approach him； wherever he might be。 〃Spirit of heaven； exorcise； spirit of earth； exorcise。〃 Then； after an invocation of êrê？…ki…gal and I？um； the final paragraph was pronounced：
〃The afflicted man； by an offering of grace In health like shining bronze shall be made bright。 As for that man； ？ama？ shall give him life。 Merodach； first…born son of the Abyss； It is thine to purify and glorify。 Spirit of heaven； mayest thou exorcise； spirit of earth； mayest thou exorcise。〃
Rites and ceremonies。
As may be expected； the Babylonians and Assyrians had numerous rites and ceremonies； the due carrying out of which was necessary for the attainment of the grace demanded； or for the efficacy of the thanks tendered for favours received。
Perhaps the oldest ceremony recorded is that which Ut…napi？tim； the Chald？an Noah； made on the /zikkurat/ or peak of the mountain after the coming forth from the ship which had saved him and his from the Flood。 The Patriarch's description of this ceremony is short：
〃I sent forth to the four winds； I poured out a libation I made an offering on the peak of the mountain： Seven and seven I set incense…vases there； Into their depths I poured cane； cedar； and scented wood（？）。 The gods smelled a savour； The gods smelled a sweet savour； The gods gathered like flies over the sacrificer。〃
Following in the footsteps of their great progenitor； the Babylonians and Assyrians became a most pious race； constantly rendering to their gods the glory for everything which they succeeded in bringing to a successful issue。 Prayer； supplication； and self…abasement before their gods seem to have been with them a duty and a pleasure：
〃The time for the worship of the gods was my heart's delight； The time of the offering to I？tar was profit and riches；〃
sings Ludlul the sage； and all the people of his land were one with him in that opinion。
It is noteworthy that the offering of the Chald？an Noah consisted of vegetable produce only； and there are many inscriptions referring to similar bloodless sacrifices； and detailing the ritual used in connection therewith。 Sacrifices of animals； however； seem to have been constantly madein any case； offerings of cattle and fowl； in list…form； are fairly numerous。 Many a cylinder…seal has a representation of the owner bringing a young animala kid or a lamb as an offering to the deity whom he worshipped； and in the inscriptions the sacrifice of animals is frequently referred to。 One of the bilingual texts refers to the offering of a kid or some other young animal； apparently on behalf of a sick man。 The text of this； where complete； runs as follows：
〃The fatling which is the 'head…raiser' of mankind He has given the fatling for his life。 He has given the head of the fatling for his head； He has given the neck of the fatling for his neck； He has given the breast of the fatling for his breast。〃
Whether human sacrifices were common or not is a doubtful point。 Many cylinder…seals exist in which the slaying of a man is depicted； and the French Assyriologist Menant was of opinion that they represented a human offering to the gods。 Hayes Ward； however； is inclined to doubt this explanation； and more evidence would seem； therefore； to be needed。 He is inclined to think that； in the majority of cases； the designs referred to show merely the victims of divine anger or vengeance； punished by the deity for some misdeed or sin； either knowingly or unknowingly committed。
In the Assyrian galleries of the British Museum； A？？ur…nasir…apli； king of Assyria； is several times shown engaged in religious ceremonieseither worshipping before the sacred tree； or about to pour out； apparently； a libation to the gods before departing upon some expedition； and priests bringing offerings； either animal or vegetable； are also represented。 A？？ur…ban？…apli； who is identified with 〃the great and noble Asnapper；〃 is shown； in bas…reliefs of the Assyrian Saloon； pouring out a thank…offering over the lions which he has killed； after his return from the hunt。
CHAPTER VI
PROBLEMS WHICH THE STUDY OFFERS
Monotheism。
As the matter of Babylonian monotheism has been publicly touched upon by Fried。 Delitzsch in his 〃Babel und Bibel〃 lectures； a few words upon that important point will be regarded in all probability as appropriate。 It has already been indicated that the giving of the names of 〃the gods his fathers〃 to Merodach practically identified them with him； thus leading to a tendency to monotheism。 That tendency is； perhaps； hinted at in a letter of A？？ur…ban？…apli to the Babylonians； in which he frequently mentions the Deity； but in doing so； uses either the word /？lu/； 〃God；〃 Merodach； the god of Babylon； or Bêl； which may be regarded as one of his names。 The most important document for this monotheistic tendency； however （confirming as it does the tablet of the fifty…one names）； is that in which at least thirteen of the Babylonian deities are identified with Merodach； and that in such a way as to make them merely forms in which he manifested himself to men。 The text of this inscription is as follows：
〃。 。 。 is Merodach of planting。 Lugal…aki…。 。 。 is Merodach of the water…course。 Nirig is Merodach of strength。 Nergal is Merodach of war。 Zagaga is Merodach of battle。 Bêl is Merodach of lordship and domination。 Nebo is Merodach of trading（？）。 Sin is Merodach the illuminator of the night。 ？ama？ is Merodach of righteous things。 Addu is Merodach of rain。 Ti？pak is Merodach of frost（？）。 Sig is Merodach of green things（？）。 ？uqamunu is Merodach of the irrigation…channel。〃
Here the text breaks off； but must have contained several more similar identifications； showing how at least the more thoughtful of the Babylonians of old looked upon the host of gods whom they worshipped。 What may be the date of this document is uncertain； but as the colophon seems to describe it as a copy of an older inscription； it may go back as far as 2000 years B。C。 This is the period at which the name /Yaum…？lu/ 〃Jah is God；〃 is found； together with numerous references to /？lu/ as the name for the one great god； and is also； roughly； the date of Abraham； who； it may be noted； was a Babylonian of Ur of the Chaldees。 It will probably not be thought too venturesome to say that his monotheism was possibly the result of the religious trend of thought in his time。
Dualism。
Damascius； in his valuable account of the belief of the Babylonians concerning the Creation； states that； like the other barbarians； they reject the doctrine of the one origin of the universe； and constitute two； Tauthé （Tiawath） and Apason （Apsu）。 This twofold principle； however； is only applicable to the system in that it makes of the sea and the deep （for such are the meanings of the two words） two personagesthe female and the male personifications of prim？val matter； from which all creation sprang； and which gave birth to the gods of heaven themselves。 As far as the physical constituents of these two principals are concerned； their tenets might be described as having 〃materialistic monism〃 as their basis； but inasmuch as they believed that each of these two principals had a mind； the description 〃idealistic monism〃 cannot be applied to itit is distinctly a dualism。
And Monism。
Divested of its idealistic side； however； there would seem to be no escape from regarding the Babylonian idea of the origin of things as monistic。＇*＇ This idea has its reflection； though not its reproduction； in the first chapter of Genesis； in which； verses 2； 6；
