Those are the "ilani rabuti," the great gods; but there is a large number of gods of less promi nent position: The seven spirits of heaven (the Igigi), and the seven spirits of earth (Anunnaki); Duzu (Tammuz.), the god of the sun in spring time, whose place is at the door of heaven ; Nam tor, the god of pestilence ; and all the other gods whose names are preserved to us.
(4) Temples—Priests—Offerings—Feasts. A town of any importance possessed a number of temples, and among these one ziggurat or "tower temple." The ziggurat consists of several ter races, made of bricks, on the top of which a small chapel was erected, open in front, with an altar before it. The chapel contained the image of the god; sometimes the walls of the terraces were made of enameled bricks in different colors (black, white, purple, blue, red, silver and gold). The top was reached by steps or by a sloping way.. On the lower floors were rooms dedicated to various other gods. So in Esagila, the famous tower-temple of Babylon, were smaller temples for Maruduk's wife, Nabu, Ea, Ann and Bel.
The temples contained imitations of the sup posed real dwellings of the gods (house of the great mountain of earth, house of the fundament of heaven and earth, house of heaven, etc.).
The great ocean that surrounds the world was represented in a temple of Lagash by a basin; the "chamber of destiny" was imitated in Esagila.
Of course, the oldest temples were of a mod est construction, but the kings were always en gaged in repairing and embellishing the houses of their gods; and in the times of Nebukadrezar the Great, the chief temple of Babylon was a complex of temples, surrounded by a huge wall, with large court yards and a great zig gurat of seven stories.
The priests were persons of great influence, not only by their position in the temples, but also by their knowledge. People wanted them for the writing of contracts, for medicaments, exor cisms, and forecasts. In many instances we find women as priests, even royal princesses. Their revenues consisted in parts of the offerings and in the profits from the possessions of the temple. The kings endowed the temples with fields, slaves, necessaries of the service (oil, incense, meal, and animals), and in many instances priests lent sil ver or corn ; especially in the older times they a r. usually the bankers.
All sorts of perfect animals could be offered to the gods ; the kings offer at special occasions, and often a temple receives from them the neces sarics for a daily offering. The gods were sup posed to eat and drink the essences of the things offered to them, and therefore at least twice daily they were supplied with a meal. Every under taking, a campaign, hunting party, building of a house, etc., was opened by an offering, and, when finished, thank-offerings were given. Human sac rifices were not usual, though not unknown, but of the offering of children there is not any ex ample or trace. In the cult of Ishtar the sacred prostitution was of importance. The priests in troduced the offerer to the god, leading him by the hand, and after introducing him, the gifts were poured out or burned on the altar.
Every day was dedicated to some particular god, at least in later times, as is stated in long lists (hemerologies). The seventh, fourteenth, twenty-first, twenty-eighth, and also the nine teenth of a month were "Sabbaths," days of rest for the king, but not for the whole people.
Our knowledge of the feasts is still very lim ited. Best known is the feast "Zagmuku," the feast of the New-year, which began in the Spring. In Babylon it was celebrated with great splendor. Conformably to human custom, the gods went to visit Maruduk, Lord of Lords, in his "chamber of destiny." From the near Borsippa Nabu came on his holy ship. and Maruduk himself went to receive him. The gods of other places were also brought to Babylon, and whilst they were bowing to him Maruduk determined the events of the coining year.
Another feast was celebrated in honor of Duzu or Tammuz, the young Sun-god, that was killed and had gone to Hades. The women planted lit tle gardens, which soon were burned by the heat of the summer-sun, as a symbol of the death of the god of fertility, and they recited mourning songs.
Every god had his annual feast, but about the particulars of them we still know very little.