The wrath of a god may be provoked by ritual neglects, but also by moral mistakes. When the offerings are not given or vows remain unfulfilled. the gods arc insulted, but they are also insulted by sins against morality and laws. Changing of the boundary-stones. making use of false weights, stealing or commanding to steal, causing quarrels, speaking right, but doing wrong. killing the neigh bor, teaching improper things, bribing in lawsuit. transgressing the limits of righteousness, eating or drinking out of unclean objects, etc., are pun ished, and may be the cause of a curse. it is remarkable that, except the precepts of worship ing one god and the forbidding of idol-cult, all the ten commandments have their equivalents in Babylonian religious precepts. The condition of woman in Babylonia compared unfavorably with that in Egypt.
Not only do the gods send misfortune, but man also is able to do so. Sonic persons have the "evil eye." others know how to conjure the spirits. Though sorcery is forbidden by the gods, a num ber of witches bring misery by their practices. They make images of a person, and by cursing their figures. by hiding them, by burying them. by throwing them into the water, by burning them or crushing them in the street, they arc sure of damaging the man himself, sooner or later.
In cases of illness and adversity the gods should be satisfied and the spirits expelled. This conld be done by reciting long exorcisms and by symbolical acts. Alaruduk is the great goo, whose assistance purifies the sick. The symbol ical acts consist in the burning of onions, meal, clothes, fruit ; the conjuror asks that the sickness may be buried at the same time. The body of the sick man is wrapped in sacred cords, which are tied with a mysterious tic; the conjuror unties the magical knot and supplicates that the god may untie the baud of sickness.
All uncommon events were believed to have significance. In the first place, dreams, unnsual births, color of the hair, the moth in clothes, the scratching of dogs, and a thousand things more were deemed significant as to the future. Fur thermore, the constellations, the eclipses of situ and moon, the rising of the planets were am ionsly watched, for no doubt was entertained about the influence of these on the crops, the re stilt of wars. etc This belief in forecasts became the occasion of astronomical researches. Stars and gods were brought into relation by the pr est: Each star represented a distinct number. and lw of those they made calculations about fu (mire events So. religious life in Babylonia and
Assyria was not easy. In all circumstances the gods ought to be consulted. The king of Baby lonia was not really invested with his dignity, un less he "seized the hands of Maruduk" at the first Zakmuku-feast of his reign. He therefore went to Esagila and led the image of Maruduk by the hand on his holy procession. No campaign was undertaken without consent of the gods; no house nor temple was built or repaired without numerous offerings; in the observatories on the top of the tower-temples the priests prepared re ports that were sent to the king.
Sins were confessed in penitential hymns of deep religious feeling. Of course, the religious ideas of the scholars and priests gradually became more developed than popular opinions, and some priests really came very near monotheism. In the eighth century B.
C. one of the Assyrian governors tried to make Nabu the god exclusively worshiped, but ended in failure, as the people could not appreciate his feelings. In another case a number of gods are re garded as manifestations of the one llIarnduk; and the lists of gods prove that systems of identification of gods were taught in the schools of the priests. But all this was mere scholarship, and not living religion.
The gods were conceived as human beings, animals, or animals with human faces. Only a part of their being was thought to be united with their images. In the mythological literature much is spoken of them that seems to us disre spectful. The gods became anxious on account of the waters of the deluge ; like frightened dogs they go to the heaven of Ann; like flies they come to the offering of the Babylonian Noah; and Gilganiesh addresses Ishtar very disrespect fully.
The Babylonians believe in a life after death, but not in what we call the resurrection and im mortality of the soul. The deceased was buried and placed in a tomb, where he was provided with fruits, wine,. oil, etc. His shade is sup posed to rest here for a time and then is trans ported to Hades, the kingdom of Nergal and of Allatu, queen of death. In other cases the corpse was hurned and the remains placed in a jar of. clay. Hades is surrounded by seven walls, and by a river. The shades live there in darkness and misery, and no evidence is forthcoming as to any difference between the destinies of good and had. B. D. E.
(See Relig. of Bab. and Assyria, by Morris In Strom Jr. ; The Monuments and the Old Testa ment, Ira M. Price; New Light on Bib. and Holy Land, Evetts.)