BABYLONIAN LITERATURE. 41 



founder of a religion and benefactor of man- 

 kind, is 'A<rxX7j7noV (^Esculapius), 1 or rather 

 'Ao-xXrjTna^s-. The part which is assigned 

 to Asclepius in the apocryphal Hermesian 

 legends is well known. Ibn-Abi-Oceibia 2 takes 

 a singular mythology of ^Esculapius from a 

 Syriac work; in another place 3 he connects 

 him expressly with Babylon. It is strange 

 that Dr. Chwolson attaches any importance 

 to such chimeras. He even supposes that 

 his Askolabita 4 must be considered as the 

 prototype of the Asklepios of the Greeks. 

 In the same ephemeral spirit he asks in 

 another place 5 whether Asklepios and Hermes 

 were not, in reality, ancient sages deified 

 after their death. 6 



1 The termination V**J causes very diverse readings. I think 

 that here is to be seen a schin, remains of the final os. M. Quatre- 

 mere reads it Kalousha. 



2 "Journal Asiatique," August-Sept. 185i, p. 181. 



3 Ibid. p. 185. 4 Page 19. Page 96. 



6 Ibn Wahshiya is often quoted as having translated the Book 

 on Agriculture of Democrates or Democrites, surnamed ^. \\ 



(Herbelot, Bibl. Orient-ale, at the word Democrat in ; NYVnneh, De 

 Auct. Gr&c. vcrs. p. 92, 93; Larsow, De Dialect Syr. retiyuii*, 

 p. 12, note). But the conclusions which are attempted to be drawn 

 from thus fall to the ground, since the ascribing to Ibu Wahshiya 



