heaven in the interior of the earth), and the third Ea, the god of the 

 atmosphere and of moisture. After these came an inferior group 

 Uru-ki, the moon-god ; Ud, the sun-god ; and Im, the wind-god. The 

 spirits were divided into good and bad, which were constantly at war 

 with each other; and thus was introduced into the religion of the 

 semi-Semitic Chaldeans the dualistic notion of good and evil existing 

 in conflict throughout all time. 



The Northern Semites may be conveniently divided into four 

 distinct nations viz., the Chaldeans (Babylonians and Assyrians), who 

 were partly Semitic and partly Akkadian, the Aramaeans, the Canaanites, 

 and the Phoenicians. These peoples soon became acquainted with 

 the astronomical learning of the Akkadians, and were taught the 

 wonderful phenomenon of the precession of the equinoxes ; and it is 

 highly probable that the fact of the vernal equinoctial sign having 

 changed shortly before B.C. 2000 from that of the Bull to that of the 

 Ram or Lamb had much to do with the changing of the old Semitic 

 name Shamsh to that of El, as a designation of the sun-god, El (^^) 

 being the old Chaldean word for Ram. 



Owing to the mixed character of the Chaldean nation, their religion 

 was a peculiar blending of the Akkadian and Semitic mythologies, El 

 Ilu, or Ilah, being their chief deity ; but, instead of sinking into the 

 lower world each night for peaceful slumber, as the older Shamsh had 

 done, he became the victim of the wicked demons, who tormented him 

 all through the dark hours, until he was avenged by his son Yachavah, 

 who thereby became the conqueror and saviour god, one with his father 

 Ilu, and yet different. To a great extent the religion of the purely 

 Semitic tribes of the north was affected by this Chaldean myth ; but 

 there arose many points of difference between them. The Assyrians 

 worshipped El under the name of Asur, their national deity, the Baby- 

 lonians converting the name into Bel ; while the pure Semites worshipped 

 him as Bel and Baal in the west, and as Al in the south. Out of the 

 .story of El and Yachavah was fabricated the great Adonis myth of the 

 Chaldeans, which became so popular in future times among all the 

 Semites except the Arabs of the south, who retained the original cha- 

 racter of the supreme Shamsh, El or Al (afterwards Allah), and his 

 son Yachavah, afterwards Yahouh. This Adonis drama, as originally 

 conceived, was that El reigned in supreme power and glory in the 

 highest heaven, enjoying the delights of his spouse Istar, but that in the 

 autumn the wicked gods of winter overcame him, separating him from 

 his lover, and tormenting him all through the winter months, until in the 

 spring he conquered the evil demons as Adon, the beautiful youth, who 

 is restored to his mourning Istar. The worship of Adonis, or Adon 

 was generally adopted by all the Northern Semites, the god becoming 



