I THF,0. 0. riXC'TTKP, ESQ., ON 



changed, by tlie development of the Avritiug, into >^, and 

 ultimately into ^>{-. In consequence of this, the sign for 



constellation, ^^, the late form of which is ^^][>->f- (3 stars), 



was generally used for star, as Avell as for constellation. 

 This astral origin of the Babylonian pantheon is probably 

 due to the Akkadian influence. 



The chief deity of the Babylonian pantheon Avas IMero- 

 (lach, whose name is generally written >->f- <|^-^y, A)nar- 

 tuluk, abbreviated, in late times, when used as the name of a 

 man, to f X^]*- tm?^? Marduk, and. often found, in this case, 

 with the termination u or a (Marduka = Mordechai). The 

 translation generally given to the name Amar-uduk is "the 

 brightness of day," iiduk being an old Akkadian word mean- 

 ing " day." Merodach had also a large number of other 

 names, such as >">f- '^I:y<y>-y ^i^ -<4' Silig-lu-dugu, "the 

 prince of the good;" >->f- »-J:y<|,^y "-^^i]^ Asarit (or Asari). 

 identified, by Prof. Hommel with the Osiris of the Egyptians. 

 He bore these names as the son of Ea or Ac, king of the 

 underworld, and this shows that he was not the father or 

 the oldest of the gods, and a short account of how he 

 obtained his dominion over them may not, therefore, be 

 uninteresting, enabling me, as it does, to give a fairly 

 complete outline of the Semitic Babylonian legend of the 

 creation. 



The Semitic account of the creation is a long story, and 

 covers many rather large tablets, the orighial number of 

 which is supposed to have been seven. This legend begins 

 by describing the time when the heavens proclaimed not 

 and the earth recorded not a name, everj-tliing existing 

 having been produced by Mummu Tiamat (or Tiawat) 

 (Moumis Tauthe), the dragon of chaos. All was at that 

 period naturally without order or comjileteness, and Avas 

 followed by a time in Avhich the creation of the gods (Lahmu 

 and Lahamu,* Ansar and Kisar, "the host of heaven," and 

 "the host of earth") took place. Father Anu ("the 

 heavens") is also mentioned. 



In the break which follows (the text being very imperfect 

 in parts) there was probably described the creation of further 

 deities, as well as the introduction to, and account of the 

 origiu of, the fight between Merodach and Kirbis-Tiamat (or 



* See page 4. 



