THE RELIGIOUS IDEAS OF THE BABYLONIANS. 7 



Such is the history of Merodach, the chief god of the 

 Babylonians, who was also greatly honoured by the 

 Assyrians. Yet, strange to say, there are fewer men's 

 names compounded Avith the name of Mardukthan with that 

 of Nebo, and in the introductions to letters from Assyria the 

 name of Nebo precedes that of Marduk. Of course the latter 

 f\ict would not, of itself, be strange, because Assur was the 

 name of the chief god of Assyria ; but that Nebo should be 

 more popular than Marduk in Babylonia requires some sort 

 of explanation. The proportion in favour of Nebo is about 

 lb per cent. These names are ejaculations in praise of the 

 deity similar to those found in Hebrew. " Merodach is lord 

 of the gods," " A'Vith Merodach is life," " Merodach is master 

 of the w^ord," " The dear one of the gods is Merodach," 

 "Merodach is our king," "(My, his, our) trust is Merodach," 

 ''Be gracious to me, Merodach," "Direct me, Mero- 

 dach," " Merodach protects," " Merodach has given a brother " 

 (Marduk-nadin-ahi, one of Nebuchadnezzar's sons), "A judge 

 is Merodach,'^ &c., &c., are some of the names of men in 

 which the god is invoked, and they show fairly well the 

 estimation in which he was held. Precisely similar names, 

 however, are given to Nebo, such as " Nebo is prophet to 

 the gods," " My eyes are with Nebo," " Nebo is lord of the 

 names," " Nebo has given a name," "Nebo, protect the son" 

 (Nabu-apla-usur or Nabopolassar), " Nebo. protect the land- 

 mark " (Nabu-kudurri-usur or Nebuchadnezzar), " Nebo, pro- 

 tect the king" (Nabu-sarra-usur, one of Nabonidus's scribes), 

 " Nebo is a defence before me " (Nabu-diir-pani-ia), &c., &c. 

 Some names, however, go beyond these, and give to Nebo titles 

 properly belonging to Merodach, for not only do we find such 

 names as " Nebo is lord of the gods," " Nebo is prince of the 

 gods," " Nebo is king of his brothers," but we find also " Nebo 

 is king of the gods " ( N"abu-sar-ilani) — a name which ought to 

 belong to Merodach alone. The sungod (Samas, apparently 

 pronounced b}^ the Babylonians Sawas) bears similar titles. 

 •• Samas is lord of the gods," "Samas is master of the word :" 

 Life was not only to be found with Merodach — it could 

 be found also with Nebo and Samas (Itti-Nabu-balatu, Itti- 

 Samas-balatu), and in many other things the deities seem to 

 have had identical powers — they could " create," tliey could 

 " give " and " increase " sons and brothers, they could save, 

 they could "make" one's name, they could "save" and 

 " protect," they could " plant." Ea, Nergal, Ninip, Kuru-gala, 

 Addu or Rammanu (Ha dad or Rimmon), Mur, Sin (the moon- 



