THE RELIGIOUS IDEAS OP THE BABYLONIANS. 19 



the j)reseiice of Merodach, and he was worshipped in the 

 temple of Ann and Rimmon at Assur. 



>->f- i^l^, iVusku, the great messenger of Bel, was a god 

 much thought of. He was one of the judges of the temple 

 of Assur ; his name was invoked when sacrifices were made 

 to Samas, the sungod, and he was one of the gods who were 

 in the presence of Merodach. Among the names containing 

 that of this god are Nusku-sarra-usur, " N., protect the king ;" 

 Zera-esir-Nushu^ " N. directs the seed;" Nusku-harahku, and 

 Nusku-lamanu. There is also a god Nussu, whose name 

 occurs in Atamai -Nussu, " I have seen N.," and who may be 

 the same deity. 



>->]^ >i^ ^TTTT' Pap-sukal, was also a deity who was among 

 those held in esteem. Under eight different aspects he was 

 known by eight chfferent names, besides that given above, 

 which was his special appellation as god of decisions (sa 

 puruse). >->][- t:y|][ was Pap-sukal sa lamasi, " Pap-sukal of 

 colossi." He was worshipped in the temple of Merodach at 

 Assur, in the city of the temple of the lady (of Akkad) 

 (^^yy sryyyy ^>f -J^^y), and in " E-kiturkani, the temple of the 

 lady of heaven, which is beside the brook of the New Town, 

 which is within Babylon." Among the names compounded 

 with his are IdcUn-Pap-suhal, " P. has given," and Nur- 

 Papsukal, " Light of Pap-sukal." 



Another of the minor deities held in esteem was Zaraku 

 or Zariku, probably meaning^" the scatterer." He was one 

 of the gods of the temple E-sagila and Babylon, and his 

 name was invoked when sacrifices were made before Bel. 

 The priest of Zaraku or Zariku is often mentioned in the 

 Babylonian contract-tablets. Names compounded with his 

 are Zariku-zera-ibnt, "Z. has created seed;" Zariku-mm- 

 iskun, "Z. has made the name ;" and Zariku-remanni, " Zariku, 

 be gracious to me." 



There is a mysterious deity >->y- ilil;y4[^ ^ J^ Iltammes 

 (sometimes written with one m), of whom the inscriptions 

 say nothing. Names containing this are Iltammes-nataim, '•!. 

 has given;" Iltammes-ilda and Iltammes-lda, of doubtful 

 meaning; Ilfames-dmi, " L, give judgment ;" Ahu-lltammes, 

 " (My) father is I. ;" Jltanmies-nuri, " I. (is my) light." This 

 is seemingly not a native god — probably west Semitic. Of 

 another deity. Uteri, found in the name Ilferi-hanana, the 

 same may be said, for it is certainly not Babylonian, and 



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