“Light of heaven, who like the fire dawnest on the world, art thou! Goddess in the earth, who dawnest like the earth, art thou! To the house of men in thy descending thou goest: prosperity approaches thee. Day is thy servant, heaven thy canopy. Princess of the four cities, head of the sea, heaven is thy canopy. Exalted of the Sun-god, heaven is thy canopy! For my father the Moon-god, revolver of the seasons, sanctuaries I build, a temple I build. For my brother the Sun-god, revolver of the seasons, sanctuaries I build, a temple I build. In the beginning the goddess spoke thus to men: The Lady of Heaven, the divinity of the zenith, am I! The Lady of Heaven, the divinity of the dawn, am I! The Queen of Heaven, the opener of the locks of the high heaven, my begetter. O Istar! Lady of Heaven! may thy heart rest. O Lady, Queen of Heaven! may thy liver be magnified. O Lady, Queen of the land of the four rivers of Erech! may thy heart rest. O Lady, Queen of Babylon! may thy liver be magnified! O Lady, Queen of the Temple of the Resting-place of the World! may thy heart rest.”—A. H. SAYCE. The Babylonians believed in omens. They gathered auguries from dreams, inspection of the hand, the time of birth, and various phenomena, establishing a national system of divination not without its amusing features. For instance, we have the following OMENS CONNECTED WITH DOGS. “If a blue dog enters into a palace, that palace is burned. If a yellow dog enters into the palace, exit from that palace will be baleful. If a spotted dog enters into the palace, that palace its peace to the enemy gives. If a dog to the palace goes and on a bed lies down, that palace none with his hand takes. If a dog to the palace goes and on the royal parasol lies down, that palace its peace to the enemy gives. If a white dog into a temple enters, the foundation of that temple is not stable. If a yellow dog into a temple enters, that temple sees plenty. If a spotted dog into a temple enters, that temple do its gods love.” Many charms and exorcisms appear in the ancient language of Babylonia, disease being attributed to possession by evil spirits. Specimens follow. BABYLONIAN EXORCISMS. “Wasting, want of health, the evil spirit of the ulcer, spreading quinsy of the throat, the violent and noxious ulcer. Spirit of Heaven! remember; Spirit of Earth! remember. Sickness of the stomach, sickness of the heart, palpitation of the heart, sickness of the head, noxious colic, the agitation of terror, lingering sickness, nightmare. Spirit of Heaven! remember; Spirit of Earth! remember. Poisonous spittle of the mouth which is noxious to the voice, phlegm which is destructive, tubercles of the lungs. Spirit of Heaven! remember; Spirit of Earth! remember.”