The Old Testament in the Light of the Historical Records and Legends of Assyria and BabyloniaPinches, Theophilus G. (Theophilus Goldridge)
Religion
The Old Testament in the Light of the Historical Records and Legends of Assyria and Babylonia
Pinches, Theophilus G. (Theophilus Goldridge)
Bible. Old Testament -- Criticism, interpretation, etc.
In addition to the god Amurrū, other deities of western origin appear in
the inscriptions (generally in the names) from time to time. Thus we have
Abdu-Ištara, interesting as giving an early form of the name Astarte
(Ashtoreth), before it received the feminine termination; Ụsur-Malik,
probably “protect, O Malik” (Moloch), Nabu-Malik, probably “Nebo is Malik”
(Moloch), or “Nebo is king”; Ibi-Šân, probably “speak, O Shân,” which
reminds the reader of Beth-Shean, the modern Beisan; and there are also,
in all probability, other Amorite deities whom we cannot identify, on
account of their names not occurring in other ancient literatures than the
Babylonian. Ibaru, found in the name Arad-Ibari, “servant of Ibari,” Abâ,
in the name Arad (Abdi)-Abâ, Alla, in the name Ur-Alla, “man of Alla”
(though this is possibly a Babylonian [Akkadian] name), etc., are probably
non-Babylonian, but not Amorite.
Besides the names of west Semitic deities, however, the names of west
Semites themselves occur, and show that there was a considerable
immigration in those ancient days into the country. Thus the word Amurrū,
“the Amorite,” is exceedingly common, and one is not surprised to learn
that, in consequence of the Amorites being so numerous, there was an
Amorite district in the neighbourhood of Sippar. Other names of men which
are apparently from the country spoken of are, Sar-îli, probably “prince
of God,” and the same as Israel; Karanatum (probably for Qaranatum), which
would seem to mean “she of the horned deity” (compare Uttatum, “he of the
sun,” Sinnatum, “he of the moon”), and reminds us of Ashteroth Karnaim,
“Ashteroth of the two horns,” the well-known site in Palestine. Besides
these, we meet more than once with such names as Ya’kub, Jacob, with its
longer form, Ya’kub-îlu, Jacob-el; and in like manner the name of Joseph
and its longer form Joseph-el occur—Yasup and Yasup-îlu. Êsâ, the father
of a man named Siteyatum, reminds us of Esau; Abdi-îli, “servant of God,”
is the same as Abdeel; and Ya’zar-îlu, “God has helped” (compare Azrael),
Yantin-îlu, “God has given” (compare Nethanel), with many others similar,
receive illustration. In all probability, too, many of the bearers of
names compounded with Addu (Hadad), Amurrū, and other names of deities
naturalized in Babylonia, as well as some of the bearers of true
Babylonian names, were, in reality, pure west Semites. Further examples
will be found in the texts translated farther on, and the more noteworthy
will be pointed out when they occur.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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