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.
But a small foundation like this must have had but little influence beside
the great temple of the Sun-god at Sippara, with its revenues from lands,
dues on grain, tithes, free-will offerings, and gifts on special
occasions. In addition to all that has been mentioned above, the temple of
the Sun-god was the great court of justice, and the people resorted
thither to settle their disputes, and in all probability gifts were made
to the Sun-god on those occasions. The gates of the city, too, were
favourite places for this, especially that of Šamaš, and there is every
probability that gifts to the god had to be made there also. The power and
influence of the places of worship on account of all these temporal and
sacerdotal duties invested in them can be easily imagined.
The King.
Around the Babylonian king is hedged a certain amount of mystery, for we
see him but dimly. What he did year by year we know, but what his general
way of life was the tablets do not reveal to us. He lived in a “great
house,” _ê-gala_ in Akkadian, _êkallu_ in Semitic Babylonian, and there is
hardly any doubt that the people looked upon him as a great high-priest,
and often as being himself divine. Indeed, some, if not many, of the
Babylonian kings were regarded as gods, and had their worshippers,
apparently whilst they were still inhabitants of this earth. The
deification of the early Babylonian kings is made known to us by the
scribes placing the usual divine prefix before their names, and with
certain rulers this is seldom or never wanting. Thus we know that Dungi
(about 2650 B.C.) was deified, as were also Bûr-Sin, Gimil-Sin, and
Ibi-Sin. This custom seems to have been continued until later times, for
Rim-Sin of Larsa, the opponent of Ḫammurabi or Amraphel, was thus
honoured, and even Ḫammurabi himself, who never has this divine prefix
before his name, was sometimes paid this exceptional tribute, as such
names as Ḫammurabi-Šamši, “Hammurabi is my Sun,” or “my Sun-god,” show.
The East was ever the home of flattery, which could hardly reach a higher
point than that of deification.
[Plate VI A.]
The Adoration of a Deified King. Impression of a cylinder inscribed
"Danatum, son of Sin-tâar, servant ( = worshipper) of Rîm-Sin" (see p.
164). Published by permission of the owner, Mr. J. Offord, and the Society
of Biblical Archæology.
[Plate VI B.]
The Adoration of a God. Impression of a cylinder-seal inscribed with the
name of Appâni-îl (see p. 555). (The figure on the left has been added by
a later hand to obliterate part of the inscription.) Published by
permission of the owner, Mr. J. Offord, and the Society of Biblical
Archæology.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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