The Seven Great Monarchies Of The Ancient Eastern World, Vol 1: Chaldaea: The History, Geography, And Antiquities Of Chaldaea, Assyria, Babylon, Media, Persia, Parthia, And Sassanian or New Persian Empire; With Maps and Illustrations.Rawlinson, George
History
The Seven Great Monarchies Of The Ancient Eastern World, Vol 1: Chaldaea: The History, Geography, And Antiquities Of Chaldaea, Assyria, Babylon, Media, Persia, Parthia, And Sassanian or New Persian Empire; With Maps and Illustrations.
There is nothing to prove the early--worship of Nebo. His name does not
appear as an element in any royal appellation belonging to the Chaldaean
series. Nor is there any reference to him in the records of the primeval
times. Still, as he is probably of Babylonian rather than Assyrian
origin, and as an Assyrian king is named after him in the twelfth century
B.C., we may assume that he was not unknown to the primitive people of
Chaldaea, though at present their remains have furnished us with no
mention of him. In later ages the chief seat of his worship was
Borsippa, where the great and famous temple, known at present as the
Birs-Nimrud, was dedicated to his honor. He had also a shrine at Calah
(Nimrud), whence were procured the statues representing him which are now
in the British Museum. He was in special favor with the kings of the
great Babylonian empire, who were mostly named after him, and viewed him
as presiding over their house. His symbol has not yet been recognized.
The wife of Nebo, as already observed, was Varamit or Urmit--a word which
perhaps means “exalted,” from the root on, “to be lifted up.” No special
attributes are ascribed to this goddess, who merely accompanies her
husband in most of the places where he is mentioned by name.
Such, then, seem to have been the chief gods worshipped by the early
Chaldaeans. It would be an endless as well as an unprofitable task to
give an account of the inferior deities. Their name is “Legion;” and
they are, for the most part, too vague and shadowy for effective
description. A vast number are merely local; and it may be suspected
that where this is the case the great gods of the Pantheon come before us
repeatedly, disguised under rustic titles. We have, moreover, no clue at
present to this labyrinth, on which, even with greater knowledge, it
would perhaps be best for us to forbear to enter; since there is no
reason to expect that we should obtain any really valuable results from
its exploration.
A few words, however, may be added upon the subject of the Chaldaean
cosmogony. Although the only knowledge that we possess on this point is
derived from Berosus, and therefore we cannot be sure that we have really
the belief of the ancient people, yet, judging from internal evidence of
character, we may safely pronounce Berosus’ account not only archaic, but
in its groundwork and essence a primeval tradition, more ancient probably
than most of the gods whom we have been considering.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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