Chapter X

GREECE, PALESTINE, AND BABYLON: AN ESTIMATE OF CULTURAL
INFLUENCE

Influence of Babylon still apparent in the modern world--The
mother of astronomy, and the survival of her ancient system
of time-division--The political and religious history of
the Hebrews in the light of Babylonian research--Echoes
from Babylonian legends in Greek mythology--The Babylonian
conception of the universe--The astral theory and its
comprehensive assumptions--Was Babylonian religion
essentially a star-worship?--Application of historical
test--Evolution of the Babylonian god--Origin of divine
emblems and animal symbolism--World Ages and the astral
theory--Late evidence and the earlier historical
periods--The astral ages of the Twins, the Bull and the
Ram--Suggested influence of each age upon the historical
literature of antiquity--The Old Testament and the Odyssey
under astral interpretation--Astronomical defects of the
astral theory--The age of Babylonian astronomy--Hipparchus
of Nicæa and the precession of the equinoxes--Hebrews
and Babylonian astrology--Contrast of the Babylonian and
Hellenic temperaments--Mesopotamia and the coast-lands of
Asia Minor--Tales that are told

APPENDICES

I. A COMPARATIVE LIST OF THE DYNASTIES OF NISIX, LAKSA, AND
BABYLON

II. A DYNASTIC LIST OF THE KINGS OF BABYLON

INDEX

LIST OF PLATES

I. Merodach-baladan II., King of Babylon, making a grant of
land to Bêl-akhê-erba, governor of Babylon _Frontispiece_

II. (i) The temple-tower of E-zida at Borsippa. (ii) The
Lion of Babylon on the Ḳaṣr Mound

III. The Throne Room in Nebuchadnezzar's palace at Babylon,
showing the recess in the back wall where the throne once
stood

IV. Eastern Towers of the Ishtar Gate, the portions
preserved having formed the foundation of the final gateway

V. Trench showing a portion of the Sacred Way of Babylon, to
the east of the Peribolos

VI. Two views of the Temple of Ninib in course of excavation

VII. Brick of Sin-idinnam, King of Larsa, recording the
cutting of a canal and the restoration of the Temple of the
Moon-god in the city of Ur

VIII. Hammurabi, King of Babylon, from a relief in the
British Museum, dedicated on his behalf to the West Semitic
goddess [Ash]ratum by Itur-ashdum, a provincial governor

IX. Brick of Warad-Sin, King of Larsa, recording building
operations in the city of Ur

X. The Citadel Mound of Carchemish from the north-west

XI. Upper portion of the Code of Hammurabi, engraved with
a scene representing the king receiving his laws from the
Sun-god

XII.(i) Bronze cone and votive figure, (ii) Stone cylinder
with a votive inscription of Warad-Sin, King of Larsa

XIII. Portion of the text of Hammurabi's Code, Columns 6-8

XIV. A modern gufa, a form of coracle described by Herodotus
and represented on the monuments

XV. (i) A small kelek on the Tigris at Baghdad, (ii)
Ferry-boats on the Euphrates at Birejik

XVI. Impressions of Babylonian cylinder-seals, engraved with
mythological subjects

XVII. Impressions of Kassite cylinder-seals 198

XVIII. Brick of Sin-gashid, King of Erech, recording the
building of his palace in that city 210

XIX. Head of a colossal statue of Amen-hetep III

XX. Hittite hieroglyphic inscription at Carchemish

XXI. Kassite kudurrus, or boundary-stones, set up in the
reigns of Meli-Shipak II. and Nazi-maruttash

XXII. Divine emblems on the upper part of akudurru, or
boundary-stone, engraved with a charter of privileges
granted by Nebuchadnezzar I

XXIII. Memorial-tablet of Nabû-aplu-iddina, King of Babylon,
recording his restoration of the Sun-temple at Sippar

XXIV. Shalmaneser III. receiving the submission of the
Chaldeans, from the bronze sheathing of his Gates in the
British Museum

XXV. Ashur-bani-pal, represented carrying a builder's
basket, as the restorer of E-sagila, the temple of Marduk at
Babylon

XXVI. Bronze door-step from E-zida, the temple of Nabû
at Borsippa, inscribed with the name and titles of
Nebuchadnezzar II.

XXVII. (i) Baked clay foundation-cylinder of Nabonidus,
referring to the defeat of Astyages by Cyrus, (ii) Baked
clay foundation-cylinder of Cyrus, recording his entry into
Babylon "without battle and without fighting"

XXVIII. Impressions of Neo-Babylonian and Persian
cylinder-seals

XXIX. Limestone statue of the god Nabû at Nimrûd

XXX. Divine emblems sculptured on the lower portion of the
boundary-stone engraved with a charter of Nebuchadnezzar
I.(cp. Plate XXII.)

XXXI. Two views of a clay model of a sheep's liver with the
surface divided up and labelled for purposes of divination

XXXII. A Neo-Babylonian treatise on astronomy, inscribed
with classified lists of the principal stars and
constellations, heliacal risings and settings, culminations
in the south, etc.

ILLUSTRATIONS IN THE TEXT

1. Diagram to illustrate the political centre of gravity in
Babylonia

2. Map of the neighbourhood of Babylon and Birs-Nimrûd;
after the India Office Map

3. Plan of the ruins of Babylon; after Koldewey and Andrae

4. Ground-plan of part of the outer city-wall; after
Koldewey and Andrae

5. Conjectural restoration of the Southern Citadel; after
Andrae

6. Plan of the Southern Citadel; after Koldewey, Reuther,
and Wetzel

7. Ground-plan of quay-walls and fortification-walls in the
north-west corner of the Southern Citadel; after Koldewey

8. Section of the quay-walls and fortification-walls along
the north front of the Southern Citadel; after Andrae

9. Plan of the Throne Room of Nebuchadnezzar II. and part of
the private palace; after Koldewey

10. Design in enamelled brick from the façade of the Throne
Room

11. Plan of the north-east corner of the palace with the
Vaulted Building; after Koldewey

12. Bull in enamelled brick from the Ishtar Gate

13. Dragon in enamelled brick from the Ishtar Gate

14. Ground-plan of the Ishtar Gate; after Koldewey

15. Section of the Ishtar Gate; after Andrae

16. Diagram to show the arrangement of the beasts of the
Ishtar Gate; after Koldewey

17. Enamelled fragment of the Ishtar Gate still in position

18. Plan of the later defences of the Citadel upon the
north, showing the walls with the Lion Frieze and the Ishtar
Gate

19. Lion from the frieze of the Sacred Way to the north of
the Ishtar Gate

20. Ground-plan of E-makh, the temple of the goddess
Ninmakh; after Andrae

21. Conjectural restoration of E-makh; after Andrae

22. Gold plaque, with architectural design, from a
Neo-Babylonian burial; enlargement after photo, by Koldewey

23. Ground-plan of the unidentified temple known as "Z";
after Andrae

24. Conjectural restoration of the unidentified temple known
as "Z"; after Andrae and Koldewey

25. Ground-plan of the temple of Ishtar of Akkad; after
Reuther

20. Ground-plan of the temple of Ninib; after Andrae

27. Ground-plan of E-temen-anki and E-sagila; after Wetzel

28. Conjectural reconstruction of E-temen-anki and E-sagila;
after Andrae

29. Ground-plan of E-zida and the temple-tower of Nabû at
Borsippa; after Koldewey

30. Rough engraving of a temple-tower upon a boundary-stone

31. Plan of the Merkes Mound, showing part of the street
network of Babylon; after Koldewey

32-33. Arabs of the seventh century B.C., from a sculpture
in the Nineveh Gallery of the British Museum

34. Head of an archaic limestone figure from Ashur

35-30. Heads of archaic figures from Ashur and Tello

37-39. Examples of archaic sculpture from Ashur and Tello,
exhibiting the same convention in the treatment of woollen
garments

40. The Old Babylonian form of plough in use; after Clay

41. Assyrian kelek on the Tigris; after La yard

42. The Assyrian prototype of the gufa; from a bas-relief in
the British Museum

43. Assyrian raft of logs on the Tigris; from a bas-relief
in the British Museum

44. Swamp in Southern Babylonia, or the Sea-Country; after a
bas-relief at Nineveh

45. The zebu or humped oxen of the Sea-Country; after a
bas-relief from Nineveh in the British Museum

40. Akhenaten, with his queen and infant daughters, on the
balcony of their palace; after N. de G. Davies

47-48. Representations of Hittites in Egyptian sculpture;
after Meyer

49. Hittite foot-soldiers at the Battle of Kadesh; after
Meyer

50. Hittite chieftain, a captive of Rameses III.; after Meyer

51. Figure, probably of a Hittite king, from the Royal Gate
at Khatti; after a photo, by Puchstein

52. The Royal Gate of Khatti, the capital of the Hittites,
viewed from the outside; after Puchstein

53. Conjectural restoration of a Hittite gateway viewed from
outside; after Puchstein

54. Longitudinal section of the Lower Western Gateway at
Khatti; after Puchstein

55. Transverse section of the Lower Western Gateway at
Khatti; after Puchstein

56. One of the two sacred boats of Khonsu, the Egyptian
Moongod, who journeyed into Cappadocia to cast out a devil
from a Hittite princess; after Rosellini

57. Rameses II. offering incense to one of the boats of
Khonsu before he started on his journey; after Rosellini

58. Scene representing Nabû-mukîn-apli sanctioning a
transfer of landed property

59. Marduk and his dragon from a votive offering of
Marduk-zakir-shum; after Weissbach

60. The Assyrian army in Chaldea, 851 B.C.; from the Gates
of Shalmaneser in the British Museum

61. A Chaldean town of the ninth century B.C.; from the
Gates of Shalmaneser

62-63. The tribute of the Chaldeans; from the Gates of
Shalmaneser

64. Bas-relief of Shamash-rêsh-usur, governor of the lands
of Sukhi and Mari; after a photo, by Weissbach

65. The god Adad from a votive offering dedicated in
E-sagila by Esarhaddon; after Weissbach

66-68. The weather-god and two goddesses from an Assyrian
bas-relief; after Layard

69. Figure of deity in portable shrine; after Layard

70. Sumerian harp, with the sound-case surmounted by the
figure of a bull

71. The guardian lions of the Eastern Gate of Heaven, from
the impression of a cylinder-seal in the Louvre; after Heuzey

72. Winged monster on enamelled frieze at Persepolis; after
Dieulafoy

MAPS AND PLANS

I. Diagram to illustrate the political centre of gravity in
Babylonia (Fig. 1)

II. Map of the neighbourhood of Babylon and Birs-Nimrûd
(Fig. 2)

III. Plan of the ruins of Babylon (Fig. 3)

IV. Ground-plan of part of the outer city-wall (Fig. 4)

V. Plan of the Southern Citadel (Fig. 6)

VI. Ground-plan of quay-walls and fortification-walls in the
N.W. corner of the S. Citadel (Fig. 7)

VII. Plan of the Throne Room of Nebuchadnezzar and part of
the private palace (Fig. 9)

VIII. Plan of the N.E. corner of the palace with the Vaulted
Building (Fig. 11)

IX. Ground-plan of the Ishtar Gate (Fig. 14)

X. Plan of the later defences of the Citadel upon the N.,
showing the walls with the Lion Frieze and the Ishtar Gate
(Fig. 18)

XI. Ground-plan of E-makh, the temple of the goddess Ninmakh
(Fig. 20)

XII. Ground-plan of the unidentified temple known as "Z"
(Fig. 23)

XIII. Ground-plan of the temple of Ishtar of Akkad (Fig. 25)

XIV. Ground-plan of the temple of Ninib (Fig. 20)

XV. Ground-plan of E-temen-anki and E-sagila (Fig. 27)

XVI. Ground-plan of E-zida and the temple-tower of Nabii at
Borsippa (Fig. 29)

XVII. Plan of the Merkes Mound, showing part of the street
network of Babylon (Fig. 31)

XVIII. Map of Babylonia, Assyria and Mesopotamia. Inset: Map
of Western Asia

A HISTORY OF BABYLON