Chapter XIII: Comparison of the Ritual

In the second millennium all Semitic communities had evolved the temple, and Babylonia the idol--In Greece, temple-building was coming into vogue, but the cults still aniconic--The pillar and the phallic emblem common in early Greece, very rare in Mesopotamia--Sacrifice both in East and West of two types, the blood-sacrifice and the bloodless, but in Hellas νηφάλια ἱερά in early vogue, not yet found in the East--Incense unknown to the pre-Homeric Greeks--The distinction between Chthonian and Olympian ritual not found at Babylon--Communion-sacrifice and sacrament in early Greece, not found as yet in Mesopotamia--Vicarious piacular sacrifice common to both regions, but human sacrifice rife in early Greece, not found in Mesopotamia--Mystic use of blood in Greek ritual, immolation or expulsion of the scape-goat not yet discovered in Mesopotamia--The death of the divinity in Babylonian ritual--Mourning for Tammuz--In other Semitic communities--In Hittite worship, Sandon of Tarsos--Attis of Phrygia--Emasculation in Phrygian ritual, alien to Babylonian as to Hellenic religious sentiment--Death of divinity in Cretan ritual, and in Cyprus--In genuine Hellenic religion, found only in agrarian hero-cults, such as Linos, Eunostos; these having no connection with Tammuz--Babylonian liturgy mainly a service of sorrow, Greek mainly cheerful--A holy marriage at Babylon, on Hittite relief at Boghaz-Keui, in Minoan and Hellenic ritual--A mortal the consort of divinity, an idea found in many races widely removed--Greek evidence--Consecrated women in Mesopotamia, two types--Their functions to be distinguished from the consecration of virginity before marriage mentioned by Herodotus--Other examples of one or the other of these customs in Asia Minor--Various explanations of these customs offered by anthropology--Criticism of different views--Their religious significance--Ritual of purification--Cathartic use of water and fire--Preservation of peace during public purification--Points of agreement between Hellas and {xii} Babylonia--Points of difference, Babylonian confessional--Value of Homer’s evidence concerning early Hellenic purification--Babylonian magic in general contrast with Greek--Astrologic magic--Magic value of numbers, of the word--Babylonian exorcism--Magic use of images--No severance in Mesopotamia between magic and religion--Babylonian and Hellenic divination

CHAPTER XIV. Summary of Results.

INDEX OF NAMES AND SUBJECTS.

ENDNOTES.

GREECE AND BABYLON.

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