"May the look of pity that shines in thine eternal face dispel my
griefs.

"May I never feel the anger and wrath of the God.

"May my omissions and my sins be wiped out.

"May I find reconciliation with Him, for I am the servant of His
power, the adorer of the great gods.

"May Thy powerful face come to my help; may it shine like
heaven, and bless me with happiness and abundance of riches.

"May it bring forth in abundance, like the earth, happiness and every
sort of good." (Ten Great Religions, p. 234).

10. The Assyrian Triads—Trinities: "Below Ilu, the universal and mysterious source of all, was placed a triad, composed of his three first external and visible manifestations, and occupying the summit of the hierarchy of gods in popular worship. Anu, the Oannes of the Greek writers, was the lord of darkness; Bel, the demiurgus, the organizer of the world; Ao, called also Bin, that is, the divine 'Son' par excellence, the divine light, the intelligence penetrating, directing and vivifying the universe. These three divine persons esteemed as equal in power and consubstantial, were not held as of the same degree of emanation, but were regarded as having on the contrary, issued the one from the other—Ao from Oannes, and Bel from Ao. Oannes, the "Lord of the Lower World, the Lord of Darkness," was represented on the monuments under the strange figure of a man with an eagle's tail, and for his head dress an enormous fish, whose open mouth rises over his head, while the body covers his shoulders. It is under this form that, Berosus tells us, according to Babylonian tradition, he floated on the surface of the waters of Chaos. Bel, the 'Father of the Gods,' was usually represented under an entirely human form, attired as a king, wearing a tiara with bull's horns, the symbol of power. But this god took many other secondary forms, the most important being Bel-Dagon, a human bust springing from the body of a fish. We do not know exactly the typical figure of Ao or Bin, 'the intelligent guide, the Lord of the visible world, the Lord of Knowledge, of Glory and Light.' The serpent seems to have been his principal symbol; though some other sculptured figures seem to be intended to represent Bin.

"A second triad is produced with personages no longer vague and indeterminate in character, like those of the first, but with a clearly defined sidereal aspect, each representing a known celestial body, and especially those which the Chaldeo-Assyrians saw the most striking external manifestations of the deity; these were Shamash, the sun; Sin, the moon god; and a new form of Ao or Bin, inferior to the first, and representing him as god of the atmosphere or firmament. Thus did they industriously multiply deities and representations of them." (World's Worship—Dobbins—p. 128-9).

11. Observations on This Lesson: The notes on this lesson are copious; made so because it is quite possible that the books quoted may not be within reach of many of the students, and yet, of course, they convey a very incomplete idea of the views of the Babylonian-Assyrians respecting God. It is suggested that some of the members of the class make special preparation on the subject, by a careful study of the authorities cited in the references given in the analysis of the lesson (and other authorities), and deliver a public lecture on the subject. It is really rich in points of contact with the great Latter-day work, which will suggest themselves to any well-informed Elder.

Footnotes

[1]. Shamanism: "A general name applied to the idolatrous religions of a number of barbarous nations. * * These nations generally believe in a supreme being, but to this they add the belief that the government of the world is in the hands of a number of secondary gods, both benevolent and malevolent toward man, and that it is absolutely necessary to propitiate them by magic rites and spells. The general belief respecting another life appears to be that the condition of man will be poorer and more wretched than the present, hence death is regarded with great dread." (Century Dictionary.)

LESSON XIII.

(Scripture Reading Exercise.)

ANCIENT CONCEPTIONS OF GOD.—(Continued.)

ANALYSIS.

REFERENCES.

V. Belief of the Egyptians:

1. Origin of the Egyptians.

2.Egyptians a Deeply Religious People.

3. Esoteric and Exoteric Religion in Egypt.

4. Significance of Animal Worship by Egyptians.

Book of Abraham (P.G.P.), Ch. i, 16-31. Hist. of Ancient Egypt (Rawlinson 1882), Ch. iii. Book of Abraham, A Divine and Ancient Record (Reynolds), Ch. iv. Notes 1, 2.

Hist. Ancient Egypt (Rawlinson), Ch. x. Burder's "Hist. of All Religions," Part vi, pp. 505 et seq. "Story of the World's Worship" (Dobbins), Ch. v. Notes 3, 4, 5.