The Assyrian and Hebrew Hymns of Praise

by Charles Gordon Cumming

—Psalm 96:6.

There is nothing in the Hebrew hymns to indicate that Yahwe has more than one sanctuary. This is due of course to the fact that the Hebrew hymns are preserved in a collection, whose editors recognized only Jerusalem as a legitimate place of worship. On the other hand the Assyrian gods have usually several sanctuaries:

The sovereign of sanctuaries all of them.

—Hymn to Marduk No. 13.

Ishtar, who in all sanctuaries was magnified am I.

—Hymn to Ishtar No. 5.

It is curious that the god should be addressed as the founder of cities and sanctuaries:

Founder of the cities, renewer of the sanctuaries.

—Hymn to Nusku No. 3.

Founder of sanctuaries, proclaimer of their names.