The Religion of Babylonia and Assyria

by Morris Jastrow

[236] Babyl.-Assyr. Geschichte, p. 533.

[237] For the sake of convenience it is customary to distinguish between Ashur the god, and the country by writing the latter with a double sh—Ashshur.

[238] Geschichte, p. 533.

[239] See Jensen Zeits. für Assyr. i. 1 seq. and Delitzsch, Das Babylonische Weltschöpfungsepos, p. 94.

[240] By the assimilation of the n to the following consonant.

[241] See above, pp. [173], [175].

[242] Jensen, Kosmologie, p. 275.

[243] The combination of religious supremacy with political power, which characterizes the social state of ancient Babylonia and Assyria, gives to the title patesi a double significance. In Babylonia, moreover, it acquires the force of vassal-king.

[244] The full list is Anu, Ashur, Shamash, Ramman, and Ishtar.

[245] More precisely Arba-ilu, signifying 'city of the fourfold divinity' or 'four-god' city. Cf. the Palestinian form Kiryath-Arba, "four city,"—originally perhaps, likewise, a city of four gods, rather than four roads or four quarters, as commonly explained.