THE RELIGIONS OF THE ANCIENT WORLD.
42
ence of opinion with respect to the name of the last god oi these three, which is never spelt phonetically in the in. a monogram. He has scriptions, but only represented by been called Iva (or Yav), Vul, Bin, Yem (or 1m),, and re Without presuming to decide this vexed cently Rimmon.* question, we propose to adopt provisionally the rendering " Vul," as the one likely to be most familiar to our readers, its employment by Sir Henry Rawlinson, Mr. George shall speak therefore of Smith, and Mr. Fox Talbot. the second triad as one consisting of Sin, Shamas, and Vul, the gods respectively of the moon, the sun, and the atmos-
from
We
phere. It is very noticeable that in Assyria and Babylonia the moon-god took precedence of the sun-god. Night probably was more agreeable to the inhabitants of those hot regions than day and the cool, placid time when they could freely contemplate the heavens, and make their stellar and other observations, was especially grateful to the priestly astronomers who had the superintendence and arrangement of the religion. Sin, the moon, is. thus one of the leading deities. He is called, " the chief of the gods of heaven and " the " the earth," god of the king of the gods," and even gods." f These seem, however, to be hyperbolical expressions, used by his votaries in the warmth of their hearts, when in the stage of religion which Professor Max Muller has designated " Henotheism." J Sin more properly was ;
" the " the " he who dwells in the brilliant," illuminator," sacred heavens," " he who circles round the heavens," and "the lord of the month." Again, for some recondite reason, which is not explained, he was selected to preside over " the architecture, and in this connection he is supporting " the of architect," fortifications," and, more strengthener generally, "the lord of building." close bond of sympathy united Sin with the two other members of the second triad. When the seven spirits of evil made war in heaven, and directed their main attack upon Sin, as the chief leader of the angelic host, Shamas
A
* " Transactions of the Society of Biblical Archaeology," vol. v. p. " Records of the Past," vol. v. p. 29; vol. vii. pp."l65, 170; vol.
441;
ix. pp. 23, 27, etc. t
In the inscription of Nabonidus.
(See
" Records of the Past,"
vol. v. pp. 14(i, 147.) J
"Contemporary Review," Nov.
1878, pp. 722-