CHAPTER V. THE RELIGION OF THE ASSYRIANS AND BABYLONIANS. BABYLON the Seat of the first post-diluvian Apostasy-Peculiar religious Position of Babylon and Assyria-Epiphanius on the early Declension of Religion-Information contained in his Statement-Fragment of Damascius-Its important Teaching-The Chaldæan Oracles exhibit the same Fact-A Triad consisting of the Great Mother, Father, and Only-begotten Son-Further Developement of Chaldæan Mythology— Chaldæan Deities-Their Origin and Peculiarities-Worship of the heavenly Bodies, and of Fire-Chaldæan and Assyrian Idolatry began with Hero and Demon-Worship in the Form of Triads-Mr. Faber on this Subject-Symbolical Representation of the great Triad-Other Symbols-Assarac-Cherubic Figures-The sacred Tree-A Garden called "Paradise" attached to each royal Palace-The Palace itself a sacred Temple-Doubts of Layard-Elaborate Proof of Fergusson— The King revered as a Divine Person-Proof of this-Manner in which the Kings evinced their Claim to this Character-This Idea shown to pervade the whole System-Remarkable Identity of Character which the Religion of Assyria and Babylon maintained through so many AgesGeneral Views-Gradual Declension in Theology-Worship of Fire— The Results of Hebrew Intercourse and Divine Interposition on the Religion of these Countries-Sabæanism not the primitive Religion of Assyria—A large amount of patriarchal History and religious Knowledge must have remained in the primitive Nations long after the Dispersion-Patriarchal Longevity designed to prevent a Deterioration in Religion-Connexion with the Hebrews-Divine Interposition more likely on this Ground to be effective-Assyrian Intercourse with Egypt -Assyrian Knowledge of Hebrew History-The Mission of Jonah -Its religious Results-The Destruction of the Assyrian Emigrants in Samaria by Lions-A Hebrew Priest sent to teach them the Law of the Lord-Babylon elated by the Ruin of Jerusalem-The King humbled, and all the people taught Divine Truth, on the Plains of DuraNebuchadnezzar's Insanity, Restoration, and Proclamation. NOTES. The Testimony of Herodotus respecting the Temple of Mylitta at Babylon-What was the true Principle and Meaning of Sabæan Worship ?— The Assyrian Triad-The Cherubim of Ezekiel, and their Relation to the compound Figures of the Assyrian Sculptures-Imitations of Paradise attached to the royal Palaces of the Assyrian Kings-Babylon the Type of Papal Antichrist. WHEN the antiquity and extensive dominion of these great empires, Assyria and Babylon, are considered, it is VOL. III. almost impossible to attach too much importance to an acquaintance with their religion. Here, unquestionably, the first post-diluvian apostasy was carried into effect, and recognised as the established faith of a particular nation. Regarding Mr. Faber's induction—that the great principles of Heathen idolatry were evolved, and generally adopted, before the Dispersion-as an established fact, we hold that these must have been incorporated into the national faith of Assyria and Babylon, before any other people would have obtained a settled location, and assumed a national form. Another circumstance serves to confirm this opinion: By the universal consent of all antiquity, the founder of the Babylonian state was one of the leaders, if not the prime mover, in the origination and developement of this apostasy. To Nimrod has been awarded, in all ages, the position of arch-apostate in this departure from the truth of God: and, this being admitted, there cannot be a doubt that he enforced the adoption of this perverted faith as a part of the policy of his own government. But while these circumstances clearly indicate the existence of some important facts, and the operation of certain principles, we must recollect that they prove the period to which our inquiry is directed to be exceedingly remote. We have here to discuss the nature of religious changes effected four thousand five hundred years ago, and to trace, as far as possible, their operation, influence, and developement for the twenty centuries which ensued; and to attempt all this, under the great disadvantages arising from the circumstance, that this people has perished from the earth, and been unknown among men during the last two thousand years. Much, therefore, cannot be expected, in such an effort, beyond general heads of information. Accuracy in detail must in this instance be almost impossible. What can be gleaned, however, from authentic sources, it will be our aim to furnish; and from these data to supply general views of the character, morals, influence, and policy of this religi ous system. In the absence of precise information respecting the early operation of idolatry in Assyria, it might be fairly presumed that those great errors which have been shown to have originated before the Dispersion, and to have wrought a total corruption in the theology of the world, had obtained in that country, and produced similar results to those which meet the eye of religious research in Egypt and other ancient nations. We are not totally left to this barren induction, in respect of a subject of so much interest and importance. There are several facts connected with it, handed down to us by ancient Greek authors, who had opportunities of collecting, from the literature of Assyria and Babylon, important elements of information, which were current in their day, respecting the religion of those countries. These stores of instruction are largely supplemented by the extensive discoveries recently made in the sculptures and inscriptions of these ancient nations; which have shed a flood of light on the religious usages, rites, worship, sacred persons, and divinities of Assyria and Babylon. These sources of information, when studied under the direction of the general teaching of history, and with a due regard to the influence exercised by the numerous Divine interpositions and communications of religious truth, through the instrumentality of the Hebrew people and of the Hebrew scriptures, will, it is hoped, enable us to form a tolerably correct and full idea of the religion of these countries. It may be desirable to call attention, in the first instance, to the following extract from Epiphanius: for, although a part of it refers to a preceding period, altogether it shows the opinions which prevailed, at an early age, respecting the declension and deterioration of religion which took place at different times, and probably the account of the changes which it records is accurate :— "The parents of all the heresies, and the prototypes from which they derive their names, and from which all other heresies originate, are these four primary ones. "The first is Barbarism," (Patriarchism,) "which pre |