Page Content (OCR)
111 ligious beliefs in many gods. On the contrary, his supremacy required continued polytheism, for to be supreme over other gods, the existence of other gods was necessary. He was sat- isfied to let them be, as long as their prerogatives were sub- ject to his control; a Babylonian tablet recorded (in its undamaged portion) the following list of divine attributes that were henceforth vested in Marduk: Ninurta Nergal Zababa Enlil Sin Shamash Adad is is is is is is is Marduk of the hoe Marduk of the attack Marduk of the combat Marduk of lordship and counsel Marduk the illuminator of the night Marduk of justice Marduk of rains The other gods remained, their attributes remained—but they now held attributes of Marduk that he granted to them. He let their worship be continued; the very name of the in- terim ruler/administrator in the south, Ishbi-Erra (“Priest of Erra,” i.e., of Nergal) confirms this tolerant policy. But what Marduk expected was that they come and stay with him in his envisaged Babylon—prisoners in golden cages, one may say. In his autobiographical Prophecies Marduk clearly indi- cated his intentions in regard to the other gods, including his adversaries: they were to come and reside next to him, in Babylon’s sacred precinct. Sanctuaries or pavilions for Sin and Ningal, where they would reside—‘together with their treasures and possessions”!—are specifically mentioned. Texts describing Babylon, and archaeological excavations there, show that in accordance with Marduk’s wishes, Baby- lon’s sacred precinct also included residence-shrines dedi- cated to Ninmah, Adad, Shamas, and even Ninurta. When Babylon finally rose to imperial power—under Hammurabi—its ziggurat-temple indeed reached skyward; the prophesied great king in time did sit on its throne; but to its priest-filled sacred precinct, the other gods did not flock. That manifestation of the New Religion did not come about. Destiny Had Fifty Names