s employed were gold, silver, brass, or rather
bronze, and iron. Occasionally the metal was laid over a clay model.
Sometimes images of one metal were overlaid with plates of another, as
was the case with one of the great images of Bel, which was originally
of silver but was coated with gold by Nebuchadnezzar.

The worship of the Babylonians appears to have been conducted with much
pomp and magnificence. A description has been already given of their
temples. Attached to these imposing structures was, in every case, a
body of priests; to whom the conduct of the ceremonies and the custody
of the treasures were intrusted. The priests were married, and lived
with their wives and children, either in the sacred structure itself,
or in its immediate neighborhood. They were supported either by lands
belonging to the temple, or by the offerings of the faithful. These
consisted in general of animals, chiefly oxen and goats; but other
valuables were no doubt received when tendered. The priest always
intervened between the worshipper and the deities, presenting him to
them and interceding with uplifted hands on his behalf.

In the temple of Bel at Babylon, and probably in most of the other
temples both there and elsewhere throughout the country, a great
festival was celebrated once in the course of each year. We know little
of the ceremonies with which these festivals were accompanied; but
we may presume from the analogy of other nations that there were
magnificent processions on these occasions, accompanied probably with
music and dancing. The images of the gods were perhaps exhibited either
on frames or on sacred vehicles. Numerous victims were sacrificed; and
at Babylon it was customary to burn on the great altar in the precinct
of Bel a thousand talents' weight of frankincense. The priests no doubt
wore their most splendid dresses; the multitude was in holiday costume;
the city was given up to merry-making. Everywhere banquets were held. In
the palace the king entertained his lords; in private houses there was
dancing and revelling. Wine was freely drunk; passion Was excited; and
the day, it must be feared, too often terminated in wild orgies, wherein
the sanctions of religion were claimed for the free indulgence of the
worst sensual appetites. In the temples of one deity excesses of this
description, instead of being confined to rare occasions, seem to have
been of every-day occurrence. Each woman was required once in her life