the gods of the First Triad-Ami, Bel,
and Hea or Hoa--were assigned respectively the numbers 60, 50, and 40;
to those of the Second Triad--the Moon, the Sun and the Atmosphere--were
given the other integers, 30, 20, and 10 (or perhaps six). To Beltis was
attached the number 15, to Nergal 12, to Bar or Nin (apparently) 40, as
to Hoa; but this is perhaps doubtful. It is probable that every god,
or at any rate all the principle deities, had in a similar way some
numerical emblem. Many of these are, however, as yet undiscovered.

Further, each god seems to have had one or more emblematic signs by
which he could be pictorially symbolized. The cylinders are full of such
forms, which are often crowded into every vacant space where room
could be found for them. A certain number can be assigned definitely to
particular divinities. Thus a circle, plain or crossed, designates the
Sun-god, San or Shamas; a six-rayed or eight-rayed star the Sun-goddess,
Gula or Anunit; a double or triple thunderbolt the Atmospheric god, Vul;
a serpent probably Hoa; a naked female form Nana or Ishtar; a fish Bar
or Nin-ip. But besides these assignable symbols, there are a vast number
with regard to which we are still wholly in the dark. Among these may

[Illustration: PAGE 229]

tree, an ox, a bee, a spearhead. A study of the inscribed cylinders
shows these emblems to have no reference to the god or goddess named
in the inscription upon them. Each, apparently, represents a distinct
deity; and the object of placing them upon a cylinder is to imply the
devotion of the man whose seal it is to other deities besides those
whose special servant he considers himself. A single cylinder sometimes
contains as many as eight or ten such emblems. The principal temples
of the gods had special sacred appellations. The great temple of Bel
at Babylon was known as Bit-Saggath, that of the same god at Niffer as
Kharris-Nipra. that of Beltis at Warka (Erech) as Bit-Ana, that of
the sun at Sippara as Bit-Parra, that of Anunit at the same place as
Bit-Ulmis, that of Nebo at Borsippa as Bit-Tsida, etc. It is seldom that
these names admit of explanation. They had come down apparently from
the old Chaldaean times, and belonged to the ancient (Turanian) form of
speech; which is still almost unintelligible. The Babylonians themselves
probably in few cases understood their meaning. They used the words
simply as proper names, without regarding them as significative.