290 The Religions of Ancient Egypt and Babyloniathat the moon-god proceeded. It may be that Sin had once been
one of the spirits in the domain of En-lil, a mere ghost whom
the sorcerer could charm. But with his elevation to the rank of
a god his attributes and character grew fixed and defined. In the
ancient hymns addressed to him he is far more than a mere god of
the moon. His worshipper at Ur, where he was known under the
name of Nannar, addressed him as not only“lord of the moon,”
but also“prince of the gods,” “the begetter of gods and men.”It
is thus that we read in an old bilingual hymn—“Father, long-suffering and full of forgiveness, whose hand
upholds the life of all mankind,
Lord, thy divinity, like the far-off heaven, fills the wide sea
with fear ...
Firstborn, omnipotent, whose heart is immensity, and there is
none who shall discern it ...
Lord, the ordainer of the laws of heaven and earth, whose
command may not be [broken] ...
In heaven, who is supreme? Thou alone, thou art supreme!
On earth, who is supreme? Thou alone, thou art supreme!
As for thee, thy will is made known in heaven, and the angels
bow their faces.
As for thee, thy will is made known on earth, and the spirits
below kiss the ground.
As for thee, thy will is blown on high like the wind; the stall
and the fold are quickened.
As for thee, thy will is done on the earth, and the herb grows
green.”Such language is fitter for a supreme Baal than for a local
moon-god; and, in fact, it was as a supreme Baal rather than as
[317] a local moon-god that Nannar was adored at Ur. His connection
with the moon was, as it were, an accident; the essential point
about him was that he was the guardian god of the city. Its
temple had been dedicated to him in prehistoric days, and with