The Religions of Ancient Egypt and Babylonia

428 The Religions of Ancient Egypt and Babylonia

and persecuted as among the Israelites. Hence, while the prophet
was a priest to whom the rites of purification were specially
entrusted, he was at the same time classed with thesailuwho
“inquired”of the dead, themusêluor necromancer, and the
makhkhuor“soothsayer.”
On the other hand, there were prophetesses as well as prophets
in both Babylonia and Israel. The employment of women in the
temple services peculiarly characterised Babylonia. As we have
seen, it was a woman only who was privileged to enter the secret
shrine of Bel-Merodach at Babylon; while unmarried women
were consecrated, not only to Istar, but also to the sun-god, and,
like the priests, formed a corporate community. We are told that
in the lower world of Hades there were female as well as male
soothsayers; it was the home of the black art, and so reflected the
constitution of the professors of sorcery in the upper world.
Along with the seer and the soothsayer, the prophet was thus
annexed by the temple. A definite duty was assigned to him
there; he was“the pourer out”of libations. The libations were
doubtless originally of“pure”water, to which was subsequently
added wine, whether made from the palm or the vine. Along
with the libations all the first-fruits of the cultivated land were
offered to the gods. Milk and butter and oil, dates and vegetables,
were given in abundance. So too were the spices and incense
that were brought from the southern coast of Arabia, the corn
that was grown in the fields, garlic and other herbs from the
garden, and honey from the hive. But animal sacrifices were not
forgotten. Oxen and calves, sheep and lambs, goats and kids,
fish and certain kinds of birds, were slain upon the altar, and
[467] so presented to the gods. It is noticeable that it was only the
cultivated plant and the domesticated beast that were thus offered
to the deity. The dog and swine, or rather wild boar, are never
mentioned in the sacrificial lists. What man gave to heaven was
what he ate himself, and reared or grew with the sweat of his
brow. The gazelle, indeed, is named, but it is a scape-goat which