The Religions of Ancient Egypt and Babylonia

448 The Religions of Ancient Egypt and Babylonia

is little evidence. We look in vain for anything analogous
to the judgment-hall of Osiris and the negative confession of
the Egyptian dead; the Babylonian gods, it is true, preferred
that a man should walk uprightly, but his future salvation did
not depend on his conduct in this life. He was punished in
this world for his sins and shortcomings, but the sins were
not confined to sins against morality; they equally included
ceremonial transgressions.
At the same time, a sort of catechism which forms part of the
ritual of the seers shows that a recognition of the moral element in
religion was not altogether wanting. The following is Professor
Zimmern's translation of it:“Has he estranged the father from his
son? Has he estranged the son from his father? Has he estranged
the mother from her daughter? Has he estranged the daughter
from her mother? Has he estranged the mother-in-law from her
daughter-in-law? Has he estranged the brother from his brother?
Has he estranged the friend from his friend? Has he estranged
the companion from his companion? Has he refused to set a
captive free, or has he refused to loose one who was bound?
Has he excluded the prisoner from the light? Has he said of a
captive,‘Hold him fast,’or of one who was bound,‘Strengthen
his bonds’? Has he committed sin against a god, or has he
committed sin against a goddess? Has he offended a god, or has
he held a goddess in light esteem? Is his sin against his own
god, or is his sin against his own goddess? Has he done violence
to one older than himself, or has he conceived hatred against an
elder brother? Has he held his father and mother in contempt, or
has he insulted his elder sister? Has he been generous in small
things, but avaricious in great matters? Has he said‘yea’for
[489] ‘nay,’and‘nay’for‘yea’? Has he spoken of unclean things or
[counselled] disobedience? Has he spoken wicked words?... Has
he used false scales?... Has he accepted a wrong account, or has
he refused a rightful sum? Has he disinherited a legitimate son,
or has he recognised an illegitimate son? Has he set up a false