452 The Religions of Ancient Egypt and Babyloniasorcerer. But with the arrival of the Semite, and the consequent
transformation of the goblin into a god and of the sorcerer into
a priest, a new conception was introduced of the divine nature.
The gods became human, and the humanity they put on was that
of civilised man. They became moral agents, hating iniquity and
loving righteousness, ready to help the creatures they had made,
but chastising them for their offences as the father would his
son. “Father,”in fact, is one of the commonest titles given to
the god in the new age of Babylonian religion. It was only in
the conception of Hades that the old ideas still maintained their
influence, that the powers who ruled there still continued to be
the malignant or non-moral monsters of an earlier belief, and that
a common lot was believed to await in it all mankind, whatever
might have been their conduct on this side of the grave.
In this world, on the contrary, the conviction that sin brought
punishment with it became more and more pronounced. And
[493] with the conviction came an increasing belief in the efficacy of
prayer and repentance, and the necessity for purity of heart. The
words supposed to have been put into the mouth of Merodach
after his creation of man, late in date though they may be, testify
clearly to the fact. I give them in Mr. King's translation^400 —
“Towards thy god shalt thou be pure of heart, for that is the
glory of the godhead;
Prayer and supplication and bowing low to the earth, early in
the morning shalt thou offer unto him....
The fear of god begets mercy, offerings increase life, and
prayer absolves from sin.
He that fears the gods shall not cry aloud [in grief],
he that fears the spirits of earth shall have a long [life].
Against friend and neighbour thou shalt not speak [evil].
Speak not of things that are hidden, [practise] mercy,(^400) Babylonian Religion and Mythology, p. 83. See George Smith,Chaldæan
Account of Genesis, pp. 78-80 (II. 10-13, 16-23).