Lecture I. Introductory. 243
Like Egypt, Babylonia was originally divided into several
independent States. From time to time one of these became
predominant, and obliged the other States to acknowledge its
supremacy. But the centre of power shifted frequently, and it
took many centuries before the government became thoroughly
centralised. The earlier dynasties which claimed rule over the
whole country had at times to defend their claims by force of
arms.
Like Egypt, too, Babylonia fell naturally into two halves,
Akkad in the north and Sumer in the south. The recollection of
the fact was preserved in the imperial title of“king of Akkad
and Sumer,”which thus corresponds with the Egyptian title of
“king of Upper and Lower Egypt.”But whereas in Egypt the
conquering race moved from south to north, causing the name of
Upper Egypt to come first in the royal title, in Babylonia it was
the Semites of the northern half who imposed their yoke upon
the south. Akkad accordingly takes precedence of Sumer. [265]
I have said that the veil which has so long covered the early
history of the country is beginning at last to be lifted. Rays of
light are beginning to struggle through the darkness, and we can
at last form some idea of the process which made Babylonia what
it was in later historical times. When the light first breaks upon
it, the leading kingdom, at all events in the north, is Kis. Here
a Semitic dynasty seems to have established itself at an early
period, and we hear of wars carried on by it with its southern
neighbours. Towards the south, Lagas, the modern Tello, became
the chief State under its high priests, who made themselves kings.
But Lagas, like all the other petty kingdoms of the country, had at
length to submit to a Semitic power which grew up in the north,
and, after unifying Babylonia, created an empire that extended
must have belonged to Eridu, as is shown by their connection with the Oannes-
gods who rose from the Persian Gulf, they are not kings of Eridu, but of
Pantibibla and Larankha (which seems to have been the Surippak of the
cuneiform texts).