ic and a
Hamitic term signifying "lord" or "master." Nin-ip, his full Hamitic
appellation, signifies "Nin, by name," or "he whose name is Nin;" and
similarly, his full Semitic appellation seems to have been Barshem, "Bar,
by name," or "he whose name is Bar"--a term which is not indeed found in
the inscriptions, but which appears to have been well known to the early
Syrians and Armenians, and which was probably the origin of the title
Barsemii, borne by the kings of Hatra (Hadhr near Kileh-Sherghat) in
Roman times.

In character and attributes the classical god whom Nin most closely
resembles is, however, not Saturn, but Hercules. An indication of this
connection is perhaps contained in the Herodotean genealogy, which makes
Hercules an ancestor of Ninus. Many classical traditions, we must
remember, identified Hercules with Saturn; and it seems certain that in
the East at any rate this identification was common. So Nin, in the
inscriptions, is the god of strength and courage. He is "the lord of the
brave," "the champion," "the warrior who subdues foes," "he who
strengthens the heart of his followers;" and again, "the destroyer of
enemies," "the reducer of the disobedient," "the exterminator of rebels,"
"he whose sword is good." In many respects he bears a close resemblance
to Nergal or Mars. Like him, he is a god of battle and of the chase,
presiding over the king's expeditions, whether for war or hunting, and
giving success in both alike. At the same time he has qualities which
seem wholly unconnected with any that have been hitherto mentioned. He
is the true "Fish-God" of Berosus, and is fig ured as such in the
sculptures. [PLATE XIX., Fig. 5.] In this point of view he is called
"the god of the sea," "he who dwells in the sea," and again, somewhat
curiously, "the opener of aqueducts." Besides these epithets, he has
many of a more general character, as "the powerful chief," "the supreme,"
"the first of the gods," "the favorite of the gods," "the chief of the
spirits," and the like. Again, he has a set of epithets which seem to
point to his stellar character, very difficult to reconcile with the
notion that, as a celestial luminary, he was Saturn. We find him called
"the light of heaven and earth," "he who, like the sun, the light of the
gods, irradiates the nations." These phrases appear to point to the
Moon, or to some very brilliant star, and are scarcely reconcilable with
the notion that he was the dark a