f fate from Bel by
the storm-god Zu represents some natural phenomenon (perhaps the reign
of winter), possibly, also, a transference of headship from one deity to
another. The story of Adapa is in part an explanation of how men came to
lose immortality. There is, thus, in these myths a fairly full history
of the origin of the large facts of human life, with little interest in
the personalities of the divine actors.

Hebrew mythical material is in general identical with Babylonian; its
Old Testament form has been more or less revised by late monotheistic
editors. The two cosmogonies in Genesis, the flood story, and the dragon
of chaos (a late figure in the Old Testament[1752]) are merely
descriptions of cosmic or local facts. The dispersion at Babel (not now
found in Babylonian records, but paralleled elsewhere) deals with a
sociological fact of great interest for the Hebrews, marking them off,
as it did, from all other peoples.[1753] The heroes of the early
time[1754] belong to folk-lore, probably a mixture of myth and legend.
The explanation of various human experiences in the Eden story[1755]
appears to be of Hebrew origination; it is, however, rather a late
theological theory than a myth. The Syrian and Palestinian Tammuz
(Adonis) myth is identical in general form with the Babylonian myth of
Tammuz and Ishtar.[1756]

+960+. The Indo-European mythical material shows an advance over the
Egyptian and Semitic in distinctness and fullness of life corresponding
to the distincter individuality of the Indo-European divine personages.
These are not mere powers in the world, more or less identified with
natural forces and phenomena, nor a collection of deities substantially
identical in character and functions; they have grown into persons,
differing, indeed, in the degree of individualization, but all
pronounced personalities.

+961+. Hindu myths, though less numerous and less highly elaborated
than the Greek, still reflect fairly well the characters of certain
divinities, especially Indra, Agni, the Acvins, the Maruts, and some
others.[1757] Indra, particularly, is portrayed in detail, so that he is
as distinct a person as Ares or Mars. Krishna and other figures in the
epics live human lives with all human virtues and vices.

+962+. The full literary form of the myth is found only in Greece. As
Zeus, Apollo, Athene, Aphrodite, and others are well-defined
personalities, each with certain intellectual and moral characteris