ame ideas. The only difference here is, that in Assyria ampler evidence
exists of what was material in the religious system, more abundant
representations of the objects and modes of worship; so that it will be
possible to give, by means of illustrations, a more graphic portraiture
of the externals of the religion of the Assyrians than the scantiness of
the remains permitted in the case of the primitive Chaldaeans.

At the head of the Assyrian Pantheon stood the "great god." Asshur. His
usual titles are "the great Lord," "the King of all the Gods," "he who
rules supreme over the Gods." Sometimes he is called "the Father of the
Gods," though that is a title which is more properly assigned to Belus.
His place is always first in invocations. He is regarded throughout all
the Assyrian inscriptions as the especial tutelary deity both of the
kings and of the country. He places the monarchs upon their throne,
firmly establishes then in the government, lengthens the years of their
reigns, preserves their power, protects their forts and armies, makes
their name celebrated, and the like. To him they look to give them
victory over their enemies, to grant them all the wishes of their heart,
and to allow them to be succeeded on their thrones by their sons and
their sons' sons, to a remote posterity. Their usual phrase when
speaking of him is "Asshur, my lord." They represent themselves as
passing their lives in his service. It is to spread his worship that
they carry on their wars. They fight, ravage, destroy in his name.
Finally, when they subdue a country, they are careful to "set up the
emblems of Asshur," and teach the people his laws and his worship.

The tutelage of Asshur over Assyria is strongly marked by the identity
of his name with that of the country, which in the original is complete.
It is also indicated by the curious fact that, unlike the other gods,
Asshur had no notorious temple or shrine in any particular city of
Assyria, a sign that his worship was spread equally throughout the whole
land, and not to any extent localized. As the national deity, he had
given name to the original capital; but even at Asshur (_Kileh-Sherghat_)
it may be doubted whether there was any building which was specially his.
Therefore it is a reasonable conjectures that all the shrines throughout
Assyria were open to his worship, to whatever minor god they might happen
to be dedicated.

In the inscriptions the Assyrians are constantly descr