ng as
Beltis is, or is not, inserted. His worship in the time of the early
empire appears from the invocation of Tiglath-Pileser I., where he
occurs in the third place, between Bel and Shamas. [PLATE CXLII., Fig.
2.] His emblem, the crescent, was worn by Asshur-izir-pal, and is found
wherever divine symbols are inscribed over their effigies by the
Assyrian kings. There is no sign which is more frequent on the
cylinder-seals, whether Babylonian or Assyrian, and it would thus seem
that Sin was among the most popular of Assyria's deities. His name
occurs sometimes, though not so frequently as some others, in the
appellations of important personages, as _e, g._ in that of Sennacherib,
which is explained to mean "Sin multiplies brethren." Sargon, who thus
named one of his sons, appears to have been specially attached to the
worship of Sin, to whom, in conjunction with Shamas, he built a temple
at Khorsabad, and to whom he assigned the second place among the
tutelary deities of his city.

The Assyrian monarchs appear to have had a curious belief in the special
antiquity of the Moon-god. When they wished to mark a very remote
period, they used the expression "from the origin of the god Sin." This
is perhaps a trace of the ancient connection of Assyria with Babylonia,
where the earliest capital, Ur, was under the Moon-god's protection, and
the most primeval temple was dedicated to his honor.

Only two temples are known to have been erected to Sin in Assyria. One
is that already mentioned as dedicated by Sargon at Bit-Sargina
(Khorsabad) to the Sun and Moon in conjunction. The other was at Calah,
and in that Sin had no associate.

SHAMAS.

Shamas, the Sun-god, though in rank inferior to Sin, seems to have been
a still more favorite and more universal object of worship. From many
passages we should have gathered that he was second only to Asshur in
the estimation of the Assyrian monarchs, who sometimes actually place
him above Bel in their lists. His emblem, the four-rayed orb, is worn by
the king upon his neck, and seen more commonly than almost any other
upon the cylinder-seals. It is even in some instances united with that
of Asshur, the central circle of Asshur's emblem being marked by the
fourfold rays of Shamas.

The worship of Shamas was ancient in Assyria. Tiglath-Pileser I., not
only names him in his invocation, but represents himself as ruling
especially under his auspices. Asshur-izir-pal mentions Asshur and
S