her idols, from which resulted the
multiplication of one goddess into many.

The name of Ishtar appears to have been rarely used in Assyria in royal
or other appellations. It is difficult to account for this fact, which
is the more remarkable, since in Phoenicia Astarte, which corresponds
closely to Ishtar, is found repeatedly as an element in the royal
titles.

NEBO.

Nebo must have been acknowledged as a god by the Assyrians from very
ancient times, for his name occurs as an element in a royal appellation
as early as the twelfth century B.C. He seems, however, to have been
very little worshipped till the time of Vud-lush III., who first brought
him prominently forward in the Pantheon of Assyria after an expedition
which he conducted into Babylonia, where Nebo had always been in high
favor. Vul-lush set up two statues to Nebo at Calah and probably built
him the temple there which was known as Bit-Siggil, or Beth-Saggil, from
whence the god derived one of his appellations. He did not receive much
honor from Sargon; but both Sennacherib and Esarhaddon held him in
considerable reverence, the latter even placing him above Merodach in an
important invocation. Asshur-bani-pal also paid him considerable
respect, mentioning him and his wife Warmita, as the deities under whose
auspices he undertook certain literary labors.

It is curious that Nebo, though he may thus almost be called a late
importation into Assyria, became under the Later Dynasty (apparently)
one of most popular of the gods. In the latter portion of the list of
Eponyms obtained from the celebrated "Canon," we find Nebo an element in
the names as frequently as any other god excepting Asshur. Regarding
this as a test of popularity we should say that Asshur held the first
place; but that his supremacy was closely contested by Bel and Nebo, who
were held in nearly equal repute, both being far in advance of any other
deity.

Besides these principal gods, the Assyrians acknowledged and worshipped
a vast number of minor divinities, of whom, however, some few only
appear to deserve special mention. It may be noticed in the first place,
as a remarkable feature of this people's mythological system, that each
important god was closely associated with a goddess, who is commonly
called his wife, but who yet does not take rank in the Pantheon at all
in accordance with the dignity of her husband. Some of these goddesses
have been already mentioned, as Beltis, the fem