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iew is plausible, but it still remains to be proved. [187] Scheil, "Le Culte de Gudea sous le II^e Dynastie d'Ur" (_Recueil des Travaux, etc._ xviii. 64-74). W. R. Arnold, _Ancient Babylonian Temple Records_ (New York, 1896). The Telloh tablets appear to be largely lists of offerings made to the temples at Lagash, and temple accounts. (See now Reisner, Tempelurkunden aus Telloh (Berlin, 1901).) [188] See besides Scheil's article (above), Lehmann's note, _Zeits. fuer Assyr._ x. 381. [189] Our knowledge of the documents of this period is due chiefly to Strassmaier and Meissner. [190] At times under rather curious forms, _e.g._, Shush-sha; Strassmaier, Warka, no. 30, l. 21. The form Sha-ash-sha also occurs in nos. 43 and 105 (_cf._ Meissner's note, _Beitraege zum Altbabylonischen Privatrecht_, p. 156). [191] Meissner, no. 42. Also in a proper name, Khusha-ilu, _i.e._, 'Khusha is god.' [192] Meissner, nos. 40 and 118. [193] See chapter xi. [194] IIR. 60, 18a. Pinches (_Journal Victoria Institute_, xxviii. 36 reads Shu-gid-la; Hommel, _ib._ 36, Shu-sil-la). [195] For this deity, see a paper by the writer, "The Element _Bosheth_ in Hebrew Proper Names," in the _Journal of Bibl. Liter._ xiii. 20-30. CHAPTER X. THE MINOR GODS IN THE PERIOD OF HAMMURABI. Coming back now to the historical texts and placing the minor deities together that occur in the inscriptions of Hammurabi and his successors down through the restoration of native rulers on the throne of Babylonia, we obtain the following list: Zakar, Lugal-mit-tu (?), Nin-dim-su, Ba-kad, Pap-u, Belit-ekalli, Shumalia, Shukamuna, Gula, Shir, Shubu, Belit of Akkad, Malik, Bunene, Nin-igi-nangar-bu, Gushgin-banda, Nin-kurra, Nin-zadim. In view of the limited amount of historical material at our disposal for the second period of Babylonian history, the list of course does not permit us to form a definite notion of the total number of minor gods that were still occasionally invoked by the side of the great gods. By comparison, however, with the pantheon so far as ascertained of the first period, the conclusion is justified that with the systematization of cults and beliefs characteristic of the Hammurabi, a marked tendency appears towards a reduction of the pantheon, a weeding out of the numerous local cults, their absorption by the larger ones, and the relegation of the minor gods of only local significance to a place among the spirits and demon
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