again, the hoped-for
pacification of the deity.

[473] The colophon to one of them (IVR. 10, Reverse 52) declares that
the production in question is a "penitential psalm for any god
whatsoever."

[474] IVR. 10. Zimmern, no. 4.

[475] _I.e._, be pacified.

[476] _I.e._, 'whoever he may be,' as we would say.

[477] Among many nations fasting is resorted to as a means of atonement.
It must have been common among the Hebrews during the period of the
Babylonian exile--perhaps through Babylonian influence. See Isaiah,
lviii. 3.

[478] Lit., rushing water.

[479] _I.e._, very numerous.

[480] Be pacified.

[481] _E.g._, IVR. 61.

[482] _Ib._ 59, no. 2.

[483] Delitzsch, _Assyr. Woerterbuch_, p. 378. In another psalm the
penitent says similarly, "Food I have not eaten, weeping is my
nourishment, water I have not drunk, tears are my drink."

[484] Lit., 'released.' The underlying metaphor represents the
individual held fast by sin, just as the demons seize hold of a man.

[485] A somewhat puzzling line, but which appears to convey the promise
on the part of the penitent that if forgiven he will observe the rites
demanded by the deity.

[486] Babylon.

[487] IVR 19, no. 3; Zimmern, no. 5.

[488] Like a column. The metaphor is the same as in the Biblical phrase,
"column of smoke."

[489] Published by Bruennow, _Zeits. f. Assyr._ v. 66 _seq._ The king
mentions his father, Shamshi-Ramman, in the hymn. If this is
Shamshi-Ramman III., the date of the hymn would be _c._ 1100 B.C.

[490] Lit., 'lifting up of thy eyes.'

CHAPTER XIX.

ORACLES AND OMENS.

A strong element of magic, we have seen, was always present in the hymns
and prayers of the Babylonians, and even in such as contained religious
sentiments of an elevated and pure character. The finest prayer has
almost invariably tacked on to it an incantation, or constitutes in
itself an incantation. Accompanying the prayer were offerings to the
deity addressed, or certain symbolical rites, or both, and the efficacy
of the prayer was supposed to reside partly in the accompanying acts and
partly in the mystic power of the _words_ of the prayer as such. In
large measure this indissoluble association of prayer and incantation is
due to the circumstance that both Babylonians and Assyrians addressed
their deities only when something was desired of the latter,--the
warding off of some evil or the expectation of some favor. Even in the
penitential psalms