o consecrated to her.
Anthropomorphic deities were decorated with the symbols and flowers of
folk religion.

From the comparative evidence accumulated here, it will be seen that
the theory of the mythical Semiramis's Median or Persian origin is
somewhat narrow. It is possible that the dove was venerated in Cyprus,
as it certainly was in Crete, long centuries before Assyrian and
Babylonian influence filtered westward through Phoenician and Hittite
channels. In another connection Sir Arthur Evans shows that the
resemblance between Cretan and early Semitic beliefs "points rather to
some remote common element, the nature of which is at present obscure,
than to any definite borrowing by one side or another".[494]

From the evidence afforded by the Semiramis legends and the
inscriptions of the latter half of the Assyrian Middle Empire period,
it may be inferred that a renascence of "mother worship" was favoured
by the social and political changes which were taking place. In the
first place the influence of Babylon must have been strongly felt in
this connection. The fact that Adadnirari found it necessary to win
the support of the Babylonians by proclaiming his descent from one of
their ancient royal families, suggests that he was not only concerned
about the attitude assumed by the scholars of the southern kingdom,
but also that of the masses of old Sumerian and Akkadian stocks who
continued to bake cakes to the Queen of Heaven so as to ensure good
harvests. In the second place it is not improbable that even in
Assyria the introduction of Nebo and his spouse made widespread
appeal. That country had become largely peopled by an alien
population; many of these aliens came from districts where "mother
worship" prevailed, and had no traditional respect for Ashur, while
they regarded with hostility the military aristocracy who conquered
and ruled in the name of that dreaded deity. Perhaps, too, the
influence of the Aramaeans, who in Babylonia wrecked the temples of
the sun god, tended to revive the ancient religion of the
Mediterranean race. Jehu's religious revolt in Israel, which
established once again the cult of Ashtoreth, occurred after he came
under the sway of Damascus, and may have not been unconnected with the
political ascendancy elsewhere of the goddess cult.

Nebo, whom Adad-nirari exalted at Kalkhi, was more than a local god of
Borsippa. "The most satisfactory view", says Jastrow, "is to regard
him as a counterpa