The Religion of Babylonia and Assyria

Opening of the book

HANDBOOKS ON THE HISTORY OF
RELIGIONS
EDITED BY
MORRIS JASTROW, Jr., PH.D.
Professor of Semitic Languages in the
University of Pennsylvania
VOLUME II
THE RELIGION OF BABYLONIA AND
ASSYRIA
BY
MORRIS JASTROW, Jr., PH.D.
(LEIPZIG)
PROFESSOR OF SEMITIC LANGUAGES IN THE
UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
GINN & COMPANY
BOSTON · NEW YORK · CHICAGO · LONDON
COPYRIGHT, 1893
By MORRIS JASTROW, Jr.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
35.11
The Athenæum Press
GINN & COMPANY · PROPRIETORS
BOSTON · USA
[Transcriber's Note: This file was produced from images
generously made available by the Bibliothèque nationale de
France (BnF/Gallica) at http://gallica.bnf.fr.]
TO
H. B. J.
MY FAITHFUL COLLABORATOR
PREFACE.
It requires no profound knowledge to reach the conclusion
that the time has not yet come for an exhaustive treatise
on the religion of Babylonia and Assyria. But even if our
knowledge of this religion were more advanced than it is,
the utility of an exhaustive treatment might still be
questioned. Exhaustive treatises are apt to be exhausting
to both reader and author; and however exhaustive (or
exhausting) such a treatise may be, it cannot be final
except in the fond imagination of the writer. For as long
as activity prevails in any branch of science, all results
are provisional. Increasing knowledge leads necessarily to
a change of perspective and to a readjustment of views.
The chief reason for writing a book is to prepare the way
for the next one on the same subject.
In accordance with the general plan of this Series[1] of
Handbooks, it has been my chief aim to gather together in
convenient arrangement and readable form what is at

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