Explorations in Bible lands during the 19th century - H. V. Hilprecht

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DURING 19 T " CENTURY: ARABIA 7 33
Osiander have in fact received no systematic treatment except
in Baethgen's "Contributions to the History of Semitic
Religion," ! and there only in brief and not based upon the
original sources. It is almost incredible that, despite the
abundance of new material at hand, C. P. Tiele's " History
of Ancient Religion,"' 2
as well as Friedrich Jeremias' chapter
on this subject in Chantepie de la Saussaye's " Handbook
of the History of Religion," 3 have entirely neglected the
Mineo-Sabean mythology, which in many points is so
closely related to the religion of the Babylonians, Canaanites,
and Arameans. The fact alone that the South Arabian
proper names consisting of two elements are formed in entire
analogy with those belonging to the other Western Semites
commands our attention. 4
Whenever several gods are mentioned together in the inscriptions
of any of the four chief nations of South Arabia
(Mineans, Hadhramotians, Oatabanians, and Sabeo-Himyarites)
the first name is usually that of the male deity i Athtar>
probably a personification of the morning or evening star
respectively. The second place is occupied by the national
deity, differently named by all the four nations, but in each case
to be recognized as the Moon-god : by the Mineans called
Wadd (literally, " love," or rather " lover " = friend) ; by
the inhabitants of Hadhramot, Sin (compare the Babylonian
Sin = moon) ; by the Qatabanians, l Amm (literally, " father's
1
Published in German, Beitrage zur Semitischen Religionsgeschichte
Berlin, 1888.
2
In Dutch (Geschiedenis, etc., Amsterdam, 1893), and in German (Geschichte
der Religion im Alterturn, etc., i., part 2, Vorderasien, Gotha, 1896).
3
Lehrbuch der Religionsgeschichte, 2d edition, Freiburg, 1897, i., pp.
163—22 1.
4
See the treatment of this subject in Hommel's " The Ancient Hebrew
Tradition," New York and London, 1897. Bv means of cuneiform inscriptions
the proper names can now be traced back to the time of Abraham and
Khammurabi (about 2100 b. c), in some cases even to the time of Sargon
and Naram-Sin of Agade.