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

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DURING ID'" CENTURY: ARABIA 745
in consequence of Babylonian supremacy lasting for centuries
(before and after 2000 b. c.) are interspersed with many
Babylonian elements. Most of these names are compounded
with i/u, " god ; " abu, " father ;
" l ammu, " father's
brother" (
= protector, guardian); sometimes also with Ai
or Ta (name of a god). Comp. Abi-melek, " my father is
king;" 'Ammi-el, "my protector is god;" Eli-'ezer, "my
god is helper;" Yishma'-el, "God hears;" Ai-kalab or
Ya-kalab, " Ya is priest." In those names which are especially
Canaanite we find also ba'al, "lord" (Babyl. belu),
and adbn, " lord," pointing, however, already to
influence.
Babylonian
It has already been remarked, in Part II., that the genuine
Babylonians preferred sun-worship, while among the
primitive Arabs moon-worship prevailed, the sun (as wife
of the Moon-god) being of minor importance. Especially
in
Ur the Moon-god was worshipped under a system almost
monotheistic, as is shown by the oft-translated hymn in
" Inscriptions of Western Asia," vol. iv., plate 9. The
moon was lord of the heavenly hosts,— i.
e., of the stars,
the " father " (abu) and god par excellence ;
that he was
also called ammu i is proved by the name for the Moon-god
among the Qatabanians ! in South Arabia (see 'Amm in Part
II.). There is of course a very close connection between
this and the use of ilu, abu, and 'ammu in the old proper
names among the Western Semites. Abraham's family itself
was devoted to this moon-worship, as is shown even
bv Hebrew tradition (see Joshua 24 : 2), although Abraham
and the other patriarchs had doubtless already embraced a
purer monotheism, so that probably the orb of the moon
shining at night was to them merely a symbol of the one
true god, and not the real image of God himself. The
name Ai or Ya, which was occasionally used alongside of ilu
1
They are even called Walad 'Amm, " Sons of 'Amm," just as in the Old
Testament the Ammonites are always called Bene ' Amnion.