IN THE SECOND MILLENNIUM B.C. In the Light of Archæology and the Inscriptions By STANLEY A. COOK, M.A. EX-FELLOW, AND LECTURER IN HEBREW AND SYRIAC, GONVILLE AND CAIUS COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE; AUTHOR OF 'A GLOSSARY OF THE ARAMAIC INSCRIPTIONS,' 'THE LAWS OF MOSES AND THE CODE OF HAMMURABI,' 'CRITICAL NOTES ON OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY,' ETC. LONDON ARCHIBALD CONSTABLE & CO LTD 1908...

The following pages deal with the religion of Ancient Palestine, more particularly in the latter half of the Second Millennium, B.C. They touch upon the problem of the rise and development of Israelite religion; a problem, however, which does not lie within the scope of the present sketch (pp. 4 , 114 sq. ). The Amarna tablets, Egyptian records, and the results of recent excavation form the foundation, and the available material has been interpreted in the light of comparative religion. The aim

The Subject. —By the Religion of Ancient Palestine is meant that of the Semitic land upon which was planted the ethical monotheism of Judaism. The subject is neither the growth of Old Testament theology, nor the religious environment of the Israelite teachers: it anticipates by several centuries the first of the great prophets whose writings have survived, and it takes its stand in the second millennium B.C., and more especially in its latter half. It deals with the internal and external religio

The Sanctuary of Gezer. —Of the excavations in Palestine none have been so prolific or so fully described as those undertaken by Mr. Macalister on behalf of the Palestine Exploration Fund at Gezer. This ancient site lies about eighteen miles W.N.W. of Jerusalem, and, between its two knolls, on a commanding position, one of the most striking which Palestine can offer, were found the remains of a sanctuary whose history must have extended over several centuries. Gezer itself has thrown the stronge

The modern holy places, under the care of some minister, dervish, or priestly family, are the scenes of periodic visits, liturgical unctions, processions, the festal display of lights, etc., and although in the course of their lengthy history there have been certain modifications, it is to them that one must look for the persisting religion which underlay the older official cults. The rocks with cup-marks and channels, the gloomy caves and grottoes, the mountain summits, the springs or fountains

General Inferences. —That the old places of cult had their duly ordained officials may be taken for granted; even the smallest of them, like those of to-day, must have had appointed attendants. The Amarna letters mention the wealthy temple of Byblos with the handmaidens of the goddess of the city, and in Merneptah's reign we hear of a man of Gaza who is described as a servant of Baal. We may be sure, also, that the rites and festivals were similar to those usually prevalent among agricultural pe

Awe. —A fundamental sense of awe was felt in the presence of anything unusual or contrary to experience, and man's instinctive philosophy shaped his ideas from the suggestions of daily life, accounting for all cases of causation by assimilating them to the intentional acts of voluntary agents like himself. There was no doubt of the existence and influence of surrounding unseen powers; they must be cajoled, appeased, bribed and rewarded. Some were inevitably malevolent; with others man could ente

Their vicissitudes. —The deities were not originally personifications of any one power of nature; like the secular heads of small local groups they were the supreme patrons of their little circle. They were usually nameless, but were known by an epithet, or were styled 'god' ( el ) or 'lord, owner' ( baal ), with the corresponding feminine form. Each might be distinguished by the name of its locality. The 'god' of Sidon was otherwise the 'Baal' of Sidon, the 'goddess' of Byblos was known as the

Until the necessary evidence comes to light it is scarcely possible to do more than collect a few notes upon some of the gods and goddesses of our period. The most important sources are from Babylonia, Assyria, and Egypt; but some additional information can be gleaned from Palestinian names, allowance being made for the fact that a personal name compounded with that of a deity is not enough to prove that the bearer was its worshipper. Asiatic Deities in Egypt date from before the age of the Hyks

Miscellaneous Ideas. —Although the native literature of our period consists almost entirely of the begging-letters and reports in the Amarna Tablets, yet even from the language addressed to the human representative of the Sun-God, we may gain some idea of the intellectual environment, some hints, it may be, suggestive of the religious thought of the age.[ 1 ] The Egyptian monarch is addressed not only as king of lands, king of battle but as a god (pp. 63 , 78 ). His commands are as powerful as t

For the Excavations: R. A. S. Macalister, 'Reports on the Excavation of Gezer,' in the Quarterly Statements of the Palestine Exploration Fund (October 1902-October 1905; July 1907-July 1908); id. , Bible Side-lights from the Mound of Gezer (London, 1906, numerous illustrations); Ernst Sellin, 'Tell Ta'annek,' in the Denkschriften of the Vienna Academy (1904-5); W. M. Flinders Petrie, Researches in Sinai (London, 1906); Hugues Vincent, Canaan d'après l'Exploration Recente (Paris, 1907; a valuable

The following dates are based upon the latest researches, but are to be regarded as provisional. Some Biblical dates are added for comparison, those marked with an asterisk follow the margin of the Authorised Version. ADDU, weather-god, 79 , 89 sq. , 95 . Adonis, 36 , 47 , 92 , 111 . Aegean isles, 6 , 8 . Agriculture, 7 , 9 sq. , 11 , 33 sq. , 88 , 90 . Allah, 21 , 61 , 68 . Altar, 18 sqq. , 27 , 39 , 108 . Amarna tablets, 6 8 , 10 , 33 , 63 , 76 , 78 , 92 , 96 , 98 sqq. , 106 , 112 , etc. Amenh