‘Tf the earth quakes all day, it portends destruction of the ©
et ; if it quakes continually, (?) there will bean invasion of the and.’
And again }}—
‘If in the month of Tishri the earth quakes, the country will rebel against the king; if the earth quakes during the night, the land will incur disaster or devastation.’
At the same time the evil omen is at times com- pensated by the assurance that the misfortune will not affect the crops, for we are told ++—
‘If the earth though it porten
uakes in Tishri, the crops will be plentiful, hostility in the land.’
We have seen that in the case of various pheno- mena of the heavens and of nature, which form the basis of the official reports of the astrologers, the omens deal chiefly with three subjects — war, crops, and internal disturbances in the country— while the affairs of the individual play no part whatsoever. But besides these phenomena there is an almost infinite number of occurrences in the life of mankind that by their more or less unusual character call for an explanation ; and in the explanation offered the individual is involved, even if not exclusively so. Monstrosities among human beings and animals, peculiar actions of animals, extraordinary occurrences in one’s life, or even ordinary ones, like dreams, constitute some of the phenomena, to the study of which the priests were A ikewise obliged to devote themselves in order to answer inquiries as to their meaning. In the interpretations offered we may observe again the application of practically the same prin- ciples which guided the astrologers in their reports as to the meaning of phenomena in the heavens— association of ideas, and conclusions derived from observation and experience. For purposes of illus- tration, it will be sufficient to give some examples from what we may call birth portents, of which the tablets furnish a very largenumber.:t In this division, even so common an occurrence as the birth of twins, merely because it deviates from
* Thompson, No. 256d. + Ib. No. 257.
t Ib. No. 257, lines 1-5. § Ib, No. 256d.
|| 1b. No. 260, §| The 7th month. ** Thompson, No. 263d. tt Ib. No. 265c.
tt See Bezold’s Catalogue, etc., vol. v. Index, sub ‘Omens,’ p. 2181.
562 RELIGION OF BABYLONIA
normal conditions, is subjected to an interpreta- tion, and we are told *— ‘Jf a woman gives birth to twins, one male and the other
female, it isan unfavourable omen, The land is in favour, but the house + will be reduced.’
Here we have an example of a purely individual portent ; but it is noticeable that the moment any unusual signs are observed in the case of the twins, they are interpreted as having a bearing on public affairs, though at times the family in which the occurrence has taken place is also involved. In accordance with this principle: we are told that—
‘If a woman gives birth to twins and both are brought forth alive, but neither of them have right hands, the produce of the land will be consumed by the enemy... . If a woman gives birth to twins and both are brought forth alive, but the right foot of one is missing, an enemy will for one year cause dis- turbances in the country.’
A monstrosity as such, however, does not por- tend evil, and distinctions are drawn, again based largely on association of ideas.
Thus, in the case of newborn babes with heads that suggest the features of certain animals, a lion’s or a swine’s head represents favourable omens, while a dog’s or a bird’s or a serpent’s head portends some disaster to the country {—
‘Tf a woman gives birth to a child with a lion’s head,§ a power- ful king will rule in the land. Ifa woman gives birth to a child with a dog’s head, the city (where the child is born) will be in distress, and evil will be in the country. If a woman gives birth to a child with a swine’s head, offspring and wealth will increase in that house. Ifa woman gives birth to a child with a bird’s head, the land will be destroyed. If a woman gives pee a a child with a serpent’s head, there will be famine in
e land.’
The monstrosities taken up in this same series of tablets include such phenomena as a babe with two heads, or two mouths, or a double pair of eyes, or with misplaced eyes, or peculiarly shaped ears, or with an organ or a limb missing, and much more of the like. If among human beings monstrosities have a bearing on the public and general weal, it is natural to find this principle adopted in the case of monstrosities occurring among animals. The anomalies introduced are almost endless. Among the examples we find the following : ||—
‘If five young ones are born in the flock, one with a bull’s head, one with a lion’s head, one with a dog’s head, one with a sheep’s head, one with a swine’s head, there will be a series of devastations in the land.
If in the flock young ones are born with five legs, itis a sign of distress for the country. The house of the man will perish, and his stalls will be swept away. If the young ones have six legs, the population will decrease, and devastation come over the land. , . . If the young one has its ears at its neck, the ruler will be without judgment.4] If a young one has its ears below the neck, the strength of the land will be weakened. If the young one has no right ear, the rule of the king will come to an end, his palace will be uprooted, and the population of the city will be swept away; the king will be devoid of judgment, the produce of the country will be small, the enemy will cut off the supply of water. If the young one has no left ear, the deity will hear the king’s prayer, the king will capture his enemy’s land, and the enemy’s palace will be destroyed. The enemy will be deprived of judgment, the produce of the enemy’s land will be taken away, and everything will be cap- tured. If the right ear of the young one falls off, the stall ** will be destroyed. If the left ear of the young one falls off, the stall will be increased, the stall of the enemy will be destroyed.’