had a short time before been pardoned, and allowed to retain the sovereignty of his country, even after he had been convicted of infidelity. Above all, the queen was well aware, that, with the deceased monarch, God's prophet had declared that the royal line of Babylon should cease, and the country become subject to the Medes and Persians. This was, indeed, not only known to the queen by previous predictions, but had also, on that eventful night of revelry, been heralded forth to all the assembled aristocracy by the venerable Daniel.

Can it, then, excite any surprise that this course was taken, now that there was no royal ambition to gratify? Need we wonder that the Babylonians did not decide upon appointing a king, and entering, under every disadvantage, upon a new Median war, rather than, by a ready submission to Darius, securing to themselves a mild and tolerant government?

The king of Media, on these terms, took possession of the kingdom, and treated it as the rest of his dominions. The sacred writer proceeds to say, that "it pleased Darius to set over the kingdom a hundred and twenty princes." The person he appointed as viceroy of Babylon was NABONNEDUS, or LABYNETUS, as he is sometimes named. It would seem, from the accounts of ancient authors, that he was the choice of the Babylonish people; it being extremely probable that, in those circumstances, the Median monarch would allow them a governor in whom they had the fullest confidence. Having made this appointment, and having heard, perhaps by public report, and possibly more fully from his sister, the fame and character of Daniel, Darius took him to his own capital of Ecbatana, and made him the first minister of his great empire.

Labynetus reigned seventeen years. We have no information respecting the early part of his government: but it seems that, having become accustomed to rule, he, after some years, turned his attention to the feasibility of obtaining the independence of Babylon. His first efforts were directed toward greatly improving the fortifications of his capital. At length, taking advantage of the conquest of Media, and the troubled state of the affairs of Cyrus, Labynetus assumed entire independence. How long he was permitted to enjoy this, does not appear. But at length the indefatigable Persian marched toward Babylon. Too confident in his strength, the king went forth, and met him in the field, but was completely defeated. Still the king of Babylon, relying on the strength of the city walls, refused to submit; and Cyrus was long detained by the siege, until at length, taking advantage of a public festival, he diverted the river from its bed, and caused his troops to enter, on each side of the

city, in the night, which was thus taken by surprise, and completely reduced to subjection. Labynetus, on the capture of the city, retreated to Borsippa, the sacred palace and citadel, which were strongly fortified. (See Appendix, note 28.) Cyrus destroyed the principal part of the lofty walls of Babylon, before he left it.

Having subdued the capital, Cyrus proceeded to invest Borsippa; but Labynetus, seeing his circumstances desperate, submitted himself to the conqueror, and was sent into Carmania, where he ended his days. Thus terminated the glory and power of Babylon. We cannot, however, dismiss the history of this country without observing, that we have here the first of those four remarkable nations which were raised up by the special providence of God, made the subjects of wonderful prophetic revelations, and placed in singular proximity to the people of God. There is nothing in the history of the world comparable to the magnitude of this divine interposition. Its effect on the religious character and knowledge of the several countries will be elsewhere shown: but, as a grand element in God's government of the world, this divine vocation of nations to peculiar political power is truly wonderful. Babylon, after ages of subjection to Assyria, suddenly, and exactly when the Hebrew state was tottering to its fall, started up to the summit of martial power and political grandeur; and, having fulfilled her destiny in the ruin and captivity of the Hebrews, and verified the numerous predictions which had been delivered respecting her, she with equal rapidity, and almost without a struggle, descended first into her former subordinate position, and thence into absolute and perpetual desolation. (See Appendix, note 29.)

CHAPTER V.

THE RELIGION OF THE ASSYRIANS AND BABYLONIANS.

BABYLON the seat of the first post-diluvian Apostacy-Peculiar Religious Position of Babylon and Assyria-Epiphanius on the Early Declension of Religion-Information contained in his Statement-Fragment of Damascius-Its Important Teaching-The Chaldæan Oracles exhibit the same Fact-A Triad consisting of the Great Mother, Father, and Only-begotten Son-Further Development of Chaldæan MythologyChaldæan Deities-Their Origin and Peculiarities-Worship of the Heavenly Bodies, and of Fire-Chaldæan and Assyrian Idolatry began with Hero and Demon Worship in the Form of Triads-Mr. Faber on this Subject-Symbolical Representation of the Great Triad Other Symbols-Assarac-Cherubic Figures-The Sacred Tree—A Garden called "Paradise" attached to each Royal Palace-The Palace itself a Sacred Temple-Doubts of Layard-Elaborate Proof of Fergusson-The King revered as a Divine Person-Proof of this-Manner in which the Kings evinced their Claim to this Character-This Idea shown to pervade the whole System-Remarkable Identity of Character which the Religion of Assyria and Babylon maintained through so many Ages-General Views-Gradual Declension in Theology-Worship of Fire-The Results of Hebrew Intercourse and Divine Interposition on the Religion of these Countries-Sabæanism not the Primitive Religion of Assyria-A large Amount of Patriarchal History and Religious Knowledge must have remained in the Primitive Nations long after the Dispersion-Patriarchal Longevity designed to prevent a Deterioration in Religion-Connexion with the Hebrews-Divine Interposition more likely on this Ground to be effective-Assyrian Intercourse with Egypt-Assyrian Knowledge of Hebrew History-The Mission of Jonah-Its Religious Results-The Destruction of the Assyrian Emigrants in Samaria by Lions—A Hebrew Priest sent to teach them the Law of the Lord-Babylon elated by the Ruin of Jerusalem-The King humbled, and all the People taught Divine Truth, on the Plains of DuraNebuchadnezzar's Insanity, Restoration, and Proclamation.

WHEN the antiquity and extensive dominion of these great empires, Assyria and Babylon, are considered, it is almost impossible to attach too much importance to an acquaintance with their religion.

Here, unquestionably, the first post-diluvian apostacy was carried into effect, and recognised as the established faith of a particular nation. Regarding Mr. Faber's induction-that the great principles of heathen idolatry were evolved, and generally adopted, before the Dispersion-as an established fact, we hold that these must have been incorporated into the national faith of Assyria and Babylon, before any other people would have obtained a settled location, and assumed a national form. Another circumstance serves to confirm this opinion: by the universal consent of all antiquity, the founder of the Babylonian state was one of the leaders, if not the prime mover, in the origination and development of this apostacy.

To Nimrod has been awarded, in all ages, the position of archapostate in this departure from the truth of God: and this being admitted, there cannot be a doubt that he enforced the adoption of this perverted faith as a part of the policy of his own govern

ment.

But while these circumstances clearly indicate the existence of some important facts, and the operation of certain principles, we must recollect that they prove the period to which our inquiry is directed to be exceedingly remote. We have here to discuss the nature of religious changes effected four thousand five hundred years ago, and to trace, as far as possible, their operation, influence, and development for the twenty centuries which ensued; and to attempt all this, under the great disadvantage arising from the circumstance that this people has perished from the earth, and been unknown among men during the last two thousand years. Much, therefore, cannot be expected in such an effort, beyond general heads of information. Accuracy in detail must in this instance be almost impossible. What can be gleaned, however, from authentic sources, it will be our aim to furnish; and from these data to supply general views of the character, morals, influence, and policy of this religious system.

In the absence of precise information respecting the early operation of idolatry in Assyria, it might be fairly presumed that those great errors which have been shown to have originated before the Dispersion, and to have wrought a total corruption in the theology of the world, had obtained in that country, and produced similar results to those which meet the eye of religious research in Egypt and other ancient nations.

We are not totally left to this barren induction, in respect of a subject of so much interest and importance. There are several facts connected with it, handed down to us by ancient Greek authors, who had opportunities of collecting, from the literature of Assyria and Babylon, important elements of information, which were current in their day, respecting the religion of those countries. These stores of instruction are largely supplemented by the extensive discoveries recently made in the sculptures and inscriptions of these ancient nations; which have shed a flood of light on the religious usages, rites, worship, sacred persons, and divinities of Assyria and Babylon. These sources of information, when studied under the direction of the general teaching of history, and with a due regard to the influence exercised by the numerous divine interpositions and communications of religious truth, through the instrumentality of the Hebrew people and of the Hebrew Scriptures, will, it is hoped,