in the one occupied a subordinate position in the other, the two religious systems may be pronounced, not similar merely but identical.  Each of them, without any real monotheism, commences with the same preeminence of a single deity, which is followed by the same groupings of identically the same divinities; and after that, by a multitudinous polytheism, which is chiefly of a local character.  Each country, so far as we can see, has nearly the same worship-temples, altars, and ceremonies of the same type—­the same religious emblems—­the same ideas.  The only difference here is, that in Assyria ampler evidence exists of what was material in the religious system, more abundant representations of the objects and modes of worship; so that it will be possible to give, by means of illustrations, a more graphic portraiture of the externals of the religion of the Assyrians than the scantiness of the remains permitted in the case of the primitive Chaldaeans.

At the head of the Assyrian Pantheon stood the “great god.”  Asshur.  His usual titles are “the great Lord,” “the King of all the Gods,” “he who rules supreme over the Gods.”  Sometimes he is called “the Father of the Gods,” though that is a title which is more properly assigned to Belus.  His place is always first in invocations.  He is regarded throughout all the Assyrian inscriptions as the especial tutelary deity both of the kings and of the country.  He places the monarchs upon their throne, firmly establishes then in the government, lengthens the years of their reigns, preserves their power, protects their forts and armies, makes their name celebrated, and the like.  To him they look to give them victory over their enemies, to grant them all the wishes of their heart, and to allow them to be succeeded on their thrones by their sons and their sons’ sons, to a remote posterity.  Their usual phrase when speaking of him is “Asshur, my lord.”  They represent themselves as passing their lives in his service.  It is to spread his worship that they carry on their wars.  They fight, ravage, destroy in his name.  Finally, when they subdue a country, they are careful to “set up the emblems of Asshur,” and teach the people his laws and his worship.

The tutelage of Asshur over Assyria is strongly marked by the identity of his name with that of the country, which in the original is complete.  It is also indicated by the curious fact that, unlike the other gods, Asshur had no notorious temple or shrine in any particular city of Assyria, a sign that his worship was spread equally throughout the whole land, and not to any extent localized.  As the national deity, he had given name to the original capital; but even at Asshur (Kileh-Sherghat) it may be doubted whether there was any building which was specially his.  Therefore it is a reasonable conjectures that all the shrines throughout Assyria were open to his worship, to whatever minor god they might happen to be dedicated.