Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-06-21

In the land. There was no water for
irrigation and the increase grew not
up; the rising waters sparkled not. nor
rose in their splendor" Naturally the
king saw IN this calamity the hand OF
the city god Nin-girsu, and turned 70
him with prayer and sacrifice. All
kinds Of rich things be offered IN sacd-
ace,'
10 the story as recorded Il IS made
evident that the temples Of that early
age were magnificent structures We
read in the account .n the Globe.
before the great gate. guarded by
huge serpents and dragons with PRO.
truding tongues was the great tank
Tor lustrctlon. or the bronze sea- The
chief parts Of ihe ciifee were The
council chamber and the judgment
hail ln The private apartments was
he banquet chamber. with iis golden
table and couch Here the god and his
consort FED upon white bread. honey.
milk wine and pure butter foods uu-
touched by hre-aui each day the pie
Gus ruler roplenishcI their table ln
the inner part of Che building the soc.
dess Bau dWeit attended by seven tir-
gins. There was garden full OF
beautiful trees and flowers which cast
a pleasant shade, and On the branches
OF which doves rested Here also was
The fountain ~ pure water from which
the gods drink Musicians are mem
toned, who PLAYED on harps. pipes ana
cymblls and on the great horn Of the
god
Adjacent 70 The temple palace were
stalls Tor cattle. including the great
famous bulls that none could pen. and
the sacred cows a. the moon god.
There were folds for sheep and goats
and tame gazelles. Here. too. was the
Sta bic % the sacred ass of the god. who
drew bis chariot and the house of his
driver Tor The horse was not known
as yet Parks. lakes and ponds alive
with fish were 100 the domain. such is
the picture ~ Baby'0li8u palace.
which wc see through this description
OF the temple built by Gudea som,
400 years ago
OF equal interest IS the glimpse o.
the life Of The people given in the oi1
records. on one Of the cylinders It 8.
recorded that on the day the king en-
tered his new temple. an octave Of fes-
tlval was proclaimed. q period OF JOY
and peace ], Is described thus
During seven days the female ser
want was equal with her mistress and |
the manservant on a par with his mas
ter, In his city The strong and the
weak lay side by side On the evil !
tongue the wicked words were changed .
70 good and all evil was turned from
the temnle ram paid attention 70 tho /
laws Of -girsu. the orphan was /
not oppressed by the rich and the WI I
dow suffered not from the mighty"
II Is curious 20 notice that. As FAR .
back as the history OF the human race /
takes US. a state Of universal brother |
hood a millennium Is held up as the
ideal state Of human society In Baby. /
lonla, 1000 years ago. divine services I
were observed by the actual hreakinA
down Of class distinctions and the sup
preston Of evil. How much nearer the
realization Of Millennium Is the world
today than u was then?
Another popularity Of that remote
age Is the prominence held by the
women The wife and mother preceds
the husband and father, and the maid
servant the man servant. and the god
dess IS often mentioned before her con.
sort II Is always a goddess whom The
king consuts IN his trouble. Thu,
he says. TO my mother ! bring my
dream. that the dlviner tof the godsl
who knows what desire may reveal 20
me the meaning" II is customary with
some to regard those remote times a.
the age OF woman slavery woman deg
radiation, from which emancipation only |
recently has rescued the fair half Of |
mankind. History does not exactly sus-
tain this view. For. IN remote bar
barous' ages. with moral standards
IN many respects different from thOs.
OF later generations. women had more
rights and more influence than r. now
sometimes supposed The very fact that
men then believed IN goddesses as We'll
As gods IL proof positive OF that asser
ton. Tor there would have been no god
desses 70 worship. had woman been re-
garded a. only slave a piece Of prop
erty. The euslavement Of woman be-
longs TO a later age, more corrupt |
though II boasts of purer morals than
ne most ancient nations are supposed
90 have reached