Irving Finkel

And the lesser minor gods were amalgamated, and then they were given jobs in the households of the big gods.

So there was a sort of structure.

So you have this in the background, a big sweeping theology like you have in the world today in some parts of the world.

And this was the main system.

And the main gods were concerned with the ruler and the fate of the country.

And another god was concerned with illness and the dead and what happens to the dead.

And they had other specialities.

And they all had their own temples.

And when a baby came into the world...

probably this was universally true, the baby was put under the tutelage of one or other of the gods.

Sometimes, you know, the royal family, they were the big shots, but sometimes not.

Or the ones that were in the family or something like that.

So people had...

grew up with the idea that among all of them, there were special ones for the family, and they had a special one who was supposed to look after them.

That's the sort of basic idea.

But the trouble is, since gods are, as you say, human beings on a larger scale, they can be forgetful or uninterested or on holiday.

And there are lots of ways that you have to prompt your

make little sacrifices and little bribes so they do their job and keep an eye on you.

So they had that kind of slightly practical view of gods, that they were a bit unpredictable, great when they were there but not always there sort of idea.

And I also believe this, that a lot of people in the world today