It is the ancient Chaldean Meridug, or Merodach.

He was the young god who interceded continually between the angry, omnipotent Ea, his father, and the humble and unhappy Damkina, or Earth, who was his mother.

This is interesting from another point of view, because this Merodach or Marmaduke is, so far as we can see now, the original prototype of our 'divine intermediary' idea.

I daresay, though, that if we could go back still other scores of centuries, we should find whole receding series of types of this Christ-myth of ours." Theron Ware sat upright at the fall of these words, and flung a swift, startled look about the room--the instinctive glance of a man unexpectedly confronted with peril, and casting desperately about for means of defence and escape.

For the instant his mind was aflame with this vivid impression--that he was among sinister enemies, at the mercy of criminals.