There especially was worship offered to them; there was the most magnificent of their shrines.

Out of his own city a god was not greatly respected, unless by those who regarded him as their special personal protector.
The Babylonians worshipped their gods indirectly, through images.
Each shrine had at least one idol, which was held in the most pious reverence, and was in the minds of the vulgar identified with the god.
It seems to have been believed by some that the actual idol ate and drank the offerings.

Others distinguished between the idol and the god, regarding the latter as only occasionally visiting the shrine where he was worshipped.

Even these last, however, held gross anthropomorphic views, since they considered the god to descend from heaven in order to hold commerce with the chief priestess.

Such notions were encouraged by the priests, who furnished the inner shrine in the temple of Bel with a magnificent couch and a golden table, and made the principal priestess pass the night in the shrine on certain occasions.
The images of the gods were of various materials.