# Sin . Both Babylonian Moon God and a naughty thing. Connections?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sin-both-babylonian-moon-god-and-a-naughty-thing-connections/252561>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 28, 2004, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sin-both-babylonian-moon-god-and-a-naughty-thing-connections/252561 "2004-06-28T16:01:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\
**Post date:** [June 28, 2004, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sin-both-babylonian-moon-god-and-a-naughty-thing-connections/252561/1 "2004-06-28T16:01:48Z")

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Here

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sin\_(mythology)](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sin_%28mythology%29)

is an article on the Babylonian Moon God Sin.

The ancient Hebrews were none too keen on Babylon or its faiths, for good reason.

Does the word “sin”–an immoral act that offends god—derive from this name?

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**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\
**Post date:** [June 28, 2004, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sin-both-babylonian-moon-god-and-a-naughty-thing-connections/252561/2 "2004-06-28T16:16:04Z")

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No.

From the OED:

> [@](#):
>
> [OE. syn(n, for original \*sunj, related to continental forms with extended stem, viz. OFris. sende, MDu. sonde (Du. zonde), OS. sundea, sundia, OHG. sunt(e)a, sund(e)a (G. sünde), ON. syn, synd (Icel., Norw., Sw., Da. synd). The stem may be related to that of L. sons, sont-is guilty. In OE. there are examples of the original general sense, ‘offence, wrong-doing, misdeed’.]

So the word is PIE, not Babylonian. It doesn’t derive from Hebrew, either, or from any language that has any connection to Babylon.

It’s a coincidence, much like the fact that there is a Catholic Church official in the Phillippines named “Cardinal Sin.”

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**Author:** ![Kizarvexius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Kizarvexius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kizarvexius)\
**Post date:** [June 29, 2004, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sin-both-babylonian-moon-god-and-a-naughty-thing-connections/252561/3 "2004-06-29T17:04:34Z")

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As **RealityChuck** said, there’s no etymological connection between “sin” and “Sin”.

There is, however, probably a connection between “Sin” and the region known as Sinai. The Babylonians and Assyrians had a few occasions to experience the wonders of this lovely spot.