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$410. OF TAMMUZ AND ADONIS.

there were many Baals. The temple, which Herodotus (I. 105.) found at Ascalon, and which he reckons among the fanes of Venus, was undoubtedly a temple of Astarte or Ashtaroth, 1 Sam. 30: 10. The fact of groves being mentioned in connexion with this goddess is in itself a circumstance, calculated to excite a suspicion, that her worship was impure; and in 2 K. 23: 6, 7, we have a very clear intimation indeed, that such was the case. Compare Hos. 4: 13, 14. Is. 57: 7. Ezek. 6: 13.

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Sanconiathon, or if it be preferred, Philo Biblius remarks indeed in Eusebius (PRAEP. EVANG. I. 10.) that Astarte was the Venus of the Phenicians; and adds further, that the effigy of the goddess was the head of an ox with horns probably in resemblance of the crescent. This statement throws some light on the expressions Dop ninave Ashtaroth of horns, Gen. 14: 5. Deut. 1: 4. The Syrians also call Venus ninoy, which is merely a word altered

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The Arabians before the time of Mohammed worshipped the planet Venus, or the morning and evening star so called. This accounts for their making Venus' day or Friday a festival, although there is no command respecting it, in the Koran. But the moon likewise was worshipped by them, and made a separate object of their adoration, as may very well be inferred from their propensity to make images of the moon, which is mentioned Judg. 8: 21 -26. These images were crescents, hung upon the necks of the camels. Compare Selden DE DIIS SYRIS, SYNTAGMA, II. p. 291.

410. OF TAMMUZ AND ADONIS.

In progress of time, various fables were invented relative to the Sun and Moon in their character of deities, one of which was the story of Adonis. The name Adonis, i. e. my lord, is in itself an intimation, that the Sun is implied under it. The stories concerning him, though not always consistent with themselves, agree in this, that he was an object of love to Venus, Astarte, or the moon, that he was afterwards slain by a boar, and that it was at length permitted him, to spend his time alternately and at equal intervals, as a shade, in the realms of Proserpine, and in his original form, on the earth. (Compare the large German edition of this Work, P. III. § 133.)

The Egyptians had a fable, that their god Osiris was shut up

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$411. MOLOC, MOLEC, MALCOM, MILCOM.

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in a box by Typhon and thrown into the Nile, was found by Isis at Byblos in Syria, was finally slain by Typhon, his body cut to pieces and his limbs scattered in every direction. Isis, however, collected his limbs together and buried them. These stories, respecting Osiris and Adonis, although quite dissimilar, were at last connected together. For in Syria the women spent the anniverof Adonis' death in much grief, while the Egyptian women the spent that of Osiris in the same manner, and in both cases, pcriod of mourning was followed by a festival of joy; in Syria for Adonis returned to life, and in Egypt for the limbs of the dismembered Osiris collected and buried. The Egyptians were in the habit on this occasion of writing an epistle, enclosing it in a box The account, enof the Papyrus, and throwing it into the sea. closed therein, which was said to be wafted by water to Byblos, concerned the discovery and burial of the limbs of Osiris, but the inhabitants of Byblos interpreted it of the restoration of Adonis to life.

In Syria this festival was held in the month TAMMUZ or July, at which time the torrent of Adonis, having contracted a red colour from the earth, was thought to be tinged with the blood of Adonis, and at that time the grief of the women began. When this colour in the water was no longer perceivable, the return of Adonis to life was announced, and sorrow was converted into joy. The women when they mourned for Adonis were expected to shave their heads; in failure of which, they were bound to prostitute themselves to some stranger, and pay the price to the temple of Venus. This is the festival, which is spoken of in Ezekiel 8: 14, for Adonis in Syriac is called Tammuz.

411. MOLOC, MOLEC, MALCOM, MILCOM.

Planets were worshipped under the name ni; for we find them in 2 Kings 23: 5, spoken of in connexion with the sun and moon, and the horses and chariots, which were assigned to the Sun by the Mehestani. So that there is no doubt, that the seven planets are meant; which, in the Zend Avesta, P. III. Dun-Dehesh 5. p. 66, are represented, as being stationed for guards or watches.

Of these planets, Saturn, more than any others, was made an

S411. MOLOC, MOLEC, MALCOM, MILCOM.

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object of worship; in regard to whom a mythological story was prevalent, that he devoured his own offspring; a circumstance, of which indeed we have an intimation in the custom of offering to him children in sacrifice, which existed among the Canaanites, Phenicians, and Carthaginians, among which nations he was known under the various names of Moloc, Molec, Malcom, and Milcom, Eusebius, PRAEP. EVANG. IV. c. 16.

This monster of a deity was represented by a statue of brass, with arms extended, but declining towards the earth. The children to be offered to the god were placed upon his arms, and as their declination was considerable, the victims readily rolled off from them into a furnace placed below, and glowing with fire, Diodorus Sic. XX. 14. The offering up of children in this manner was very early forbidden by Moses, but they were sacrificed after his time, notwithstanding his injunctions on the subject, by Ahaz and by Manasseh.

The word to cause to pass through, and the phrase NE to cause to pass through the fire, are used in respect to human sacrifices in Deut. 12: 31. 18: 10. 2 K. 16: 3. 21: 6. 2 Chron. 28: 3. 33: 6. These words are not to be considered, as meaning in these instances literally to pass through, and that alone. They are rather synonymous with to burn, and to immolate, with which they are interchanged, as may be seen by an examination of Jer. 7: 31. 19: 5. Ezek. 16: 20, 21. Ps. 106: 38.

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In the later periods of the Jewish kingdom, this idol was erected in the valley south of Jerusalem, viz. Dior Di in the valley of Hinnom, and in the part of said valley called Tophet, ng, so named from the drums, on which were beaten to prevent the groans and cries of children sacrificed, from being heard, Jer. 7: 31, 32. 19: 6—14. Is. 30: 33. 2 K. 23: 10. The place was so abhorrent to the minds of the more recent Jews, that they applied the name Ge Hinnom or Gehenna to the place of torments in a future life. The word GEHENNA is used in this way, (viz. for the place of punishment beyond the grave,) very frequently in Oriental writers, as far as India. Compare Wetstein's New Testament at Matt. 5: 22.

S413. OF TERAPHIM.

$412. CONCERNING CHIUN AND REMPHAN.

The god CHIUN, 72, whose small Tabernacles, (resembling perhaps the small shrines of Diana mentioned Acts 19: 24.) were secretly carried about with them by the Hebrews in their journey through the Arabian wilderness, (Amos 5: 26.) was no other than Saturn. As a confirmation of this, we observe, that the Ara

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كيوان

bic and Persian word for Saturn is ; the Syriac is is; the Chaldaic is, which means just; for the reign of Saturn was celebrated for the exercise of justice.

The Alexandrine interpreter has rendered the Hebrew word Chiun by the word Ρεμπαν, Ρεφαν, Ραιφαν, which in the Coptic dialect, is the name for Saturn, Della Valle's Travels, P. I. p. 125. The Prophet Amos calls this god both a star and a king; as in fact Saturn was both a planet, and the king or idol-deity, who was otherwise called MOLEC, MOLOC, MILCOM, and MALCOM. This double character of Saturn, as a star in heaven and a monarch on earth, may perhaps be recognized in the Hebrew words and Annamelech and Adrammelech, (2 K. 17: 31.) since it appears, that both of the deities thus named were worshipped by the offering up to them of human sacrifices.

The Egyptians consecrated to Saturn the seventh day of the

שַׁבְתָּא עַבְתִּי week ; hence Saturn is denominated by the Jews

A CAABA is said to have been formerly consecrated to him at Mecca, Pocoke, SPECIMEN HIST. ARAB. p. 140.

§ 413. OF TERAPHIM, D7

That Teraphim were images, sculptured in imitation of the human form, is evident from 1 Sam. 19: 13; and that they were household gods is clear also from Gen. 31: 19, 34, 35. 1 Sam. 19: 13-17. 2 K. 23: 24. It appears from Ezekiel (ch. 21: 21,) that responses were sought from them, the same as from Oracles. Compare Zech. 10: 2. Judg. 17: 5. 18: 5, 6, 14-20. Hosea 3: 4. This is confirmed by 1 Sam. 15: 23, where Teraphim are spoken of in connexion with the arts of divination.

The etymology of the word coincides with this statement, for according to Bar Bahlul means an inquirer, one, who asks. The name of this idol, when we consider, that it was first brought from Mesopotamia, Gen. 31: 19, is derived more naturally from

S414. OF DAGON.

, a Syriac word, than from the Arabic

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Greek τρυφάω, which is the derivation, proposed by Michaelis, who would make the Teraphim the same as the Sileni.

He rests his hypothesis chiefly on Lev. 17: 7. The word hairy, which is there used, he supposes, is not to be rendered goats, which in other places are denominated "1", but SILENI, i. e. apes or Satyrs, and for this reason more especially, that the Hebrews, as is evident from other sources, would not of course have sacrificed he-goats to she-goats. But granting that the word in question should be rendered in the way he proposes, still its identity with Teraphim is something, which is by no means evident. On the contrary, it is evident,

I. That in the district of Mendesium in Egypt, both she-goats and he-goats were considered sacred, and that a certain species of the he-goat was worshipped with divine honours, Herodot. II. 46. Strabo p. 892. comp. Jablonsky PANTHEON EGYPtı p. 279.

II. In Leviticus 17: 3, it is not said, that the Hebrews sacrificed she-goats to the, as Michaelis seems to imagine; nor is this passage to be compared necessarily with 17: 7, where there is nothing said about she-goats, as sacrifices.

III. Goats do not only appear under the unqualified Hebrew word in Lev. 16: 9, 18, 20, as Michaelis himself has admitted, but also in Lev. 4: 24. 9: 15. 2 Chron. 11: 15. Dan. 8: 21.

IV. That Teraphim were found only among barren women, which is maintained by Michaelis, and brought in favour of his argument, is refuted by many passages, which have been already adduced. Further, the Teraphim mentioned Gen. 31: 19, 34, did not belong to the unfruitful Rachel, but to Laban. Michal is the only barren woman mentioned, as possessing Teraphim, 1 Sam. 19: 13.

414. OF DAGON.

The sculptured image or representation of DAGON

(from

a fish) exhibited, as may still be seen on ancient coins, the appearance of a woman above, but of a fish below. (Compare the original German edition of this Work, P. III. tab. XII. No. III.) This figure of the idol agrees quite well with what is said of it in 1 Sam. 5: 4, 5, comp. Zeph. 1:9; since it lost in its fall upon the ground the head and hands; and only the stump, 71 or fish, was remaining.

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