VIII. ALEXANDER, a Jew, apparently an orator, mentioned Acts xix. 33. The people of Ephesus being in uproar, and incensed against the Jews for despising the worship of Diana, the Jews put Alexander forward, to plead their cause, and probably to disclaim all connection with Paul and the Christians. The mob, however, would not hear him. IX. ALEXANDER, a copper smith or brazier, who deserted the Christian faith, 1 Tim. i. 20; 2 Tim. iv. 14. X. ALEXANDER, a man who had apparently been high-priest, Acts iv. 6. In the mean time, Archelaus, king of Cappadocia, and father-in-law of Alexander, informed of what was passing in Judea, came to Jerusalem, for the purpose of effecting, if possible, a reconciliation between Herod and his son. Knowing the violence of Herod's temper, he feigned to pity his present situation, and to condemn the unnatural conduct of Alexander. The sympathy of Archelaus produced some relentings in the bosom of Herod, and finally led to his reconciliation with Alexander, and the detection of the guilty parties. But this calm did not long continue." One Eurycles, a Lacedemonian, having insinuated himself into Herod's favor, gained XI. ALEXANDER, the son of Simon, and also the confidence of Alexander; and the young brother of Rufus. His father, Simon, was compelled prince opened his heart freely, concerning the to aid in bearing the cross of Jesus, Mark xv. 21. grounds of his discontent against his father. Eury- ALEXANDRA, or SALOME, was first married to cles repeated all to the king, whose suspicions Aristobulus, and afterwards became the wife of Alagainst his sons were revived, and he at length or- exander Jannæus, his brother. In the account of dered them to be tortured. Of all the charges this prince, we have noticed the advice which he brought against the young princes, nothing could be gave upon his death-bed to Alexandra, with a view proved, except that they had formed a design to re- to conciliate the Pharisees, and establish herself in tire into Cappadocia, where they might be freed the kingdom. Alexandra followed his counsel, and from their father's tyranny, and live in peace. Herod, secured the object of her wishes. The Pharisees, however, having substantiated this fact, took the won by the marks of respect which she paid to rest for granted, and despatched two envoys to them, exerted their influence over the people, and Rome, demanding from Augustus justice against Alexander Jannæus was buried with great pomp and Alexander and Aristobulus. Augustus ordered them splendor, and Alexandra ruled during the space of to be tried at Berytus, before the governors of nine years. Under her government, the country Syria, and the tributary sovereigns of the neigh- enjoyed external peace, but was distracted by inboring provinces, particularly mentioning Arche-ternal strife. The Pharisees, having obtained an laus as one; and giving Herod permission, should ascendency over the mind of the queen, proceeded they be found guilty, to punish them as he might to exact from her many important advantages for deem proper. Herod convened the judges, but themselves and friends, and then to obtain the punbasely omitted Archelaus, Alexander's father-in-ishment and persecution of all those who had been law; and then, leaving his sons under a strong guard, opposed to them during the king's reign. Many of at Platane, he pleaded his own cause against them, the Sadducees, therefore, were put to death; and before the assembly, consisting of 150 persons. Af- their vindictiveness proceeded to such acts of cruelty ter adducing against them every thing he had been and injustice, that none of Alexander's friends could able to collect, he concluded by saying, that, as a be secure of their lives. Many of the principal perking, he might have tried and condemned them by sons who had served in the late king's armies, with his own authority; but that he preferred bringing Aristobulus at their head, entreated permission to them before such an assembly to avoid the imputa- quit their country, or to be placed in some of the tion of injustice and cruelty. Saturnius, who had distant fortresses, where they might be sheltered been formerly consul, voted that they should be from the persecution of their enemies. After some punished, but not with death; and his three sons deliberation, she adopted the expedient of distributing voted with him: but they were overruled by Volum- them among the different garrisons of the kingdom, nius, who gratified the father, by condemning his excepting those, however, in which she had depossons to death, and induced the rest of the judges to ited her most valuable property. In the mean time, join with him in this cruel and unjust sentence. her son Aristobulus was devising the means of seizThe time and manner of carrying it into execution ing upon the throne, and an opportunity at length were left entirely to Herod. Damascenus, Tyro, presented itself for carrying his project into effect. and other friends, interfered, in order to save the The queen being seized with a dangerous illness, lives of the unfortunate princes, but in vain. They Aristobulus at once made himself master of those remained some time in confinement; and, after the fortresses in which his friends had been placed, and, report of another plot, were conveyed to Sebaste, or before the necessary measures could be taken to Samaria, and there strangled, A. M. 3390, one year stay his progress, he was placed at the head of a before the birth of J. C. and four before the usual large number of troops. Alexandra, finding her computation of A. D. Joseph. Ant. xv. xvi. death at hand, left the crown to devolve upon Hircanus, her eldest son; but he, being opposed by Aristobulus, retired to private life. Alexandra died. B. C. 69, aged seventy-three years. Jos. Ant. xiii. ult. xiv. 1. The reader is requested to pay particular attention to this history of the behavior of Herod to his two sons, because it has a strong connection with the gospel histories of the massacre of the infants-for the king who could slay his own sons, would not scruple to slay those of others; and it suggests good reasons for the alarm of the whole city, and of the priests, from whom Herod inquired where the Messiah should be born; also, for the flight of Joseph and Mary into Egypt, and for their fear of returning again into Judea, under the power of his successor, who, as they supposed, might very probably inherit this king's cruel and tyrannical disposition. ALEXANDRIA, a celebrated city in Egypt, situated between the Mediterranean sea and the lake Mareotis, the basin of which is now filled up by sand. It was founded by Alexander the Great under Dinocrates, the architect who rebuilt the temple of Diana at Ephesus, B. C. 332, and peoplec by colonies of Greeks and Jews. Had this prince realized his ambitious projects for becoming the un disturbed master of the world, he could hardly have selected a more convenient situation for commanding and concentrating its resources. Alexandria rose rapidly to a state of prosperity, becoming the centre of commercial intercourse between the East and the West, and in process of time was, both in point of magnitude and wealth, second only to Rome itself. streets are so narrow, that the inhabitants can lay mats of reeds from one roof to the opposite, to protect them from the scorching sun. The inhabitants consist of Turks, Arabs, Copts, Jews, and Armenians. Many Europeans have counting houses here; where the factors exchange European for oriental merchandise. The ancient city, according to Pliny, was about fifteen miles in circuit, peopled by 300,000 free citizens, and as many slaves. From the gate of the sea ran one magnificent street, 2000 feet broad, through the entire length of the city, to the gate of Canopus, affording a beach, and a view of the shipping in the port, whether north in the Mediter-ever, that the Jews established themselves in great ranean, or south in the noble basin of the Mareotic lake. Another street, of equal width, intersected this at right angles, in a square half a league in circumference. Thus the whole city appears to have been divided by two streets intersecting each other. It was under Ptolemy Philadelphus, according to Aristæus, that the Greek or Alexandrine version of the Scriptures was made here by learned Jews, seventy-two in number; and hence it is called the Septuagint, or version of the Seventy. But this narration is entitled to little credit. It is true, hownumbers in this city, very soon after it was founded. Josephus says, (c. Apion. ii. 4. Ant. xiv. 7. 2.) that Alexander himself assigned to them a particular quarter of the city, and allowed them equal rights and privileges with the Greeks. Philo, who himself lived there in the time of Christ, affirms (Opp. Upon the death of Alexander, whose body was ii. p. 525. ed. Mangey.) that of five parts of the city, deposited in his new city, Alexandria became the the Jews inhabited two. According to his stateregal capital of Egypt, under the Ptolemies, and rose ments also, there dwelt in his time in Alexandria, to its highest splendor. During the reign of the and the other Egyptian cities, not less than ten hunthree first princes of this name, its glory was at dred thousand Jews. (ib. p. 523.) This, however, the highest. The most celebrated philosophers would seem exaggerated. At that period they suffrom the East, as well as from Greece and Rome, fered cruel persecutions from Flaccus, the Roman resorted thither for instruction, and eminent men, in governor; which Philo has described in a separate every department of knowledge, were found within treatise.-Christianity was early known and found its walls. Ptolemy Soter, the first of that line of professors here. According to Eusebius, (Hist. kings, formed the museum, the library of 700,000 Ecc. ii. c. 17.) the apostle Mark first introduced the volumes, and several other splendid works, and his gospel into Alexandria; and according to less auson Philadelphus consummated several of his under-thentic accounts, he suffered martyrdom here, about takings after his decease. At the death of Cleopatra, ante A. D. 26, Alexandria passed into the hands of the Romans, under whom it became the theatre of several memorable events, and after having enjoyed the highest fame for upwards of a thousand years, it submitted to the arms of the caliph Omar, A. D. 646. Such was the magnificence of the city, that the conquerors themselves were astonished at the extent of their acquisition. "I have taken," said Amrou, the general of Omar, to his master, "the great city of the West. It is impossible for me to enumerate the variety of its riches and beauty; I shall content myself with observing that it contains 4000 palaces, 4000 baths, 400 theatres or places of amusement, 12,000 shops for the sale of vegetable goods, and 40,000 tributary Jews." With this event, says a modern geographer, the sun of Alexandria may be said to have set: the blighting hand of Islamism was laid on it; and although the genius and resources of such a city could not be immediately destroyed, it continued to languish until the passage by the Cape of Good Hope, in the fifteenth century, gave a new channel to the trade which for so many centuries had been its support; and at this day, Alexandria, like most Eastern cities, presents a mixed spectacle of ruin and wretchedness-of fallen greatness and enslaved human beings. [The present Alexandria, or, according to the pronunciation of the inhabitants, Skanderia, occupies only about the eighth part of the site of the ancient city. The splendid temples have been exchanged for wretched mosques and miserable churches, and the magnificent palaces for mean and ill built dwellings. The city, which was of old so celebrated for its commerce and navigation, is now merely the port of Cairo, a place where ships may touch, and where wares may be exchanged. The modern city is built with the ruins of the ancient. The A. D. 68. A church dedicated to this evangelist, belonging to the Coptic Jacobite Christians, still exists in Alexandria. See Rosenmueller. Bib. Geog. iii. p. 291, seq. *R. The Jewish and Christian schools in Alexandria were long held in the highest esteem, and there is reason to believe that the latter, besides producing many eloquent preachers, paid much attention to the multiplying of copies of the sacred writings. The famous Alexandrian manuscript, now deposited in the British Museum, is well known. (See BIBLE.) For many years Christianity continued to flourish at this seat of learning, but at length it became the source, and for some time continued the stronghold, of the Arian heresy. The divisions, discords, and animosities, which were thus introduced, rendered the churches of Alexandria an easy prey to the Arabian impostor, and at the time to which we have already referred, they were swept away by his followers. The commerce of Alexandria being so great, especially in corn, for Egypt was considered to be the granary of Rome-the centurion might readily "find a ship of Alexandria-corn-laden-sailing into Italy," Acts xxvii. 6; xxviii. 11. It was in this city that Apollos was born, Acts xviii. 24. ALEXANDRIUM, a castle built by Alexander Jannæus, king of the Jews, on a mountain, near Corea, one of the principal cities of Judea, on the side of Samaria, in the direction of Jericho, towards the frontiers of Ephraim and Benjamin, which was demolished by Gabinius, but afterwards rebuilt by Herod. Here the princes of Alexander Jannæus's family were mostly buried; and hither Herod ordered the bodies of his sons, Alexander and Aristobulus, to be carried, after they had been put to death at Sebaste, or Samaria. Jos. Ant. xiii. 24; xiv. 6. 10. 27; xvi. 2 and ult. ALGUM, see ALMUG. ALIEN, a stranger or foreigner. Those who are without an interest in the new covenant, or who are not members of the church of Christ, are said to be "aliens from the commonwealth of Israel," Eph. ii. 12. ALLEGORY, a figurative discourse, which employs terms appropriate to one thing, in order to express another. It is a metaphor prolonged and pursued; as, for example, when the prophets represent the Jews under the allegory of a vine, planted, cultivated, watered, by the hand of God, but which, instead of producing good fruit, brings forth sour grapes; and so of others. The same, when the apostle compares the two covenants of Sinai and the gospel, or Jerusalem that now is, and the heavenly Jerusalem; "which things," he says, "may be allegorized." As this was common among the Jews, in writing to Jews, he adopts their custom, in which, having been deeply learned, he could, no doubt, have greatly enlarged; but then, where had been the power of the cross of Christ; the genuine unsophisticated doctrines of the gospel? Allegories, as well as metaphors, parables, similitudes, and comparisons, are frequent in Scripture. The Jews, and the people of the East in general, were fond of this sort of figurative discourse, and used it in almost every thing they said. One chief business of a commentator is, to distinguish between the allegorical and literal meaning of passages, and to reduce the allegorical to the literal sense. The ancient Jews, as the Therapeutæ, the author of the Book of Wisdom, Josephus, and Philo, (aud in imitation of them, many of the fathers,) turned even the historical parts of Scripture into allegories; although the literal sense in such passages is most clear. These allegorical explanations may interest, perhaps, but they are good for little; they cannot justly be produced as proofs of any thing; unless where Christ, or his apostles, have so applied them. The ancient philosophers and poets also used to deliver doctrines, and to explain things allegorically. Pythagoras instructed his disciples in this symbolical manner, believing it to be the most proper method of explaining religious doctrines, and to be a help to memory. Euclid of Megara did, indeed, forbid the use of allegories and emblems, as fit only to render plain things obscure; and Socrates taught in a manner the most natural and simple, excepting those ironies which he sometimes interspersed in his discourses. But the philosophers, generally, were excessively fond of allegories and mystical theology; and they were too closely imitated by the early Christians. See SYMBOLS. ALLELUIA, or HALLELU-JAH, (praise Jehovah.) This word occurs at the beginning, and at the end, of many of the Psalms. It was also sung on solemn days of rejoicing: "And all her streets (i. e. of Jerusalem) shall sing alleluia," says Tobit, speaking of the rebuilding of Jerusalem, Tob. xiii. 18. John, in the Revelation, says, (chap. xix. 1. 3. 4. 6.) "I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, who cried, Alleluia; and the four living creatures fell down, and worshipped God; saying, Alleluia." This expression of joy and praise was transferred from the synagogue to the church, and it is still occasionally used in devotional psalmody. ALLON BACHUTH, the oak of weeping, a place in Bethel, where Rebekah's nurse was buried, Gen. xxxv. 8. ALLOPHYLI, 'Allóquior, a Greek term, used by the LXX. which signifies, properly, strangers; but the Hebrew term, to which it corresponds, is generally taken, in the Old Testament, to signify the Philistines. ALLUSH, or ALUSH. The Israelites, being in the wilderness of Shur, departed from Dophkah to Allush, and from thence to Rephidim, Numb. xxxiii. 13. In Judith, (chap. i. 9.) Chellus or Chalus, and Kades, are set down as being near each other. Eusebius and Jerome fix Allush in Idumea, about Gabala, that is, about Petra, the capital of Arabia Petræa; for, according to them, the Gabalene is near Petra. Allush is also called Eluza, or Chaluza. In the accounts of the empire, it is situated in the third Palestine, and is placed by Ptolemy among the cities of Idumea. The Jerusalem Targum on Genesis xxv. 18. and on Exodus xv. 22. translates Shur and the desert of Shur, by Allush. [But Shur could not have been far from the present Suez, Exod. xv. 22. It is impossible to assign definitely the position of Alush, the encampment of the Israelites. R. ALMON, a city of Benjamin, given to Aaron's family, Josh. xxi. 18; probably the Alameth mentioned 1 Chron. vi. 60. ALMON-DIBLATHAIM, one of the stations of the Israelites before they reached mount Nebo, Numb. xxxiii. 46. ALMOND-TREE, pc, shaked, from a root which signifies to watch; for, in fact, the almond-tree is one of the first trees that blossom in the spring, and, as it were, awakes, while most are asleep by reason of winter. This tree is often mentioned in Scripture. The Lord, intending to express to Jeremiah (i. 11.) the vigilance of his wrath against his people, showed him the branch of an almond-tree; where the duplicity of meaning in the word shaked is difficult to express in a translation. "What seest thou?" He answers, "I see the rod of an almond-tree," (i. e. a watcher.) The Lord replies: "I will watch over my word to fulfil it.” The almond-tree resembles a peach-tree, but is larger. In Judea it blossoms in January, and by March has fruit. Aaron's rod, which bore blossoms and fruit in the wilderness, (Numb. xvii. 8.) was of the almond-tree. The author of Ecclesiastes, (xii. 5.) expressing metaphorically the whiteness of an old man's hair, says, "The almond-tree shall flourish.” The blossoms of this tree are white. ALMS, charitable donation. The word is derived ultimately from the Greek "Eleos, mercy, pity, compassion. ALMUG, or by transposition ALGUM, a kind of wood which Hiram brought from Ophir, 1 Kings x. 11; 2 Chron. ii. 8. The rabbins generally render it coral; others ebony, or pine. It certainly is not coral, for this is not proper to make musical instruments, nor to be used in rails, or a staircase, to which uses, the Scripture tells us, the wood almug was put. The pine-tree is too common in Judea, and the neighboring country, to search for it as far as Ophir. wood thyinum (by which the word is rendered in the Vulgate) is that of the citron-tree, known to the ancients, and much esteemed for its odor and beauty. It came from Mauritania. Plin. xiii. 16. The Calmet is of opinion, that by almug, or algum, or simply gum, taking al for an article, is to be understood oily and gummy wood, particularly of the tree which produces gum Arabic. It is said gum Ammoniac proceeds from a tree resembling that which bears myrrh; and gum Arabic comes from the black acacia, which he takes to be the same as the Shittim wood, frequently mentioned by Moses; if so, Solomon's Almug and Moses's Shittim, he remarks, would be the same wood. See SHITTIM. and is of so great rarity in India itself, as to be worth its weight in gold. Pieces of this wood that are resinous, of a dark color, heavy, and perforated as if by worms, are called calambac; the tree itself is called by the Chinese suk-hìang. It is represented as large, with an erect trunk, and lofty branches. The other or more common species is called garo in the East Indies, and is the wood of a tree growing in the Moluccas, the excoecaria agallocha of Linnæus. The leaves are like those of a pear-tree; and it has a milky juice, which, as the tree grows old, hardens into a fragrant resin. The trunk is knotty, crooked, and usually hollow. The domestic name in India is aghil; whence the Europeans who first visited India gave it the name of lignum aquila, or eaglewood. From this same aghil the Hebrew name [Some have supposed the Almug to be Sandalwood, (Santalum,) which is a native of the East Indies, and much used for costly work. So Rosenmueller. Kimchi compares the Arabian Almokam, which is the Arabic name of the wood usually known in Europe by the appellation Brazil-wood, from the tree Casalpinia of Linnæus. There are various species of this tree. That called the Casalpinia sappan is a native of the East Indies, Siam, the Molucca islands, and Japan; as are also several other species. Its wood is very durable, and is used in fine cabinet work. It yields also a dye of a beautiful red color, for which it is much used. Its resemblance in color to coral may have given occasion for the name Al- seems also to be derived. But as this is also, mug, which, in Rabbinic, still signifies coral; and then the meaning of the name would be coral-wood. Gesenius adopts this supposition. See Rees's Cyclop. Art. Casalpinia. R. I. ALOES, or ALOE, an East Indian tree, that grows about eight or ten feet high. At the head of it is a large bundle of leaves, thick and indented, broad at bottom, but narrowing towards the point, and about four feet in length; the blossom is red, intermixed with yellow, and double like a pink; from this blossom comes fruit, like a large pea, white and red. The juice of the leaves is drawn by cutting them with a knife; and afterwards it is received in bottles. The eastern geographers tell us, that the wood of aloes, the smell of which is exquisite, is found only in those provinces of India which are comprehended in the first climate; that the best is that which grows in the isle of Senf, situated in the Indian sea, towards China. Others are of opinion, that the wood of aloes, produced in the isle of Comar, or at Cape Comorin, is the best, and that it was of this kind a certain king of India made a present, weighing ten quintals, to Nouschirvan; which, when applied to the fire, melted, and burned like wax. This wood is brought likewise from the islands of Sumatra and Ceylon. The Siamese ambassadors to the court of France, in 1686, brought a present of it from their sovereign; and were the first to communicate any consistent account of the tree. It is said to be about the height and form of the olive-tree; the trunk is of three colors, and contains three sorts of wood; the heart, or finest part, is called tambac or calambac, and is used to perfume dresses and apartments. It is worth more than its weight in gold; and is esteemed a sovereign cordial against fainting fits, and other nervous disorders. From this account the reader will perceive the rarity and value of this perfume, implied in the notice taken of it by the spouse in the Canticles, (iv. 14.) and the boast of the prostitute, Prov. vii. 17. The sandal-wood approaches to many of its properties; and is applied to similar uses, as a perfume at sacrifices, &c. The aloes of Syria, Rhodes, and Candia, called Aspalathus, is a shrub full of thorns; the wood of which is used by perfumers, after they have taken off the bark, to give consistency to their per fumes. [This tree or wood was called by the Greeks 20yor, and later Evazón, and has been known to Doderns by the names of aloe-wood, paradise-wood, eagle-wood, etc. Modern botanists distinguish two kinds; the one genuine and most precious, the other more common and inferior. The former grows in Cochin-China, Siam, and China, is never exported, as to form, the plural of ↳s, a tent, the Vulgate in Numb. xxiv. 6. has translated thus: "AS TENTS which the Lord hath spread;" while the Hebrew is: "As aloe-trees which the Lord hath planted;"-in our version, "lign-aloes."-Aloe-wood is said by Herodotus to have been used by the Egyptians for embalming dead bodies; and Nicodemus brought it, mingled with myrrh, to embalm the body of our Lord, John xix. 39. See Gesenius, Thesaurus Ling. Heb. p. 33. R. II. ALOES, a plant or herb, the leaves of which are about two inches thick, prickly, and chamfered; in the middle rises a stem; and the flower yields a white kernel, extremely light, and almost round. These aloes are not uncommon among us. It has been said, that one kind of aloes flowers but once in a hundred years, and that, as its flower opens, it makes a great noise; but there have been several seen blowing in the gardens at and round London, without making any noise. As the flowers have six stamina, and one style, Linnæus ranges this plant in the sixth class, called hexandria monogynia. Our knowledge of it is obtained not so much from oriental specimens, as from American, which could not be known to the ancients. The Cape of Good Hope furnishes many kinds. From this plant is extracted the common drug called aloes, which is a very bitter resin. Some have supposed that this was what Nicodemus brought for embalming the body of Christ, John xix. 39. See the close of the preceding article. ALPHA, (A,) the first letter of the Greek alphabet. See the letter A. Martial, in imitation of the Greeks, who used to distinguish the rank of people by letters, says: Quod ALPHA dixi, Codre, penulatorum, Epig. 1. v. Ep. 26. ALPHABET, see HEBREW LETTERS. I. ALPHEUS, father of James the less, (Matt. x. 3; Luke vi. 15.) and husband of the Mary who was sister to the mother of Christ; (John xix. 25.) for which reason, James is called the Lord's brother. (See BROTHER.) By comparing John xix. 25. with Luke xxiv. 10. and Matt. x. 3. it is evident that Alphæus is the same as Cleophas; Alphæus being his Greek name, and Cleophas his Hebrew or Syriac name, according to the custom of the province, or the time, where men often had two names, by one of which they were known to their friends and altar." It is probable that the primary use of these horns was to retain the victim. countrymen, and by the other to the Romans, or strangers. More probably, however, the double name in Greek arises from a diversity in pronouncing then in his Aramean name, on; a diversity which is common also in the Septuagint. See Kuinoel on John xix. 25. See also NAMES. II. ALPHEUS, father of Levi, or Matthew, the apostle and evangelist, Mark ii. 14. I. ALTAR, the place on which sacrifices were offered. Sacrifices are nearly as ancient as worship; and altars are of nearly equal antiquity. Scripture speaks of altars, erected by the patriarchs, without describing their form, or the materials of which they were composed. The altar which Jacob set up at Bethel, was the stone which had served him for a pillow; and Gideon sacrificed on the rock before his house. The first altars which God commanded Moses to raise, were of earth or rough stones; and the Lord declared, that if iron were used in constructing them, they would become impure, Exod. xx. 24, 25. The altar which Moses enjoined Joshua to build on Mount Ebal, was to be of unpolished stones, (Deut. xxvii. 5; Josh. viii. 31.) and it is very probable, that such were those built by Samuel, Saul, and David. The altar which Solomon erected in the temple was of brass, but filled, it is believed, with rough stones, 2 Chron. iv. 1. That built at Jerusalem, by Zerubbabel, after the return from Babylon, was of rough stones; as was that of the Maccabees. Josephus says, (De Bello, lib. vi. cap. 14.) that the altar which was in his time in the temple, was of rough stones, fifteen cubits high, forty long, and forty wide. Among the ancient Egyptian pictures that have been discovered at Herculaneum, are two of a very curious description, representing sacred ceremonies of the Egyptians, probably in honor of Isis. Upon these subjects we shall lay the substance of Mr. Taylor's remarks before our readers. In the first picture, the scene of the subject is in the area before a temple; (as usual;) the congregation is numerous, the music various, and the priests engaged are at least nine persons. The temple is raised, and an ascent of eleven steps leads up to it. On this altar we observe, (1.) Its form and decorations. (2.) The birds about it. In the original, one Ibis is lying down at ease, another is standing up, without fear or apprehension; a third, perched on some paling, is looking over the heads of the people; and a fourth is standing on the back of a Sphinx, nearly adjacent to the temple, in the front of it. It deserves notice, that this altar (and the other also) has at each of its four corners a rising, which continues square to about half its height, but from thence is gradually sloped off to an edge, or a point. These are, no doubt, the horns of the altar; and probably this is their true figure. See Exod. xxvii. 2, &c.; xxix. 12; Ezekiel xliii. 15. On these Joab caught hold, (1 Kings ii. 28.) and to these the Psalmist alludes, (cxviii. 27.) "Bind the sacrifice with cords unto the horns of the (1.) Observe the garland with which this altar is decorated. (2.) Observe the occupation of the priest, who, with a kind of fan, is blowing up the fire. No doubt this fan is employed, because to blow up the sacred flame with the breath would have been deemed a kind of polluting it. It may bear a question, whether something of the same nature were not used in kindling the fire on the Jewish altar. That fans were known anciently in the East, is highly probable, from the simplicity of the instrument, no less than from its use. The ancients certainly had fans to drive away flies with, (Greek voor, Latin muscarium, MARTIAL, xiv. Ep. 67.) We do not know indeed that any Jewish writer mentions the use of a fan in kindling the altar fire; nor, indeed, should we have thought of it, had it not occurred in this Egyptian representation. The other figure shows the horns of the altar, formed on the same principle as the foregoing; but this is seen on its angle, and its general form is more elevated. It has no garlands, and perfumes appear to be burning on it. In this picture the assembly is not so numerous as in the other; but almost all, to the number of ten or a dozen persons, are playing on musical in struments. Both these altars have a simple projecting ornament, running round them on their upper parts; but this has also a corresponding ornament at bottom. Upon the base of it stand two birds, which deserve notice, on account of their being unquestionable representations of the true ancient Egyptian Ibis; a bird long lost to naturalists. Perhaps the publication of these portraits of the bird may contribute to recover and identify it; which will be deemed a service to natural history. They also deserve especial notice, on account of their situations, as standing on the altar itself, or lying down close to it, even while the sacred fire is burning, and the sacred ceremonies being performed by the priests, close around them. From their confident familiarity, it should seem that these birds were not only tolerated, but were considered as sacred; and, in some sense, as appertaining to the altar. Would it not have been a kind of sacrilege to have disturbed, or expelled from their domicile, their residence, these refugees, if refugees they were, at the altar? (See the history of Aristodicus, Herod. lib. i. cap. 159.) Diodorus Siculus (lib. i.) reports, that the Egyptians were very severe to those who killed a cat, or an Ibis, whether purposely, or inadvertently; the populace, he says, would attack them in crowds, and put them to death by the most cruel means; often without observing any form of justice;-by a kind of judgment of zeal. As these Ibises were privileged birds in Egypt, so might some clean species of birds be equally privileged among the Jews, and be suffered quietly to build in various parts of the temple, in the courts around the altar; and if they were of the nature of our domestic fowl, they might even make nests, and lay their eggs, at or about the altar, or among the interstices and projections of the bottom layer of |