mans, that they worshipped in common Herthum (or, as Boxhornius proposes to read it, Aerthum); that is, says he, terra mater, or the earth, erde: and he adds, that an island in the ocean, called Castum Nemus, was dedicated to her, and that in it were celebrated her mystic rites.2 The same author tells us, that part of the Suevi worshipped Isis.3 Marcus Zuerius Boxhornius, in an epistle to Nic. Blanchard, illustrative of Tacitus, has shown us, that not only many words, but also the worship of the Germans were like those of the Persians. And we may find all their deities in the mythology of the eastern nations: for instance, Teutates and Hesus' may be recognised as the Egyptian and Phoenician Thoth, and the Syrian Hazizos. Montfaucon has presented us with a figure of Seiva, the German Venus, naked, with an apple in her right hand, and a bunch of grapes in the other.3

1 Reudigni deinde, et Aviones, et Angli, et Varini, et Eudoses, et Suardones, et Nuithones, fluminibus aut sylvis muniuntur, nec quidquam notabile in singulis, nisi quod in commune Herthum, id est, terram matrem, colunt, eamque intervenire rebus hominum, invehi populis arbitrantur.-Tacit. German. p. 554. ed. Amst. 1661.

2 Est insula oceani Castum Nemus, dicatumque in eo vehiculum veste contectum, attingere uni sacerdoti concessum. Is adesse penetrali deam intelligit, vectamque bubus feminis multa cum veneratione prosequitur. Id. ib. p. 555. 3 Pars Suevorum et Isidi sacrificant.-Id. ib. p. 542.

4 Neque tantum nomina hæc Persis et Germanis eadem, sed et sacra fuere, et sol et ignis Germanis quoque ut numina colebantur. Insignis est locus in legibus Canuti, totius Angliæ, Danorum, et Septemtrionalium (ita se ipse appellat) regis : Prohibemus, inquit, gravissime omnem gentilitatem. Gentilitas est, quod quis idola veneretur; id est, quod quis veneretur gentiles Deos, et solem el lunam, ignem aut aquam, &c. Ignis ergo et sol Dii Germanis, et præcipue culti, sicut et Persis."Boxhorn. Epist. ad calcem Tacit. Op. Ed. Amst. 1661.-Cæsar observes of the Celtic religion: "Deum maxime Mercurium colunt; post hunc, Apollinem, et Martem, et Jovem, et Minervam. De his eamdem fere, quam reliquæ gentes, habent opinionem," &c. De Bello Gallico, lib. vi. c. 17.—And again of the Germans: Deorum numero eos solos ducunt, quos cernunt, et quorum aperte opibus juvantur, Solem, et Vulcanum, et Lunam: reliquos ne fama quidem acceperunt." Id. ib. lib. vi. c. 21. But he was not aware that these included all the rest. Pliny, speaking of the doctrine of the Magi, says: "Britannia hodieque eam attonite celebrat tantis ceremoniis, ut dedisse Persis videri possit." Hist. Nat. lib. xxx. c. 1. It was Apollo whom the Celts of Britain, according to Hecatæus, were said peculiarly to worship: Εκαταίος και τινες έτεροι φασιν, εν τοις αντιπεραν της Κελτικής τοποις κατα τον Ωκεανον ειναι νησων ουκ ελαττω της Σικελίας-ύπαρχειν δε κατα την νησον τέμενος τε Απολλωνος μεγαλοπρεπες, και ναον αξιολογον αναθήμασι πολλοις κεκοσμημενον σφαιροειδῃ τῷ σχηματι. Diod. Sic. lib. ii. c. 13.

5

Et quibus immitis placatur sanguine diro
Teutates, horrensque feris altaribus Hesus.

6 See Bochart, &c.

Lucan. Pharsal. lib. i.

7 Hesus was Mars, says Bochart. And the emperor Julian observes, Apns Açiços λεγόμενος ὑπο των οικούντων την Έδεσσα Συρων. Orat. in Solem.

* Montfaucon, Antiq. Expliq. tom. ii. part 2. plate clxxxiv.

At Ephesus, Proserpine was worshipped under the name of Artemis, or Diana. Eschylus, says Herodotus, made Diana to be the daughter of Ceres, and borrowed the idea from the Egyptians. The Ephesian Diana was pictured as covered with breasts; and the Egyptian Isis was represented in a similar manner.3 Hence Diana was exactly synonymous with Isis in her double character of Ceres and Proserpine: for Ceres was also represented as mammiferous.4 And according to the Roman fabulists, a personage called Virbius is represented as bearing the same relations to Diana, as Adonis to Aphrodite." Diana was called by the Thracians Bendis; and her rites were similar to the Bacchanalia, &c.?

The Syrian Aphrodite, or Babylonian Mylitta, was worshipped by the Persians, according to Herodotus, under the title of Mithra. Mithra and Mithras were Isis and Osiris, Demeter and Persephone and Dionysus: and the mysteries of the Persian deities, performed in dark caverns, were the same as those that were celebrated in the secret recesses of Eleusis.1

δ

1 Εκ τούτου δε του λόγου και ουδενος αλλου, Αισχυλος ὁ Ευφορίωνος ήρπασατο, εγω φράσω, μουνος δη ποιητεων των προγενομενων εποίησε γαρ Αρτεμιν ειναι θυγατερα ANμNTρos, K. T. λ. Herod. lib. ii. p. 171.-Servius asserts the identity of Diana and Proserpine: "Propter cupressum Dianæ. Ipsa enim est etiam Proserpina;" in Æn. iii. 681.-"Hecate trium potestatum numen est. Ipsa est enim Diana, Luna, Proserpina ;" in Æn. vi. 564.

2 Diana, Ephesiis multis mammis et uberibus extructa.-Minucius Felix, c. 21. See figures of her in Montfaucon, &c.

3 Hinc est quod continuatis uberibus corpus Deæ (Isidis) densetur, quia terræ vel rerum naturæ altu nutritur universitas.-Macrob. Saturnal. lib. i. c. 20. 4 At gemina et mammosa Ceres est ipsa ab Iaccho.—Lucret. lib. iv. 1164. 5 Alii Memphitim deum volunt Leucotheæ connexum, sicut est Veneri Adonis,

Dianæ Virbius.-Servius in En. lib. vii.

6 Bevdis & Apteμis OpakiσTI.-Hesychius. Vide Palæphatum de Incred. Suidam,

et Phavorinum.

7 Τοις Διονυσίοις εοικε και τα παρα τοις Θραξι, τατε Κοτυττια, και τα Βενδίδεια, παρ' οἷς και Ορφικα την καταρχην εσχον. Strabo. lib. ix.

8 Herod. lib. i. c. 131. See particularly what Julius Firmicus says of Mithras, De Error. Profan. Relig.

9

Porphyr. de Antro Nymphar. p. 263. Julius Firmicus, de Error. Profan. Relig.

10"Was nun den Dienst jener Mithra betrift, so wären genauere Nachrichten sehr zu wünschen. Daraus würde sich die Identität mit allen übrigen weiblichen Naturwesen vollends über allen Zweifel erheben lassen. Ein Symbol, das Plutarchos, bei Gelegenheit jener Einweihung zu Pasargada bemerkt, werden wir unten in den Mysterien des Bacchus und der Proserpina zu Athen und in Grosgriechenland, wieder finden. Vielleicht hatte er auch manches andere mit dem etwas sinnlichen Cultus der übrigen Wesen dieser Art gemein. Dass der Dienst des Mithras etwas von diesem Charakter schon bei den alten Persern hatte, wissen wir aus dem Zeugniss des Duris beim Athenæos (lib. x. 10. vergl. vii.): Nur an dem Mithrastage durfte, nach dem Magiergesetz, der persische König bis zur Trunkenheit trinken, und auch dann nur tanzte er den Nationaltanz." Creuzer, Symbol. und

With the Babylonian goddess was connected their deity Belus, Baal, or Bêl, in conjunction with whom was worshipped a dragon or serpent.' And Belus may be identified with the Egyptian Apis.

Βηλος επ' Ευφρηταο, Λιβυς κεκλημενος Αμμων,

Απις έφυς Νείλος, Αραψ Κρονος, Ασσύριος Ζευς.

Nonnus, lib. x.

In the verses that follow, some of which have been already cited, Nonnus identifies this deity with Apollo, and Mithras, and Her

cules.

The Emperor Antonine, the son of Caracalla, had more cause for giving the Phoenician Astroarche, or Astarte, in particular, for a wife to his god Heliogabalus, than has been generally imagined. Heliogabalus, or Alagabalus, was Baal, or Dionysus; and the solar orb,3 as being the cause and promoter of generation. To him was consecrated a serpent; and amongst the mystical symbols of his worship were αιδοια ανθρώπου. Astarte was, according to Herodian, Urania, and symbolically

Myth. band ii. p. 21.-In the following passage Mithras may be identified with the Phrygian Attis, and Attis is expressly identified with Dionysus: 'H μεν Βενδις, Θράκεια θεος, ὁ δε Ανουβις Αιγυπτιος, ὃν οἱ λογοι και κυνοπροσωπον φασιν. Μιθρης, Περσικος, ὁ Αττις, Φρύγιος· ὁ μεν Μιθρην, ὁ αυτος οὗτος τῳ Ἡφαιστο, αλλοι δε τῳ δ ἡλιῳ φασιν· επει ουν οἱ βαρβαροι Πλουτῷ εκόμουν, εικοτως και πολυτελως τους ἑαυ των θεους κατεσκευαζον τον Αττιν δε Φρυγες σεβονται, τον αυτον οντα τῳ Διονυση, κ. τ. λ. Schol. in Lucian. Ζευς Τραγῳδος, p. 8.

1 Και ην ειδωλον τοις Βαβυλωνιοις ᾧ ονομα Βηλ.—Και ην δρακων μεγας, και εσεβοντο αυτον οἱ Βαβυλωνιοι.— Apocryphal book of Bel and the Dragon, v. 323. "Profecto potentiam fecit Deus in brachio suo: subiguntur enim leones, et dracones eliduntur, et Bel atque Mithras captivi abducuntur.” S. Domitiani concio ad Persas, in Menæis Græcorum.-Amongst the extraordinary things shown to Alexander in India, was a great dragon that was sacred to Dionysus, εν δε τοις εδειξε και ζωον ὑπερφυες, Διονυσου αγαλμα, ο Ινδοι εθνον· δρακων ην μηκος πενταπλεθρον, ετρεφετο δε εν χωριῳ κοιλφ, εν κρημνῳ βαθει, τειχει ύψηλῳ ὑπερ των ακρων περιβεβλημενος• κ. τ. λ. Maximus Tyrius, Dissert. viii. 6.

2 Φησας δε απαρέσκεσθαι αὐτῷ, ὡς παντα εν όπλοις πολεμικῇ θεφ, της Ουρανίας το αγαλμα μετεπεμψατο, σεβόντων αυτο ὑπερφυως Καρχηδονίων τε και των κατα την Λιβυην ανθρωπων φασι δε αυτο Δίδω την Φοινισσαν ίδρυσασθαι, ότε δη την αρχαιαν Καρχηδονα παλιν έκτισε, βυρσαν κατατεμουσαν. Λίβυες μεν ουν αυτην Ουρανίαν καλούσι, Φοινικες δε Αστροαρχην ονομαζουσι, σεληνην ειναι θέλοντες. Herodian. Hist. lib. v. c. 15.

3 See Selden de Diis Syris, Syntag. ii. c. 1. who gives the following inscriptions: SOLI ALAGABALO IVLIVS BALBILLVS AQUILA: and, TI. IVLIO BALBILLO S. SOL. ALAGABALI EVDAEMON LIB. PATRONO OPTIMO.

4 Τα μεν γαρ ελεοι των ειδων, τα δε εργάζεται, τα δε κοσμει, τα δε αναγείρει, και ουδεν εστιν ὁ διχα της αφ' ήλιου δημιουργικής δυναμεως εις φως προσεισι και γενεσιν. Julian. Orat. de Sole.

5

Τῷ αὐτῷ [Ελιογαβαλῳ] εθνε παιδας σφαγιαζομενος, και μαγγανεύμασι χρώμενος, αλλα και εις τον ναον αυτου λεοντα και πιθηκον και ο φιν τινα ζωντα εγκατακλεισας, αιδοια τε ανθρωπου εμβαλων, και αλλ' άττα ανοσιουργων περιάπτοις τε τισι μυροις αείποτε χρωμενος. Xiphilinus de Heliogab.

the moon,' which was also a generative principle: she was Venus, who, we are told, was worshipped amongst the Syrian nations as the Mater Deum.3 These two were, therefore, Dionysus and Proserpine. And we learn from Herodotus, that the only deities worshipped by the Arabians were Dionysus and Urania, whom they called in their own language Urotalt and Alilat; the latter of which was Aphrodite, the Assyrian Mylitta, and the Persian Mithra.5 Selden finds her name in the Alcoran. In the sacred writings, also, Baal and Astaroth [Astarte] are coupled together."

1 Ενι δε και αλλο ἱερον εν Φοινικῇ μεγα, το Σιδονιοι εχουσι· ὡς μεν αυτοι λεγουσι, Ασταρτης εστι. Αστάρτην δ' εγω δοκεω Σεληναίην εμμεναι. Lucian. de Dea Syr. p. 657. Edit. Variorum.

2 "Quarta Venus Syria Tyroque concepta, quæ Astarte vocatur." Cic. de Nat. Deor. lib. iii.—Αστάρτη, ἡ παρ ̓ Ἑλλησι Αφροδίτη λεγομενη. Suidas in Αστάρτη. Δηλοι δε τουτο την Αστάρτην, ηγουν Αφροδίτην. Procopius, in 2 Reg. c. xvii. Plutarch, speaking of the Syrian goddess worshipped at Hierapolis, says, of μev Αφροδίτην, οἱ δε Ήραν, οἱ δε την αρχας και σπέρματα πασιν εξ ύγρων παρασχουσαν αιτιαν και φυσιν νομίζουσι. Plut. in vit. Cras.

3 Οἱ περι τας χωρας ταύτας, σεβουσι μεν ὡς επι παν την Αφροδιτην ὡς Μητερα Θεων, ποικίλοις και εγχωρίοις ονομασι προσαγορεύοντες. Ptolemæus, Tetrabibl. lib. ii. 4 Διονυσον δε Θεον μουνον και την Ουρανίην ἡγεονται ειναι. Ουνομαζουσι δε τον μεν Διονυσον, Ουροταλτ' την δε Ουρανίην, Αλιλατ. Herod. lib. iii. p. 185.

5 Επιμεμαθηκασι δε και τη Ουρανιῃ θυειν, παρα τε Ασσυριων μαθοντες και Αραβίων καλέουσι δε Ασσύριοι την Αφροδιτην Μύλιττα· Αραβιοι δε Αλιττα· Περσαι δε Μιτραν. Herod. lib. i. p. 62.-Μυληταν, την Ουρανίαν Ασσύριοι. Hesychius.

6 Sed vero inter Arabum numina, quæ, ut fit, currente seculo, numerosiora faere, habemus etiam in Alcorano quod ad Herodoti Alyttam propius accedit. Id est, Alleth, Lath, seu Alletto. Azoara lxiii., in versione Retinensis; An tribus imaginibus visis, videlicet Alletto, Alance, Meneth, masculos Deoque fœminas adscribitis?

افرايتم اللات والعزي ومنات :In Arabico vero legitur الكم الذكر وله الانثي quod sonat, Vidistis الثالثة الاخري *

Allat, seu Alletto, et Aluze et Meneth tertiam aliam? Vobisne [hæc] mares et Deo fæmina?-Selden, de Diis Syris, Syntag. ii. c. 2. p. 254. Ed. Elzevir. Allat is also mentioned by Abul Faragius; see also Pococke's notes on the passage in his Spec. Hist. Arab.

And they forsook the Lord, and served * ויעזבו את יהוה ויעבדו לבעל ולעשתרות 1

Baal and Ashtaroth." Jud. ii. 13. Conf. x. 6.—□byan-nx 8" 10" “Then the children of Israel did put away Baalim and Ashtaroth." 1 Sam. vii. 4.-And, by the way, from these observations we may deduce the true interpretation of the word wx as connected with Baal. The modern versions, following the Septuagint and Vulgate, interpret it a grove. Now I am inclined to think that it has no where such a signification. The versions to which we must look for the best information on this subject, as they have not followed the Greek or any other version, are the Chaldee, the Syriac, and the Arabic. The Chaldee version almost always interprets the words in its various forms by

8, x, and the like, which Walton translates, after the other translators from the Hebrew, lucos; but which are only the Hebrew words in a Chaldee form, and bear therefore the same meaning. The Syriac and Arabic, in every place that I have looked, except when they render it as a proper name, interpret

V..

it, the former, by ~? numina, idola; the latter, by plivol idola, simulacra.

I will now hasten to conclude. If I were inclined, I could

The very mode in which lexicographers account for the word signifying a grove, is exceedingly absurd: it is given as a derivative from the root beavit, beatum, felicem prædicavit. wx f. (says Buxtorf.) Lucus, sic dictus, quod homines beatitatem in eo, utpote sacro et religioso, quærerent, aut per antiphrasin, quasi minime beatus, ut Latine Lucus quasi minime lucidus." This word is never used but in connexion with Baal or other idols, or idolatrous practices. The words in other places rendered in English by wood, or grove, or forest, are: y Deut. xix. 5. Josh. xix. 8. 1 Sam. xiv. 25. xvii. 5. xxiii. 15, 16. 18. 2 Sam. xviii. 6. 8. 2 Kings ii. 24. Ps. lxxx. 13. Is. x. 18. Jer. v. 6. Ezek. xxxiii. 15. xxxiv. 25. Micah vii. 14.-box Gen. xxi. 33.-wn 1 Sam. xxiii. 15, 16. 18, 19. 2 Chron. xxvii. 4. I consider, therefore, that wx is but another way of writing wy, and that it ought to be rendered the same. And in the time of Procopius, it appears to have been understood as such by those acquainted with the Hebrew: for he observes on 2 Kings xvii. TаνTaxoυ To aλσos oi λotol Aσταρωθ ἑρμηνευουσι' and at c. 7. το δε αλσος οἱ λοιποι Ασηρωθ [i. e. 118] η Ασταpwe [i. e. mnwy] Épμnvevovσiv å тny AσTapTny dnλ01.-In Jud. iii. 7. accordingly, where we find, they served wxnnxi o`byan Baalim and the groves, τοις Βααλιμ και τοις αλσεσι, codices collated by Kennicott and De Rossi have wy, and the Vulgate translates it servientes Baalim et Astaroth: the Syriac, too, has yet the Chaldee has NìWN↳ *»by; and the Arabic is Baul et Ascrah. I think, therefore, that the common reading is the best, and that the other has crept in as a gloss to explain it ; and I would translate it "Baal's and Astarte's," or rather "images of Baal and of Astarte :" ayaλμaтα Tηs АσTaρTηs, as Aquila justly rendered the plural noun.-In Jud. ii. 13. where the Hebrew has ninnwybi byab, the English and Vulgate "Baal and Ashtaroth," and the Greek τῳ Βααλ και τοις Ασταρταις, the Syriac and Arabic translate it the same as the former. Conf. 2 Kings xvii. 16. xxiii. 6. in the Greek, Hebrew, Chaldee, Syriac, and Arabic.-In 1 Sam. vii. 3. " strange gods and Ashtaroth,” the Greek has περιελετε θεους αλλοτριους εκ μεσου iμшV, Kαι тα аλon; and in 1 Sam. xii. 10. "we have forsaken the Lord, and have

66

the מתוככם והעשתרות put away *

Baalim and Ashtaroth, Tous Baaluu kal Tous את הבעלים ואת העשתרות served

aλoeo; and in 1 Sam. vii. 4. for "non-naı D`byann Baalim and Ashtaroth," Tas Baaλiμ KAι TA Aλon Aσrapwl; and, on the other hand, we find ex translated by ArтаρTη, 2 Chron. xv. 16; “And also concerning Maachah, the mother of Asa the king, he removed her from being queen, because she had made an idol in a grove; and Asa cut down her idol, and stamped it, and burnt it at the brook Kidron ;” και την Μααχα την μητερα αυτου μετέστησε του μη είναι τη Αστάρτη λειτουργουσαν, και μετεκοψε το είδωλον, κ. τ. λ. : the Chaldee and Arabic interpret it, quod festum celebrasset idolis suis. It should therefore be translated an idol or image of Astarte. Again, Deut. vii. 5. "And serves groves and idols," , και εδουλευον ταις Ασταρταις και τοις ειδωλοις. The

Greek interpreters themselves, therefore, understood the two words as synonymous. The expression in the latter part of the sentence is the same as is used in other places in relation to x when translated a grove: conf. Deut. vii. 6. xii. 3. Exod. xxxiv. 13. 2 Kings xxiii. 5, 6. Baal and Astarte, as the sun and moon, were the leaders of the host of heaven. Thus, 2 Kings xxi. 3. "And he reared up altars for Baal, and made wx a grove-ra aλon-Chald. properly Astarte, i. e. an image of her; as did Ahab, king of Israel; and worshipped all the host of heaven. 7. And he set a graven image of the grove that he had made in the house;" тo yλUTTOV TOV AλσOUS, idolum luci, Vulgate. This is १.. F ༣ ...

absurd. The Hebrew is 7. The Syriac No20 Ha| Spo