figure was exhibited, immediately upon the expulfion of man from paradife, and was fo well known when Ifrael left Egypt, that the workman made the Cherubim, without any other direction than that of making them out of the gold that compofed the mercy-feat, and placing them on either end of it looking towards the mercy-feat, and ftretching their wings over it. So that the compound figures of the antients to reprefent their deities, had no other original but that at the east end of the garden of Eden. However, the emblems or reprefentations of the heathen divinities may have been complicared of the forms of different animals originally; yet we fee, with length of time, they feparated thofe fymbols, fuppofed the different figures to be different deities, and at laft worshipped them apart. The Egyptian Apis, the bull, in imitation whereof the Ifraelites made their golden calf, and Jeroboam made his calves, was but one of thofe figures; and the deity called Baal amongst the Syrians, which is alfo called the heifer Baal, was the fame, and yet was the reprefentation of the great God, the Lord of all. The Perfian Mithras was in all the devices. of the fervants of that God pictured a lion, or with a lion's head; and the Egyptian fphinx, which ftood at the entry of their temples, had but two of the cherubical figures, joined in a ftrange manner, the head of the man put on the body of the lion. The eagle was to the Greeks and Romans an emblem facred to Jupiter or Jovis their great God, whom they pictured like a man; in the talon of this bird they put a thunderbolt, and this expreffion of thunder, proceeding from clouds, borne by the eagle, whofe way in the air is among the clouds, was the enfign of NePeλnyeperng Zeus' and we know from Sanchoniathon, that the Tyrians had a pillar facred to wind, or air in motion, as well as they had to fire, built, as they faid, by Ufous the fon of Hypfouranias, which fire and wind they wor fhipped as Gods. We know from antient authors, and we fee in antient gems and other monuments, that the Egyptians were very much accuftomed to make the body of their image or reprefentation human, fometimes with the head of a lion, fometimes with that of a hawk or eagle, and fometimes with that of a bull, a ram, or fome other horned creature. And as, from the original exhibition of the Cherubim renewed, and recalled to its proper ufe in the tabernacle and temple, we fee the antients had a pattern from whence they might have taken thofe reprefentations, which they monftroufly abufed, we may reasonably conclude that thefe reprefentations, which, naturally, and without fome inftitution, would never have come into the heads of any men, flowed from an early practice, that had a different intent from that, to which it was at laft turned. And from the application made by the antient Pagans of each of the figures in the Cherubim, to fignify a different deity, we may with reason conclude, that they understood that particular figure in the Cherubim, which they chose for their protector or God, reprefented in the hieroglyphical ufage of the early times, the power, the thing, or perfon, that they intended to serve. Thus, for example, if the curled hairs and horns in the bull's head were in hieroglyphical writing, made the emblem of fire in general, or fire at the orb of the Sun, thofe who took material fire for their deity would fet up that cmblem, and worship it. If the lion's piercing eyes, or any other confideration, brought that animal to be the em blem of light in general, or of light iffuing from the body of the Sun, fuch as took light for their God, if any fuch were, would fet up the lion for their emblem. And if the eagle's foaring flight and commerce thereby with the air, brought that bird to be the embiem of air, fuch as imagined a divinity in the air, in clouds, in winds, would take that bird to resemble their deity. And the human figure in the Cherubim, must. one should think, be the most natural occafion of that univerfal miftake which all the heathens, at length, dropped into, of picturing their Gods with human bodies, and the very earliest gave fome countenance to injoining parts to the human body to, almoft, all their representations of their Gods. Now, fo it is, that we do know from innumerable texts of Scripture, and from many paffages in heathen hiftorians and mythologists,. that the objects of the earlieft pagan adoration, after lofing the idea of the true God, were the powers in the heavens, that were fuppofed to maintain this fyftem; the Sun, Moon and Stars, the host of heaven, the queen of heaven; fire, which was fuppofed to be one of the chief agents. agents in fupporting the motion of the univerfal light iffuing from the fire; and the air, clouds, winds, &c. which had infinite force, and were fuppofed to act a very confiderable part in the government and prefervation of the material world. In particular, we know that fire at the orb of the Sun was worshipped by the antient Egyptians, who made use of Apis, the bull, for their emblem; and that the wo:fhippers of Baal the heifer, believed their God had the command of fire. For, in the remarkable contention between Jehovah and Baal, managed on the one fide by Elijah, on the part of Jehovah, and on the other by four hundred and fifty priests on the part of Baal, the test of all was, which of their deities could command fire to come down from heaven to confume the facrifice, and the iffue difgraced Baal, and destroyed all his priests: and therefore, it is no rafh conclufion, that the ox's or bull's head was the hieroglyhical emblem of fire, perhaps fire at the orb of the Sun. We know alfo, that many of the Egyptians, and of the neighbouring nations, worthipped light; it was difficult to feparate the idea of light from that of fire. Those that served the moon and planets had no fire for their object. The Perfians, who worshipped fire, and eminently the body of the Sun, had light neceffarily in efteem as their beneficent principle. Oromafdes was light. Fob talked of worshipping light as idolatry. There were feveral temples in Egypt and in Canaan to the light of the fun and in Egypt, as well as Perfia, the lion was a facred emblem: wherefore it seems highly probable the lion was used as the fymbol or emblem of light, as the bull was made ufe of as the emblem of fire. We know also, that the earliest heathens took the air, wind, that which in the antient languages is expreffed by a word fignifying, promifcuoufly, wind and fpirit, that invifible agent which we feel, and which performs fo many confiderable effects in nature without being feen, for a deity; that to it they afcribed in fpiration; their Sibyls, their deliverers of oracles were inflated; futurities, the will of their God, was discovered by the countenance of clouds, and the flight of birds, which were religiously obferved by augurs, in the Hebrew cloud-mongers; thunder was the voice of their God, which was portentous, and much obferved. Thunder was afcribed to the great Jove, the thunderer, and the eagle with the thunderbolt was his enfign; whence we may, pretty fafely, conclude, that the eagle, to worshippers of the air, reprefented, hieroglyphically, air, wind, fpirit. If the deity, to give fome idea of himfelf from a fenfible object, had made choice of the heavens as the fenfible object, from which to take the imperfect idea of his immensity, perfonality, and manner of existence and operation; if, by the vastnefs and extent of them, his immenfity was to be reprefented; if by fire, the firft perfon, neceffarily and continually generating and fending forth light, the fecond perfon, and conftantly and neceffarily fupplied by air or fpirit, the third Perfon, the Trinity co exifting and co-operating for fupport of the whole, and in aid of each other was to be reprefented; then, upon difcovering this to mankind, the heavens would become the type of Jehovah, the Divine Effence. Fire would become the type of the First Perfon, light of the Second, and air or spirit of the Third; and whatever emblems in hieroglyphical writings were used to exprefs thefe, as the names of the one, would or might be used for the appellations or names of the other. So that, if this refemblance or reprefentation were to be expreffed in ftone, wood of metal, the emblems of fire, light, and air or fpirit, that is, from what has been faid, the bull, the lion and the eagle, ought to be conjoined together into the form of one animal; and every body, who understood the hieroglyphical emblems would immediately think on the heavens which they reprefented, and, from thence raise to himself the intended image of the Trinity in the Divine Effence." Hymn to Apollo, note 34. p. 30. In a treatise called Delphi Phonicizantes (referred to by Spanheim, fee p. 100. and note 112.) written by our learned countryman Dickinson, the reader will find pretty near the fame account of and E, as given in this note by Dr. Robinson, fee p. 94, &c. There are in the fame treatise many other curious particulars deferving notice. Hymn to Diana, p. 54. ver. 12. Turner in his Mythological Notes, p. 168-173. proves, that by these Cyclops (xuxxwwes) were meant nothing more than the Sun, the one bright eye in the forehead of the heaven; and if fo it is very plain, why Diana (or the Moon) fhould defire to have her tow and quiver, &c. from them, that is, the Sun, from whom all her light is borrowed. "The Cyclops therefore, fays he, that is, the eyes of the univerfe, are the fame with the Sun, who is exprefsly fo called: and E e 2 fo for their different names, Brontes, Steropes, and Hymn to Delos, p. 111. note 263." When the Canaanites were expelled from Canaan, there is no doubt but, among other places, they took pof feffion of the islands in the Ægean fea. This is evident from the names of thofe iflands, and alfo from the teftimony of Thucydides, lib. I. who fays, that the islands about Greece were principally inhabited by Carians and Phoenicians. What the Phoenicians or Canaanitif idols were we well know, and that it was their cuftom to give the names of their idols to the places of their habitation. So Delos (from, to draw out as water from a well, and N or W, fire) is the fountain of fire, i. e. the folar orb; and to perpetuate this attribute of their arch-idol, there was for many years a conftant fire kept up in Delos. Hence in after times, by taking emblems or fubftitutes for realities, the island Delos was taken for the real birth-place of Apollo, who from being in truth the folar light, was now reprefented as a man (from fome tradition of the union of the True Light with the Man Christ Jesus) and his mother Latona (the T, Gen. i. 2. the Heb. DNS) as a woman. The light could not naturally fpring forth unless the grofs fpirit furrounding the folar erb was fet on fire. And this the folar orb (wy) Delos itself did and because Delos the island was furrounded with a remarkable quantity of fea-weed as the Sun with the grofs fpirit, I think we may 2 hence explain the otherwife unintelligible jargon, The true reason why Apollo and Diana, Jupiter, Venus, &c. were all faid to be born in iflands, will be found in Turner, p. 224, &c. and in the following pages he abundantly confirms what is here advanced, namely, that Delos was no other than the Sun itself. P. 125. note 441. The following paffage from the Letters on Mythology p. 174. may ferve to illuftrate the obfervations made in this note. "Of the twelve great Gods, the greatest, according to the Egyptians, was Pan or the Univerfe, to whom the highest honours were paid. Next to him Latona or Night: Vulcan was next in dignity; and then Ifis and Ofiris, with Orus or Light, their fon. That is, in western language, that the univerfe, comprehending nature and all her powers, lay overwhelmed in darkness, until the igneous vivifying fpirit broke loofe, and difpelled the fhade that for eternal ages had been brooding over it: that then the Sun and Moon fhone forth, parents of light, prefiding over the generation of animals, the vegetation of plants, and the government of the whole." This appears no improper conclufion of these annotations; which, whether the world will approve or condemn-I cannot be allowed to guefs: however, to ufe the celebrated Dr. Bentley's words-I have written them without any apprehenfion of growing leaner by cenfure, or plumper by commendations. Facta eft alea: and Non injuffa cecini. Παρ εμοιγε και άλλοις, A GENERAL INDE X. A N. B. The Letter p. fignifies the page, and n. the note. A. Blutions (of deities) what principally intended to indicate, P, 128. n. 1. Achilles, by whom nurfed, p. 8. n. 61. Adam, the name of our firft parent, the original meaning of the term what, p. 3. n. 3. Its manifeft affinity with the Hebrew term HADMEH, fignifying the duft of the ground, ibid. Called his wife's name CHaVaH, and why, ibid. Addephagus, a name afcribed to Hercules, and why, P. 73. n. 2co P. 37. n. 70 p. 8. n. 61 various kinds p. 10. n. 75 Ægina, ravish'd by Jupiter, and why, p. 98. n. 91 Efculapius, the son of Apollo, and why, p. 36. n. 68 Ether, father of one of the Arcadian Jupiters, or king, according to Cicero, p. 2. n. 9. The word whence derived, &c. p. 146. n. 167 Etna, how defcribed by Virgil, p. 105. n. 189 Agamemnon offends Diana, wherein, and how punifhed, p. 89. n. 352 Agno, one of the nurfes of the Lycean Jupiter, p. 8. n. 61. A fountain fo called from her, ibid. Air, of what the emblem, p. 15. n. 107. Its peculiar influence and power, p. 77. n. 231. How imagined by the antients to be extended, p. 179, n. 1. That conjecture on what grounded, ibid. How far extended, according to the opinion of the antients, P. 179. n. 6 Alceftis, Admetus's wife, dies for her husband, and is reftored to life again by Proferpine for that expreffion of her piety, P. 37. n. 70. Alexander offers to rebuild the temple of Diana at Ephefus, and upon what terms; is refufed and why, p. 87. n. 323. Alexicakos, Hercules fo called by Chryfoftom, and why, P. 74. n. 216 Allelu-Jah, its proper fignification what, p. 31. n. 34 All-hael, the Saxon name for Chrift, and why, p. 36. n. 62 Alopecia, a particular disease, of what fort according to Pliny, and why fo called, p. 62. n. 104 Amalikaa, from whence derived, and the term ex Admetus, his ftory, p. 10. n. 75 Amanth, its fignification, what, built at Ephesus, and by what means, p. 87. n.323 Amnifus, a name both of a city and river in Crete. P. 55. n. 20 Amnifiades, certain nymphs of Crete, and from whence fo called, ibid. Amymone, a fountain at Argos, and why fo called, P. 135. n. 58. Anatoria, the famous city of Meletus, fo called by Pliny, and why, and by whom built, p. 84. n. 308 Apollo, Callimachus's hymn to him, p. 23, & feq. His temple, &c. how cuftomarily adorned, and with what, p. 23. n. 1. His priefteffes, their particular ufe of laurel-branches, and when, ibid. Who, and how reprefented by the Grecians, p. 24. n. 1. His prefence more frequent in his temple than any other God in theirs, and why, n. 2. This particular attendance from whence probably arifing, ibid. His knocking at the gate of his teinple with a beautiful foot fingularly remarkable, and why, p. 24. n. 2. His religious rites defcribed by Proclus, p. 26. n. 11. His eyes, &c. feveral paffages fimilar to this in Scripture, p. 26. His mufical inftruments like thofe mentioned in Scripture, p. 27. n. 20. His Epidemia, or entrance into his temple beautifully described by Virgil, Eneid iv. ibid. The ushering of him into his temple with mufic, hymns and dances, from whence borrowed, ibid. The important advantages arising from the worship of him with mufic and dancing, p. 28. n. 24. His rites folemnized in the fpring, and why, p. 29. n. 26. Is a foe to Achilles, and Niobe, and why, p. 30. n. 32. The fignification of the infcription [E] on his temple-door, what, p. 31. n. 34. There is a manifeft affinity between that infcription and the Hebrew term (Jah) p. 31. n. 34. His fitting at Jove's right-hand, what it implies, p. 32. n. 41. Every thing belonging to him of gold, and why, p 32. n. 52. His fane, or temple, called Delphian, and why, p. 34. n. 56. He himfelf called Phabus, and why, ibid. prefented n. 13. Is re prefented beardlefs, and ever young, and why, P. 34. n. 59. His fragrant locks how defcribed by Callimachus, p. 35. n. 60. How imitated by Milton, in his defcription of the two angels Gabriel and Raphael, ibid Of what the emblem, ibid. Of what the true caufe and inftrument, ibid. His perfections enumerated both by Callimachus and Övid, p 36. n. 62. Why called the father of Efculapius, p. 36. n. 64. His defcent from heaven for love of Admetus has a dark but ob* fervable reference to our Saviour's advent, and wherein, p. 37. n 70. Is called Nomian, and why, p. 38. 74. Has a manifelt reference to the conclufion of the cxliv Pfalm, ibid. Gives encreafe to his fon Augias's herds, and by what means, ibid. That encrease how defcribed by Theocritus, ibid. Is the founder of cities, and the protector of their founders when confulted, p. 38. n. 78. Erects an altar (the wonder of the world) where, and with what materials, p. 39 n. 85. Horned animals facrificed to him by all nations, and why, ibid. The crow, the raven, and the fwan dedicated to him, and why, p. 40. n. 94. His oath irrevocable, and why, ibid. Is called Boedromion, why and by whom, p. 41. n. 98. Is called Clarian, and why, ibid. Is called likewife Carnean, and why, p 42. n. 101. Various reasons given for his denomination of Carnean by various authors, but the true one only by Huet,p.42. n. 101. Has flowers offered to him in the fpring, and why, p. 43. n. 115. Has faffron offered to him in autumn, and why, p. 43. n. 118. Has perpetual fires kept up in honour to him, and why, p. 41. n 120. His amour with Cyrene, defcribed by Pindar, p. 46. n. 125. The famous exploit of his killing the monftrous ferpent Python, from whence it evidently arofe, p. 48. n. 142. Is faid to meet Diana accompanied by Mercury on her entrance into heaven, and why, p. 72. n. 200. By whom worshipped, where placed, and why, ibid. The guardian God of Delos, and faid to be her rock of defence, p. 93. n. 28. Similar expreffions in fcripture, ibid. His denunciation of a curfe against Thebes, compulfive, and why, p. 99. n. 107. His oracles on what delivered, ibid. His ceremonies fimilar to those observed in the Jewish temple according to Spanheim, ibid. Is called Python, and when, and wherein fimilar to Scripture, ibid. Is brought forth, 'tis faid, between an olive-tree and a palm; the tradition re. markable, and wherein, p. 111. n. 283. His lyre of what the reprefentation, p. 115. n. 339. Was laid on the ground of Delos, as foon as born, and why, p. 116. n. 354. Not fed with milk, but with what, according to Homer, p. 117. n.374. Receives the firft-fruits and tenths of all nations, and the custom accounted for, p. 118. n. 381. The worship paid him by the Hyperboreans, the fame with the idolatry paid to Baal-fephon, p.120. n. 398. His three appellations of Hecaergus, Lycius, and Upi, plainly accounted for, p. 121. n. 91 Afteria, Delos once fo called, and why, p. 24. n. 43 Is curfed by Juno, and why, p. 114. n. 321 Atalanta, the miracle of striking water out of a rock performed by her hunting-ftaff recorded by Paufanias, p. 7. n. 51. Her story beautifully related by Banier, p. 82. n. 292 ATHene, ATTis, and ATho, &c. whence derived, p. 146. n. 167 Augurs, have all their particular staffs, or rods, according to Cicero, p. 142. n. 152. Their staffs, or rods defcribed, ibid. Are of great ufe in divination, and alluded to by one of the prophets, ibid. The ufe of their rods, or ftaffs, from whence originally derived, ibid. That of Tireftas, how called by Homer, ibid. And thofe fcepters, ftaffs, clubs, caducei, &c. of the Gods all derived from the fame original, ibid. Auguft, called Boedromian, why, and by whom, p. 41. n. 98. Authority (of kings) from whom derived, p. 16. |