Salem was a priest of the most high God, or a priest who taught the true worship of God in opposition to the idolatrous worship which prevailed at that day.

THE WORSHIP OF THE PHILISTIANS.

The Philistians descended from Mitsraim. They appear to have been a sect of idolaters, pretending to greater humility and self-abasement, than those who followed the established idolatrous worship of the land. The word Philistim means to roll themselves in the dust, or to cast dust on their heads, as a token of greater humility than other professors, by which their crafty teachers got great numbers of proselytes, until they had sufficient power to become the governors of the country. Hence came the custom among the Hebrews of casting dust on their heads in token of humility. Lam. r. 10. they have cust up dust on their heads. Isaiah, xlvii. 1. Come down, and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon.

The most famous idol of the Philistians was Dagon, which means, the corn-giver. To him they ascribed the invention of growing corn; he was worshipped in the figure of a man, not half man and half fish, as has been supposed, for we read of his

head, face, hands, that he fell upon his face, and it is not said that the lower part was like a fish.

This

Baal-Zebub was also an idol of the Philistians Baal in Hebrew means Lord, and Zebub has been usually rendered a fly, i. e. the Lord of the flies: but this has neither meaning nor application. latter word truly means a quick transition from place to place, and has on this account been rendered a fly. It appears from scripture that by this idol they originally meant to represent the omniscience of God, for when the King of Israel was sick, he sent messengers, and said unto them, Go and inquire of Baal-Zebub the God of Ekron, whether I shall recover of this disease, i. e. Go to Baal-Zebub, the Lord who knows all things; but the Lord of flies was not likely to know future events.

ans.

ASHTAROTH was another idol of the Philistians, said also to have been the abomination of the ZidoniAshtaroth is a feminine noun plural, a compound word from Ashah, to make,' and thour, a tour, a circuit,' like the Moon round the earth, and Venus round the sun. That the planets Venus and the Moon were understood by this word, will be very easily determined; it is said Gen. xiv. 5. Ashtaroth karnaim: karnaim' means that which is horned,

In the first edition of this work, the following observation was made in one of the reviews: "Mr. Bellamy asserts

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Deut. xxxiii. 17. and as none of the celestial bodies are regularly seen horned but the Moon and Venus, the

that none of the celestial bodies assume the crescent form but the Moon and Venus, but the planet Mercury assumes that form also." It is allowed that if there were twenty planets between the earth and the sun, they must at certain times apparently assume the crescent form. But as the greatest elongation of Mercury from the sun is not more than twenty three degrees, and as this planet is constantly enveloped in the intense splendor of the rays of the sun, it is very rarely indeed that his body can be seen with the telescope. The eccentricity of the orbit of Mercury being far greater than any of the other planets, always accompanying the sun, it was not at all probable that this planet should have been so noticed by them. It was the custom of the ancients, as it is of the moderns, to affix terms to the celestial bodies agreeably to their known periods when they made their appearance in a certain part of the heavens. Thus we say of Venus, when she is in a certain part of her orbit as seen from the earth, she is a morning, or an evening star; the new Moon, when she passes from the conjunction with the sun; consequently it could only be the celestial bodies which were statedly seen to rise and set at certain periods, and which were useful in determining the seasons, as the Moon and Venus, which were worshipped by these most ancient people, the Antediluvians. I have made observations with a very powerful reflector at the time the earth was in that part of her orbit, when Mercury should have that appearance, and have never been fortunate enough to see it so falcated. But admitting that Mercury was known in those early ages, which may be proved from scripture, it would be a farther proof that these primæval people had the use of the telescope, and that they had it in

Moon, when she makes her first appearance, after the conjunction with the Sun, and Venus when seer from the earth in a particular part of her orbit; i proves that these planets were worshipped by them. AND THAT THEY MUST ALSO HAVE HAD

THE

PLANET

USE OF THE TELESCOPE, AS THE
VENUS CANNOT BE DISCOVERED TO HAVE
THAT HORNED FIGURE WITH THE NAKED

EYE. The full meaning of these words will be comprehended thus, the horned tour-making goddesses.

The septuagint render the word Ashtaroth, Αστάρτης Astarte; and karnaim, by δεδόξασται, τας glorified, which may read, the glorified tour-mak ing goddesses, for horns, or rays are significative of glory, Hab. iii. 4.-This I say proves that these ancient people were well acquainted with astronomy, as none of the celestial bodies assume the crescent form but the Moon and Venus, which are evidently referred to by the above words.

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great perfection. The feminine noun nwy, Ashtaroth, will also be applicable to the Moon, Venus, and Mercury; for Mercury by these ancients was allowed to assume the nature and quality of those with whom it was conjoined.

THE WORSHIP OF THE ANCIENT

SYRIANS.

The scriptures inform us that the idol of the ancient Syrians was called Rimmon. 2nd Kings, v. 18. The word Rimmon means to exalt, to be able to break forth with power, on being exalted. Psalm lxvi. 17. The sacred writers used the word to signify the exaltation, and breaking forth of divine light, the elevation or breaking forth of infinite wisdom. This idol was a serpent idol, for as the serpent was originally considered as an emblem of infinite wisdom, as well as the wisdom, or subtilty of the sensual principle in man; so also the word was used to signify the elevation and springing forth of wisdom in man.

The Syrians had also other idols, such as their deified kings and great heroes, the adoration of which appears to have commenced, when they ceased to worship the serpent; and thus fell into a gross state of idolatry. Rimmon was altogether neglected, when a new sect sprung up and Ben-hadad the king received divine honors, as his name signifies, viz. the son of shouting, a custom among them when they met their enemies in the field of battle, by which they were intimidated, and which frequently caused them to gain the victory.