Oracles known in Canaan. Oracles were known in Canaan; witness the oracle of Beelzebub, in the city of Accaron. The most common idols. The heathen idols most frequently mentioned in scripture are Baal, Ashtǎroth, and Moloch; all of which were frequent objects of idolatry to the Hebrews.* Baal. BAAL was the Canaanitish idol which represented the sun.† Many cities of Palestine bore the name of this deity, as Baal-Phrazim, Baal-Thamar, Baal Hermon, Baal-shalisha, Baal-ah, Baal-meon, &c. BAAL-PEOR was a god of the Moabites, whose rites consisted of the grossest immoralities. (Num. xxv. 1-9). BAAL-ZEBUB was the tutelary god of Ekron, one of the lordships of the Philistines. His office was was to ward off gnats and flies. (2 Kings i. 2.) Ashtaroth. ASHTAROTH, or the queen of heaven, was the chief goddess of the Zidonians. She represented the moon; and her temples were surrounded by groves, where the most obscene rites were practised.‡ Her image. Her image was that of a woman with the head of a bull, whose horns represented the crescent moon. She was called Astarté by the Greeks and Romans. § *Judges ii. 11. Judges ii. 13; x. 6. 1 Sam. vii. 4; Judges ii. 13; x. 6. Exodus xxxiv. 13. § Gen. xiv. 5. Deut. i. 4. xii. 10. Deut. vii. 5. S Moloch. MOLOCH, the chief god of the Ammonites, symbolized the planets. This idol was made with extended arms, and children were frequently sacrificed to it by fire. How this was The sacrifice was performed by performed. placing the children in the arms of the idol; whereupon they slipped through, and fell into a furnace below. Moloch is probably the Saturn of the Romans, who, from the circumstance referred to, was said to devour her children. Baal the sun, Ashtaroth the moon, and Moloch the planets, are often spoken of in scripture as the host of heaven. Moses' law respecting Moloch. Moses forbad the Hebrews, un der penalty of death, to dedicate their children to Moloch; nevertheless, there was no idolatrous practice more common amongst them.* Both Solomon and Manasseh built temples to this idol. (1 Kings xi. 7. 2 Kings xxi. 3, 4.) Where they wor shipped Moloch. The Jews worshipped Moloch in the valley of Tophet; so named from the drums which were beaten there to drown the shrieks of the burning children. This valley was afterwards called Ge-henna (the place of torments). The principal The chief IMAGES made by the JEWS were: * Lev. xviii. 21; xx. 2-5. Amos v. 26. Acts vii. 43. (1.) The calf by Aaron, and the two erected in Dan and Bethel by Jeroboam.* (2.) The ephod of Gideon, made of gold, in imitation of the sacerdotal ephod.+ (3.) The image of Jehovah, made by Micah, on Mount Ephraim.‡ The Hebrews did not invent any new form of idolatry, but fell into the superstitions of the people round about them. Thus in Egypt they worshipped Egyptian deities; in the wilderness, those of the Canaanites, Ammonites, and Moabites; in Judæa, those of the Zidonians, Phonicians, and Philistines, &c. These corrupt practices never ceased till the Jews returned from the Babylonish captivity; after which, they never again lapsed into idolatry. *Exodus xxxii. 4, 5. ↑ Judges vi. 25-32; viii. 24-27. Isa. xxx. 22. PERIOD VII. THE KINGS. CHAPTER I. KING SAUL. Reigned 40 years. B.C. 1091-1051. 1 SAMUEL XI. TO XXXI. COTEMPORARY EVENTS. The 21st dynasty of Egypt, called that of Bubastis, was during the reigns of Saul, David, and Solomon. Homer and Hesiod flourished during this epoch. 1075. Corinth founded by Aletés. Saul, who he was. Saul, the son of Kish, was the first king of the Hebrews. He ruled over all the 12 tribes for 40 years. How often anointed. He was twice anointed: once privately, when he went to consult Samuel about some asses which had gone astray; and again publicly, some verned. few days afterwards, when he was elected to the sovereignty by lot. How he go- He governed well for about three years, and then began his downward career; till, at last, he was rejected of God, and committed suicide. His offences. His three great offences were: (1.) Distrust of God, and want of reverence for sacred rites; (2.) The presumption of placing his own judgment above the positive commands of God; and (3.) Forsaking God altogether for the service of Satan. offence. His first His First Offence occurred at Gilgal, whither he had gone with a large army to oppose the Philistines, and where Samuel promised to meet him in seven days to offer sacrifice before the battle. (B.c. 1089.) How Saul He waited six days, and finding offended. all his army, except 600 men, had deserted him, began to mistrust Samuel; |