as always mentioning what is the Egyptian cubit, which is known to be 20 inches. But Cappellus, Villalpandus, Arbuthnot and others, maintain, that there were two cubits, a civil and a sacred one; the former 18 inches and the latter 3 feet. In proof of which they refer, among other passages, to 1 Kings, vii. 15. which reads DIP DX Wy different from its parallel text, 2 Chron. iii. 15. MIN WOM Dww. The latter of these, however, it must be observed, regards both of the measures united; and Jeremiah .שמנה עשרה אמה,says in round numbers Therefore the learned Calmet and other writers contend, that there was but one cubit among the Hebrews, from the Exodus to the Babylonian captivity-that this was the Egyptian cubit, the measure whereof was taken some years ago from the old standards extant at Grand Cairo-and that only after the Captivity the Scripture notices two sorts of measures, to distinguish the ancient Hebrew cubit from that of Babylon, which the captives had used during their abode in that city. Hence Ezekiel .אמה אמה וטפח .13 .cautiously says, xliii It may be observed that us or has the same meaning in the New Testament, though sometimes rather peculiarly employed. In Matt. vi. 27. and Luke xii. 25. the word is plainly determined to the sense of time, by Luke, xii. 26. where our Saviour speaks of προσθείναι επι την ηλικιαν αυτου πηχυν ένα, as being λaxiσTOV, a very small thing; whereas adding a cubit to a man's stature would indeed be a great one.' Οργυια, a fathom, σημαίνει την εκτασιν των χειρων συν τω πλατει TOU σTηlous; occurs in Acts xxvii. 28. Galli vocant, Une brasse. Male igitur nonnulli Ulnam interpretantur. Beza. P, a reed, or cane; was used chiefly for measuring buildings, ,שש אמות באמה וטפח and its length, according to Ezekiel, was xl. 5. Because it could not be shortened or lengthened by shrinking or stretching, it was less liable to deceive; and hence the canon or rule of Holy Scripture is mystically typified by this P. Ezek. xl. and Rev. xxi. 15. Godwyn. use of the cubit now used in that country: because each part of them consisted of an exact number of these cubits. The Egyptians call it AHP; and, according to Greaves, it consists of 1824 parts, 1000 of which make an English foot.-Introduction to H. S. p. 259. Wetstein on Matt. vi. 27. cited by Parkhurst, in his Greek Lexicon, p. 533. 2 So observes the etymologist, as referred to by Parkhurst, in loc. An Arabian or pole, noticed by Josephus and others, was about 14 feet. ban, a line, rope, or chain, was employed for surveying or portioning lands (as we now use what is called Gunter's chain); and was made, according to the import of the Greek term, of bulrushes twisted together. It is beautifully used by metonymy, as in Ps. xvi. 6. Tyy has been used by Rabbinical writers to express the Roman pace, which contained about 4 feet 10 inches. Its relationship with σradios is obvious, though that word, like the Latin stadium, is well known to express a measure nearly equal to the English furlong. Zaßßatou odos, a Sabbath-day's journey, in Acts i. 12. is precisely determined by the excellent reading of the Syriac version, about seven stadia. As to the origin of this ,ܙܝܡ ܫܟܥܐ ܐܤܛܕܘܢ measure, it is thus stated by a learned philologist: "In Exod. xvi. 29. mandat Deus, &c. sed Lev. xxiii. 3. habetur, &c. ergo si debuerint adire locum sacrum, etiam debuerunt exire e loco suo. Judæi hoc dubium determinarunt, et statuerunt sibi licere facere iter Sabbathi, quod intra semi-horam absolvere poterant. Ergo Judæi putarunt sibi licuisse sine violatione Sabbathi iter unius semi-horæ absolvere." Leusden. , milliare, a mile (say some critics), so called from its magnitude, because it was the greatest measure of a road. Various opinions have been expressed relative to the meaning of this word. It is found joined with N in Gen. xxxv. 16. and xlviii. 7. and 2 Kings, v. 19. and is read in Arabic by a mile or 1000 paces; in Syriaca space; and in Persian a parasang, or German mile. Most likely it denotes a furlong, from 7, to plough, says Geddes, cited and approved by Boothroyd. پرسح DY, a day's journey, which is computed by the Talmudists at 10 parses or 40 miles. They also measure by 1, by .Lightfoot .יומים and by פרסאות (Measures of Capacity in the next.) July, 1823. J. W. 'Juxta Kimchium est servile et radix est significans spatium viæ; quantum homo conficit a mane usque ad pastum.-Stockii Heb. Lex. p. 509. 1 OBSERVATIONS ON THE ZODIAC No. II. [Continued from No. LV. p. 73.] AQUARIUS. In the first temple at Ephesus, the statue of the Goddess, according to Xenophon, book v, was of gold. The representations of Diana, which have descended to our times, are those of the statue which was placed in the second temple, and which was of wood. It not only was covered with breasts, but "consisted of an assemblage of almost every symbol attached to the old humanised column, so as to form a composition purely emblematical." This description of the Ephesian goddess applies so pointedly to the figure under consideration, that no doubt can remain respecting the deity it personified. The image of Isis was usually in the form of a woman, with cow's horns on her head, representing the moon in her increase and decrease, and holding the Sistrum (a kind of cymbal) in her right hand, and a pitcher in her left; but sometimes she was represented as Cybele, with the body full of breasts, to express her nourishing all things. It is probable, therefore, that the Egyptian Isis, and Diana, were the same divinity with Rhæa, from the Hebrew Rahah, to feed. On this subject Mr. Bryant says, We are told that Aquarius, and the great effusion of that element as it is depicted in the sphere, undoubtedly relate to the history of the deluge. Hegesianax maintained that it was Deucalion; now Deucalion was the Noah of the East, the same with Helios the Sun. We find, also, that Dionusus was styled Hyas, and Zeus Ombrius, terms signifying the god of rain. The priestesses had hence the name of Hyas and Thyas.-The Hyades was accounted a watery sign.3 Thus, in whichever light we view this figure, it evidently resolves itself into an attribute of the Sun, although it is highly probable that the figure of Diana of Ephesus suggested this variety. Pisces. Fish were worshipped in Egypt: "Ubi tamen pisces a sapientioribus pro deorum symbolis potius quam pro diis cultos fuisse innuit, quod etiam ceteris animalibus existimandum est."4 Class. Journ. No. 50. 2 Analysis, vol. iii. p. 51—2. 3 Ibid. vol. iii, p. 187. 4 Vossius de Idol. lib. iv. ch. 51. cited by Dr. Long Astron. vol. i. p. 181. VOL. XXVIII. CI. JI. NO. LVI. P The most obvious, (says Mr. P. Knight,') and consequently most ancient symbol of the productive power of the waters, was a fish; which we accordingly find the universal symbol upon many of the earliest coins; almost every symbol of the male or active power, both of generation and destruction, being occasionally placed upon it. Oxyrynchus, a town in Egypt, is said to have been so named from the sacred fish so called. Xenophon in his expedition of Cyrus, mentions that the river Chalus, in Syria, was full of large tame fish, which the Syrians looked upon as gods: lib. i. Both Lucian and Diodorus assert the same thing, and ascribe their veneration for fish to their respect for Derceto, the mother of Semiramis, who, when she was brought to bed, threw herself into a lake, and was changed into a fish. Others say the Zodiacal fish were placed in the sphere by Venus; either because Venus, when she fled from Typhon, took the form of a fish, or because the fish styled Notius saved Isis in some great extremity. But it is most probable they were placed there as the symbol of Poseidon, God of the Sea, who was also reputed the chief god, the deity of fire ; Which, (says Mr. Bryant,) we may infer from his priest who was styled a Purcon, and denominated from him, and who served in his Oracular temples: Purcon is Ignis, vel Lucis dominus, and we may know the department of the god from the name of the priest. He was the supreme deity the Sun, from whom all were supposed to be derived. Hence, Poseidon or Neptune, in the Orphic verses, is, like Zeus, styled the father of gods and men.3 The president Goguet says, "The worship of the first gods of Greece came from Egypt, except that of Neptune, which was derived from Libya."4 We come now to notice the human figures placed in boats, which accompany the representations of the signs. These figures, it was observed above, bear a strong resemblance to the Furies, or executioners of divine vengeance; and, strange as it may appear, this was one of the characters of Isis or Ceres. In the Hindu fictions, Ceres changes not only her attributes, but her person also, and displays herself under the dreadful character of Erinnys, the leader of these infernal tormentors. It appears, also, that Isis was the same with Serapis, for in some instances the latter has long hair, formally turned back, and disposed in ringlets hanging down upon his breast and shoulders like that of a woman. His whole person too is enveloped in drapery reaching to his feet. Tacitus informs us, that he was ' Class. Journ. No. 50. 2 Diodorus, lib. ii. 3 Analysis, vol. i, p. 389-90. + Origin of Laws, vol. i. from Herodotus. the same with the Paphian Venus, whose worship was introduced by the Ptolemies into Egypt. In some figures of Serapis, he is joined with Isis, and represented like a young man, and then he is taken for Osiris, the Sun. It is probable, therefore, that he was a personification of both sexes; but it is remarkable, that, according to Wilford,' his name is derived from Asrapa, implying thirst for blood. Others, I know, derive it differently, but this derivation seems the most deserving of credit, because we find it in accordance with the rites which followed the introduction of this worship, and that of Saturn, which the Ptolemies forced upon the Egyptians. Before the Macedonian conquest, the Egyptians never offered any bloody sacrifices to their gods, but worshipped them merely with their prayers and frankincense: after this æra we find them common, although it is said that the descendants of the ancient inhabitants did not join in the worship adopted by the court, but only the Egypto-Greeks. Besides, we find that Isis was styled Queen of the Manes, or Lares, the domestic deities of the Hetrurians, and Latins, to whom children were offered in sacrifice. The Lares, (says Mr. Bryant,) were the same as the Dii Præstites and Penates, who were imported from Egypt; they are described as dæmons and genii, who once lived upon earth, and were gifted with immortality.2 In another place, the same author mentions, that Ceres, the benefactress and lawgiver, was sometimes enrolled in the list of the Furies. This is manifest from a passage in Antimachus, quoted by Pausanias, where her temple is spoken of as the shrine of a Fury.3 Indeed, the frequent representations of human sacrifices, of priests and Cynocephali with knives in their hands, of men or human victims prepared for slaughter, devoured by lions, and bound in painful attitudes, together with a sacrificial altar, are all strong indications of the sanguinary disposition of the deity who presided in this temple, whose wrath was to be appeased, or beneficence moved by blood. As the Lares, or Dii Præstites and Penates, were properly marine deities, whose feasts, the Larentalia, were held when the sun entered Aquarius, this may be sufficient to account for their appearing in boats. The true meaning of the boats, however, seems to be this: it was a symbol of Isis herself. Hence the reason why she was worshipped at Rome, and, according to Tacitus, in the country of the Suevi, under the figure of a ship. Analysis, vol. iii. p. 335. 2 Asiatic Researches, vol. iii. |