Classical Theology.—Lxxvi.

CLASSICAL THEOLOGY . —LXXVI .

LONDON , SATURDAY , JUNE 11 , 1864 .

JUNO AND JANUARY . If man is as religious an animal as generally believed—and that under certain physical and moral circumstances , deprived of any relation of one only true God ., while , like some of the first

dwellers in the plain of Shinar , roving under a cloudless sky in a delightful climate—he would naturally turn his contemplation towards heaven , and particularly on the sun , through whose glorious influence he beholds all things brighten into

visible beauty , and , iu all refulgence , awake , as it were , upon a neAV life , and happily rejoice to devise for himself objects of adoration . Doubtless the Chaldei paid divine honours to the sun as the supreme majesty , and other luminaries as subordinate deities . They likeAvise AYere

fireworshippers , especially of that flame kindled by the rays of the sun . We have all heard how Prometheus obtained fire from heaven , but this contrivance has been attributed to Niinrod or Ninus , the son of Belus , Avdio reared that

remarkable statue to his memory , variously known as an idol , especially under the names of Bel , Pul , Baal , Paal , & c , which some say Avas of pure gold forty feet in height , and the veritable one Nebuchadnezzar caused to be set up , as it is Avritten in the

third chapter of the Book of Daniel , and declared by the herald , " 0 ye people , nations , and languages , at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet , flute , harp , sackbut , psaltery , dulcimer , and all kinds of music , ye fall down and Avorship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar , the king , hath set up . "

We ai-e told that as placed m the plain of Dura , in the province of Babylon , its height Avas three score cubits , and the breadth thereof six cubits . At any rate Herodotus describes it as being so in his time , and its value has been estimated at upwards of one thousand Babylonian talents .

We ICUOAV that the Avails of the city of Babylon are recorded among the ancient seven Avonders of the world j and Ave have heard of its memorable , vast , and magnificent temple dedicated to Belus . But it is doubtful whether this Belus was

the representative of the father of Nimrod or Ninus , or the idol Bel , Baal , Bui , Pul , Avhence Apollo , the God of the Sun . Perhaps the temple in size , richness , and grandeur , was never equalled ;

of a great and gorgeous city it was its greatest pride and ornament . Herodotus , in his description of it , acquaints us that before the time of Nebuchadnezzar it consisted of little more than an enormous tower , whose immense space within

Avas entirely devoted to the service of Baal , and that it lay on the eastern side of the city . But Nebuchadnezzar caused to be erected around it extensiA''e and noble buildings , the whole enclosed in a lofty quadrangle , each side of which was two

stadia , or about a quarter of a mile , whereby forty square acres of ground must have been thus surrounded . These high walls , we are further told , had brazen gates , made , it is supposed , out of the brazen sea , pillars , and utensils composing- some ,

of the spoil of the Temple of Zion . The wealth of this sacred edifice , or temple of Babel , reported originally to have been the famous tower of that name , contained , besides the image we have mentioned , several other statues , and tables , bowls , censers , and innumerable sacred

vessels , all of the like solid and pure metal . With respect to the temple itself , Herodotus , who closely inspected it , has given us nearly the following account as it was in his time , that is to say , Avhen the tower of Babel formed the whole of the temple of Belus . Iu the middle of the

building was a compact tower , a stadium in length , of an equal breadth , on Avhich was placed another , and on this another , to the number of eight towers , one above and upon the other . Pound these , on the outside , a broad encircling ascent led np and into them . Within

the highest tower was a great chamber or temple furnished with a splendidly covered bed and a large golden table , but no image was there , and no male person was allo \ vedto lay on the "bed—one female by night , chosen out of all the Chaldean bthe god himselfbeing alone Avorthto

women y , y receive that honour ; and the j ^ iests of Belus , or Baal , relate that this deity comes to her in this temple as he did , as the Egyptian priests assert , to the chosen one in his Theban temple .

There was also in the Babylonish temple , a lower chamber , or sakellum , in Avhich was a largo image of Jupiter in gold , the steps of whose throne , was also of gold , and he had a large golden table beside Mm . Its value was estimated at eight hundred talents of gold . On the outer

side of this chapel was another large altar of the same precious metal , and another Avhereon fully grown sheep were sacrificially offered , for upon the former , all immolation , Avith exception of younglambs , was strictly prohibited , and it was on this altar , once a year , that the Chaldeans in their celebration of the feast of the God consumed a thousand talents of frankincense .