The Scripture history of idolatry, showing the connexion between the traditions of pagan mythology and the Bible .. . rred in the time of Ptolemy,the son of Lagus, that fifty talents, or 876,000,were borrowed to defray the charges of its funeralrites. Sometimes it happened that several yearselapsed before another Apis could be found. Atthe very time when Cambyses, king of Persia,was at Memphis, they had just found a beast tosuit them, and were exulting with the most ex-travagant demonstrations of delight, because thegod Apis had once more made his bade them bring the animal
The Scripture history of idolatry, showing the connexion between the traditions of pagan mythology and the Bible .. . rred in the time of Ptolemy,the son of Lagus, that fifty talents, or 876,000,were borrowed to defray the charges of its funeralrites. Sometimes it happened that several yearselapsed before another Apis could be found. Atthe very time when Cambyses, king of Persia,was at Memphis, they had just found a beast tosuit them, and were exulting with the most ex-travagant demonstrations of delight, because thegod Apis had once more made his bade them bring the animal beforehim, and when it had accordingly been led intohis presence, he stabbed it in the flank with hisdagger, and laughed the priests to scorn for wor-shipping a beast, as though it were a god. At a later period, the Persian king, Ocbus, or-dered Apis to be dragged out of his temple, andafter sacrificing an ass to their god, compelledthe priests to eat the victim. The emperor Au-gustus, when requested to visit the temple of thisidol, replied that he worshipped the gods and not IDOL-GODS OF THE EGYPTIANS, 97 >. 98 IDOL-GODS OF THE EGYPTIANS. dumb beasts. The mode of consulting Apis wasthe following. They who were desirous of ascer-taining the mind of the god, previously burnt in-cense upon an altar filled with oil from the lampslighted on the occasion, and laid down a piece ofmoney upon the altar, at the right side of thestatue of Apis. Then, having applied their mouthto the ear of the god to interrogate him, theywent away, stopped their ears till they got with-out the precincts of the temple, and whateverthey heard first was received as an answer fromthe idol. The children of Israel, when in Egypt, hadbeen spectators at the festivals, held in honour ofthis idol, and hence their worshipping the Lordunder the figure of a golden calf, is easily ac-counted for. Aaron made the image after themodel of Apis, and the Israelites adored it accord-ing to the Egyptian custom with feasti
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookpublisherphilade, booksubjectidolsandimages
