shiped Dagon, and in Babylonian Mythology Odakon is applied to a fish-like being, who rose from the waters of the Red Sea as one of the benefactors of men.' On the coins of Ascalon, where she was held in great honor, the goddess Derceto or Atergatis is represented as a woman with her lower extremities like a fish. This is Semiramis, who appeared at Joppa as a mermaid. She is simply a personification of the Moon, who follows the course of the Sun. At times she manifests herself to the eyes of men, at others she seeks concealment in the Western flood." The Sun-god Phoibos traverses the sea in the form of a fish, and imparts lessons of wisdom and goodness when he has come forth from the green depths. All these powers or qualities are shared by Proteus in Hellenic story, as well as by the fish-god, Dagon or Oannes.” In the Iliad and Odyssey, Atlas is brought into close connection with Helios, the bright god, the Latin Sol, and our Sun. In these poems he rises every morning from a beautiful lake by the deepflowing stream of Ocean, and having accomplished his journey across the heavens, plunges again into the Western waters.* The ancient Mexicans and Peruvians had likewise semi-fish gods." Jonah then, is like these other personages, in so far as they are all personifications of the Sun; they all come out of the sea; they are all represented as a man emerging from a fish's mouth; and they are all benefactors of mankind. We believe, therefore, that it is one and the same myth, whether Oannes, Joannes, or Jonas,' differing to a certain extent among different nations, just FIG. 5 as we find to be the case with other legends. This we have just seen illustrated in the story of "Little Red Riding-Hood," which is considerably mutilated in the English version. 1 See Smith's Dictionary of the Bible, and Chambers's Encyclo., art. "Dagon" in both. * See Baring-Gould's Curious Myths. See Cox: Aryan Mythology, vol. ii. p. 26. • Ibid, p. 38. • Curious Myths, p. 372. • Since writing the above we find that Mr. Bryant, in his “Analysis of Ancient Mythol ogy" (vol. ii. p. 291), speaking of the mystical nature of the name John, which is the same as Jonah, says: "The prophet who was sent upon an embassy to the Ninevites, is styled Ionas: a title probably bestowed upon him as a messenger of the Deity. The great Patriarch who preached righteousness to the Antediluvians, is styled Oan and Oannes, which is the same as Jonah." Fig. No. 5 is a representation of Dagon, intended to illustrate a creature half-man and half-fish; or, perhaps, a man emerging from a fish's mouth. It is taken from Layard. Fig. No. 6' is a representation of the Indian Avatar of Vishnou, coming forth from the fish. It would answer just as well for a representation of Jonah, as it does for the Hindoo divinity. It should be noticed that in both of these, the god has a crown on his head, surmounted with a triple ornament, both of which had evidently the same meaning, i. e., an emblem of the trinity! The Indian Avatar being represented with four arms, evidently means that he is god of the whole world, his four arms extending to the four corners of the world. The circle, which is seen in one hand, is an emblem of eternal reward. The shell, with its eight convolutions, is intended to show the place in the number of the cycles which he occupied. The book and sword are to show that he ruled both in the right of the book and of the sword." 1 From Maurice: Hist. Hindostan, vol. i. p. 495. Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. 1. p. 634. See also, Calmet's Fragments, 2d Hundred, p. 78. See the chapter on "The Trinity," in part second. See Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. 1. p. 640. CHAPTER X. CIRCUMCISION. IN the words of the Rev. Dr. Giles: "The rite of circumcision must not be passed over in any work that concerns the religion and literature of that (the Jewish) people." The first mention of Circumcision, in the Bible, occurs in Genesis, where God is said to have commanded the Israelites to perform this rite, and thereby establish a covenant between him and his chosen people: "This is my covenant (said the Lord), which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; every male child among you shall be circumcised." "We need not doubt," says the Rev. Dr. Giles, "that a Divine command was given to Abraham that all his posterity should practice the rite of circumcision.""" Such may be the case. If we believe that the Lord of the Universe communes with man, we need not doubt this; yet, we are compelled to admit that nations other than the Hebrews practiced this rite. The origin of it, however, as practiced among other nations, has never been clearly ascertained. It has been maintained by some scholars that this rite drew its origin from considerations of health and cleanliness, which seems very probable, although doubted by many. Whatever may have been its origin, it is certain that it was practiced by many of the ancient Eastern nations, who never came in contact with the Hebrews, in early times, and, therefore, could not have learned it from them. The Egyptians practiced circumcision at a very early period,' 1 Giles: Hebrew and Christian Records, vol. 1. p. 249. * Genesis, xvii. 10. Giles: Hebrew and Christian Records, vol. 1. p. 251. Mr. Herbert Spencer shows (Principles of Sociology, pp. 290, 295) that the sacrificing of a part of the body as a religious offering to their deity, was, and is a common practice among savage tribes. Circumcision may have origin ated in this way. And Mr. Wake, speaking of it, says: "The origin of this custom has not yet, so far as I am aware, been satisfactorily explained. The idea that, under certain climatic conditions, circumcision is necessary for cleanliness and comfort, does not appear to be well founded, as the custom is not universal even within the tropics." (Phallism in Ancient Religs., p. 36.) "Other men leave their private parts at least as early as the fourth dynasty-pyramid one—and therefore, long before the time assigned for Joseph's entry into Egypt, from whom some writers have claimed the Egyptians learned it.' In the decorative pictures of Egyptian tombs, one frequently meets with persons on whom the denudation of the prepuce is manifested.' On a stone found at Thebes, there is a representation of the circumcision of Ramses II. A mother is seen holding her boy's arms back, while the operator kneels in front.' All Egyptian priests were obliged to be circumcised, and Pythagoras had to submit to it before being admitted to the Egyptian sacerdotal mysteries.* Herodotus, the Greek historian, says: 4 "As this practice can be traced both in Egypt and Ethiopia, to the remotest antiquity, it is not possible to say which first introduced it. The Phenicians and Syrians of Palestine acknowledge that they borrowed it from Egypt.” It has been recognized among the Kaffers and other tribes of Africa. It was practiced among the Fijians and Samoans of Polynesia, and some races of Australia." The Suzees and the Mandingoes circumcise their women.' The Assyrians, Colchins, Phenicians, and others, practiced it." It has been from time immemorial a custom among the Abyssinians, though, at the present time, Christians." The antiquity of the custom may be assured from the fact of the New Hollanders, (never known to civilized nations until a few years ago) having practiced it." The Troglodytes on the shore of the Red Sea, the Idumeans, Ammonites, Moabites and Ishmaelites, had the practice of circumcision." The ancient Mexicans also practiced this rite." It was also are circumcised for the sake of cleanliness, thinking it better to be clean than handsome." (Herodotus, Book ii. ch. 36.) 1 We have it also on the authority of Sir J. G. Wilkinson, that: "this custom was established long before the arrival of Joseph in Egypt," and that "this is proved by the ancient monuments." Bonwick: Egyptian Belief, pp. 414, 415. 4 Ibid. and Knight: Ancient Art and Mythology, p. 89. Bonwick's Egyptian Belief, p. 415. Herodotus: Book ii. ch. 36. 7 See Bonwick's Egyptian Belief, p. 114. Amberly: Analysis Religious Belief, p. 67, and Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. ii. p. 309. 8 Bonwick's Egyptian Belief, p. 414, and Amberly's Analysis, pp. 63, 73. Amberly: Analysis of Relig. Belief, p. 73. 10 Bonwick: Egyptian Belief, p. 414; Amberly's Analysis, p. 63; Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. i. p. 163, and Inman: Ancient Faiths, vol. ii. pp. 18, 19. 11 Bonwick: Egyptian Belief, p. 414. 12 Kendrick's Egypt, quoted by Dunlap; Mysteries of Adoni, p. 146. 13 Amberly's Analysis, p. 63, Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. ii. p. 309, and Acosta, ii. 369. found among the Amazon tribes of South America.' These Indians, as well as some African tribes, were in the habit of circumcising their women. Among the Campas, the women circumcised themselves, and a man would not marry a woman who was not circumcised. They performed this singular rite upon arriving at the age of puberty." Jesus of Nazareth was circumcised,' and had he been really the founder of the Christian religion, so-called, it would certainly be incumbent on all Christians to be circumcised as he was, and to observe that Jewish law which he observed, and which he was so far from abrogating, that he declared: "heaven and earth shall 66 pass away" ere one jot or one tittle" of that law should be dispensed with.* But the Christians are not followers of the religion of Jesus. They are followers of the religion of the Pagans. This, we believe, we shall be able to show in Part Second of this work. 1 Orton: The Andes and the Amazon, p. * This was done by cutting off the clytoris. Orton: The Andes and the Amazon, p. 822. Gibbon's Rome, vol. iv. p. 568, and Bible for Learners, vol. i. p. 319. In "At the time of the conquest, the Spaniards found circumcised nations in Central America, and on the Amazon, the Tecuna and Manaos tribes still observe this practice. the South Seas it has been met with among three different races, but it is performed in a somewhat different manner. On the Australian continent, not all, but the majority of tribes, practiced circumcision. Among the Papuans, the inhabitants of New Caledonia and the New Hebrides adhere to this custom. In his third voyage, Captain Cook found it among the inhabitants of the Friendly Islands, in particular at Tongataboo, and the younger Pritchard bears witness to its practice in the Samoa or Fiji groups." (Oscar Peschel: The Races of Man, p. 22.) Luke, ii. 21. Matthew, v. 18. • In using the words "the religion of Jesus," we mean simply the religion of Israel. We believe that Jesus of Nazareth was a Jew, in every sense of the word, and that he did not establish a new religion, or preach a new doctrine, in any way, shape, or form. "The preacher from the Mount, the prophet of the Beatitudes, does but repeat with persuasive lips what the law-givers of his race proclaimed in mighty tones of command." (See chap. xl.) |