probably originated in
the family of Ham. A city of the Rephaim of Bashan was in the days of
Abraham named after Ashtoreth Karnaim--the two-horned Astarte, a
female divinity and prototype of Diana, and perhaps an historic
personage, in whom both the moon and the domestic ox were rendered
objects of worship. This is the earliest Bible notice of
idolatry.[160] In Egypt a mythology of complex diversity existed at
least as far back. We must remember, however, that Egypt is Cush as
well as Mizraim, and its idolatry is probably to be traced, in the
first instance, to the Nimrodic empire, from which, as from a common
centre, certain new and irreligious ideas seem to have been propagated
among all the branches of the human family. It is quite probable that
the correspondences between Egyptian, Greek, and Hindoo myths go back
as far as to the time when the first despotism was erected on the
plain of Shinar, and when able but ungodly men set themselves to erect
new political and social institutions on the ruins of all that their
fathers had held sacred. In addition to this, the mythology and
language of the Aryans alike bear the impress of the innovating and
restless spirit of the sons of Japhet.

I have stated the above propositions to show that the Bible affords a
rational and connected theory of the origin of the false religions of
antiquity; and to suggest as inquiries in relation to every form of
mythology--how much of it is primitive monotheism, how much
cherub-worship, how much hero-worship, how much ancestor-worship, how
much distorted cosmogony, how much pure idealism and superstition,
since all these are usually present. I may be allowed further to
remind the reader how much evidence we have, even in modern times, of
the strong tendency of the human mind to fall into one or another of
these forms of idolatry; and to ask him to reflect that really the
only effectual conservative element is that of revelation. How strong
an argument is this for the necessity to man of an inspired rule of
religious faith.

[The above note was in substance contained in the Appendix to
"Archaia" in 1860, and its correctness has, I think, been confirmed by
subsequent discoveries.]

K.--ASSYRIAN AND EGYPTIAN TEXTS.

Progress is continually being made in the decipherment and publication
of these, and new facts are coming to light in consequence as to the
religions of the early postdiluvian period.

According to the late George Smith an