Notes_, p.
115.--The existence of a Phoenician triad (Baal, Astarte, Eshmoun or {251}
Melkarth), and of a Palmyrian triad has been conjectured but without
sufficient reason (_ibid._, 170, 172 ff.); the existence of Carthaginian
triads is more probable (cf. Polybius, VII, 9, 11, and von Baudissin,
_Iolaos_ [_Philothesia fuer Paul Kleinert_], 1907, pp. 5 ff.)--See in
general Usener, _Dreiheit_ (Extr. _Rhein. Museum_, LVIII), 1903, p. 32. The
triads continued in the theology of the "Chaldaic Oracles" (Kroll, _De
orac. Chald._, 13 ff.) and a threefold division of the world and the soul
was taught in the "Assyrian mysteries" (_Archiv fuer Religionswiss._, IX,
1906, p. 331, n. 1).

56. Boll, _Sphaera_, p. 372.--The introduction of astrology into Egypt
seems to date back no further than the time of the Ptolemies.

57. The Seleucides, like the Roman emperors later, believed in Chaldean
astrology (Appian., _Syr._, 28; Diodorus, II, 31, 2; cf. Riess in
Pauly-Wissowa, _Realenc._, s. v. "Astrologie," col. 1814), and the kings of
Commagene, as well as of a great number of Syrian cities, had the signs of
the zodiac as emblems on their coins. It is even certain that this
pseudo-science penetrated into those regions long before the Hellenistic
period. Traces of it are found in the Old Testament (Schiaparelli;
translation by Luedke, _Die Astron. im Alten Testament_, 1904, p. 46). It
modified the entire Semitic paganism. The only cult which we know in any
detail, that of the Sabians, assigned the highest importance to it; but in
the myths and doctrines of the others its influence is no less apparent
(Pauly-Wissowa, _Realencycl._, s. v. "Dea Syria," IV, col. 2241, and s. v.
"Gad"; cf. Baudissin, _Realencycl. fuer prot. Theol._, s. v., "Sonne," pp.
510-520). To what extent, for instance, the clergy of Emesa had been
subjected to its ascendency is shown by the novel of Heliodorus, written by
a priest of that city (Rohde, _Griech. Roman_^2, p. 464 [436]), and by the
horoscope that put Julia Domna upon the throne (_Vita Severi_, 3, 8; cf. A.
von Domaszewski, _Archiv fuer Religionsw._, XI, 1908, p. 223). The
irresistible influence extended even to the Arabian paganism (Noeldeke in
Hastings, _Encyclop. of Religion_, s. v. "Arabs," I, p. 661; compare,
_Orac. Sibyll._, XIII, 64 ff., on Bostra). The sidereal character which has
been attributed to the Syrian gods, was borrowed, but none the less real.
From very early times the Semites worshiped the