202 A NATURAL HISTORY 



under certain Conftellations, by the Influence of the celeftial Bo- 

 dies. R. David de Pomis .... Cyclopedia. 



This Kabbinical Fable feems to be grounded on Zech.x. 2. 

 The Idols (Hebr. Teraphim) have fpoken Vanity .... Some of the 

 learned 'Jews will have it to denote the Knowledge of Futurity,, 

 and for this Signification they quote R:zek. xxi. 21. l^he King of 

 Babylon Jlood . . . at the Head of the two Ways . . , he con fiilted with 

 Images ; with Teraphim^ fays the Hebrew. 



The fame Rabbi adds, that to make the Teraphim they kill'd 

 a firfl-born Child, clove his Head, feafon'd it with Salt and Oil j 

 that they wrote on a Plate of Gold the Name of fome impure 

 Spirit, laid it under the Tongue of the Dead, placed the Head 

 againft the Wall, lighted Lamps before it, prayed to it, and it 

 talk'd with them. 



Others hold, that the Teraphim were brazen Inftruments 

 which pointed out the Hours of future Events, as direfted by 



the Stars. Some think that the Teraphim were Figures or Images 



of a Star engraven on a fympathetic Stone, or Metal correipond- 

 ing to the Star, in order to receive its Influences: To thefe Fi- 

 gures, under certain Afped:s of the Stars, they afcribe extraordi- 

 nary Effeds. 



This Talifmanical Opinion, fays a Learned Pen*, appears the 

 moll probable . . . All the Eaftern People are ftill much addicted 

 to this Superflition of Talijmans. The Perfans call them Telefin^ 

 a Word approaching to Seraphim. In thofe Countries no Man is 

 feen without them, and fome are even loaded with them. They 

 hang them to the Necks of Animals, and Cages of Birds, as Pre- 

 fervatives ngainft Evils. Such were the Samothracian Talifmans^ 

 which were pieces of Iron, formed into certain Images and fet in 

 Rin^s. . . . 



The habanic Images are fuppofed to be the moft antient, if 

 not the firfl: religious Images, made of fome precious Metal, and 

 had their Birth in Labans Country, that is, Chaldea, or Mefopo- 

 tamia. 



From Laban'^ Hifliory, it feems as if thefe Teraphim were 

 PJdlures or Images of certain Perfons deceafedj tl)at is, they were 

 a fort of Idols, or fuperflitious Figures venerated by them as 

 Demy-Gods. That they were fuch artificial Portraitures of Men, 



5 is 



* Father Dom. Cahist. 



