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of the Assyrian Monarchy. 317 
made into Belus. Sometimes they tell us 
that Belus is the sun, at others Jupiter, 
meaning by the latter explanation, that he 
was the supreme god of Assyria and Pheeni- 
cia, as Jupiter was of Greece. We may ob- 
serve, that it frequently happened, that the 
same part or power of nature was worshipped 
under, different names by the same people, 
and that where the name did not expressly 
describe the object. represented, its primary 
meaning became in some degree lost to the 
worshippers themselves. The cos Amorrwy, 
the bright-shining Apollo, of the Greeks, was 
certainly the sun; but both names had be- 
come proper names, and the same. divinity 
was worshipped by the title of ’Hao.:. So we 
find in scripture, 2 Kings xxiii. 5. Baal, and 
the sun spoken of as different, though, we 
have the amplest testimony. to their original 
identity. As usual, Belus has been made a 
king both of Assyria and Peenicia. 
Hic regina gravem gemmis auroque poposcit __ 
Implevitque mero pateram: quam Belus & omnes 
A Belo soliti. fin. 1.—728. 
Yet as Assyria and Phonicia never had the 
same sovereign till many centuries after the 
supposed time of Belus, it is not easy to see 
how aking of either should become a god 
