Ilg PHOENICIAN COLONIZATION. 



a sacred mountain, and that the cromlechs were built facing it, in 

 positions whence the sacred centre might be seen with the sun 

 rising behind it." 



The orientation of Stonehenge is admittedly similar to the 

 work at Heshbon just mentioned. 



The Bible makes many references to the modes of worship of 

 the gods of the Canaanites, Chaldeans, and other neighbouring 

 nations of the Israelites, and very naturally so. In the book of 

 Job, chapter xxxi., verses 26 and 27, are distinct references to the 

 earliest form of idolatry known in the world in the time of Job, 

 about B.C. 1520 "If I beheld the sun when it shined, or the 

 moon walking in brightness ; and my heart hath been secretly 

 enticed, or my mouth hath kissed my hand." Dr. Kitto's 

 observations on these texts seem so confirmatory, and so in 

 accordance with what I have written, that I copy them 

 as follows : " This earliest idolatry is supposed to have 

 originated with the Chaldeans. At first the sun and moon 

 were worshipped in the open air, and their altars blazed 

 upon the mountains. But in time symbolical representa- 

 tions and statues were introduced, as supplying their place when 

 absent, temples were erected, gods were multiplied, and the 

 actual worship of the heavenly bodies more or less ceased, for 

 still lower depths of idolatry. The Persians worshipped the sun 

 and the elemental fire, and when they had temples, it was 

 merely to preserve the sacred fire from extinction." 



In Chronicles, Book II., chapter xxviii., verse 4, " Ahaz 

 sacrificed also and burnt incense in the high places, and on the 

 hills, and under every green tree." Dr. Kitto here observes 

 "The interpretation of ' the high places '" in the Scriptures is 

 precisely that which their frequent mention would spontaneously 

 suggest to any reader. This is, that they were such rude altars 

 erected on conspicuous spots, often on the tops of natural hills or 

 artificial mounds. That altars or other sacred stones marked 

 these high places is obvious from the phrases expressing erection 

 or setting up. In the " Monumentorum Danicorum " of Olaus 

 Wormius we see at page 8 a sacred hill crowned by a cromlech, 



