CHAP. Xir. EARLY OFFERINGS. 145 



altars in the Egyptian sculptnres were confined to 

 the minor Deities, or that this typical institution 

 had not its origin in a very remote age. Macro- 

 bius, indeed, affirms * that " it was never permitted 

 to the Egyptians to propitiate the Gods with the 

 slaughter of animals, nor with blood, but with prayers 

 andincensealone;" an idea expressed alsoby Ovid t, 

 who says, that men in former times were reported 

 to have made use of milk t and whatever herbs 

 the earth spontaneously produced, and every one 

 offered for himself the sacrifice he had vowed. But 

 these remarks do not apply to tlie Egyptians, who 

 off^ered victims on the altars of all tlieir Gods ; 

 and the privilege mentioned by Ovid, which every 

 individual enjoyed, of offering for himself his own 

 sacrifice, though permitted to the Jews before the 

 Exodus, seems only to have been conceded to the 

 Egyptians on particular occasions. 



With the Israelites, the custom was to offer 

 fruits, the fat and milk of animals, the fleeces of 

 sheej), or the blood and flesli of victims ; the right 

 of making the offering being usually confined to 

 the Elders, to the head of a family, and to those 

 who were most esteemed for virtue, or venerated 

 for their age. When keeping the sacrifice of the 

 Passover, they were commanded to " take every 

 man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, 

 a lamb for an house," "a male of the first year§," 



* Macrob. Sut. i.4. lie is even guilty of statinj; tliis to lie the case 

 iiiuler the Ptolemies, when Sarapis and Saturn were introclucei.1 into 



-|- Ovid. Fast. lib. v. 



1 Conf. Plin. xiv. 12. '• lloniuhun lacte, nou vino, libasse." 



5 Exod. xii. .3. 3. 



VOL. I. — Second Series. L 



