STONE-HEAPS — STONES OF MEMORIAL, ETC. 167 



dimensions, and the imposing masses of which they are composed, surpass in 

 beauty and grandeur all that were afterwards built by the sovereigns of Cuzco." — 

 (^UHomme Americain, Tome I., p. 323.) 



Structures like those, the ruins of which are here described, on the eastern con- 

 tinent, were almost invariably of religious origin, and dedicated to sacred purposes. 

 And as the priestly and civil offices in early and patriarchal times were usually 

 conjoined, it not unfrequently happened that the rude temples were places of judi- 

 cature. They had also sometimes a monumental significance ; that is to say, were 

 erected by some chieftain or powerful individual at places which had been signal- 

 ized by some important event, — a delivery from danger, or a victory, in accordance 

 with a vow, or as a grateful acknowledgment to overruling powers. Not long after 

 the delivery of the Law at Mount Sinai (says Kitto), the people entered into a 

 solemn covenant with God. On this occasion Moses built an altar of earth at the 

 bottom of the mountain, and erected around it twelve stones, corresponding to the 

 twelve tribes. — (Exod. xxiv. 4.) This rude open temple was the type of the great 

 temple afterwards erected at Jerusalem ; and the pi'inciples involved were, in both 

 cases, the same. An example of the erection of stones as sacred memorials, is 

 afforded in the account of the passage of the Jordan at Gilgal. The object is spe- 

 cifically declared : " That this may be a sign among you ; that when your children 

 ask, in time to come, saying. What mean ye by these stones ? Then ye shall 

 answer them : The waters of Jordan were cut off, and these stones are for a per- 

 petual memorial to the Israelites." The term Gilgal implies a circle or Avheel, 

 and indicates the probable manner in which the stones of memorial were arranged. 



As we have said, sacred places, the residences of the priests, etc., were anciently 

 also places of deliberation and judicature, where nearly every affair of public 

 importance was transacted. Gilgal seems to have been devoted to all of these 

 purposes. The first " Messenger" or prophet which we read of in the Bible, as 

 being sent on a special mission, came from Gilgal {Judg. ii. 1), a circumstance 

 which seems to imply that it was a station where priests or prophets resided to 

 perform specific duties. And it is remarkable that the places where Samuel held 

 his courts of judicature, in his annual circuits from his residence at Ramah, were 

 places of sacred stones. " He went from year to year in circuit to Bethel [the 

 place of the sacred stone set up by Jacob], and Gilgal, and Mizpeh, and judged 

 Israel in all these places." — (1 Sam. xii. 16.) Mizpeh was the name of the place 

 of the stones set up by Jacob and Laban. It was almost equal Avith Gilgal as a 

 place of public transactions. Here the tribes met at the call of the Levite, to 

 deliberate on the war against Benjamin {Judg. xx. 1); and here Samuel convoked 

 the solemn national assembly of repentant Israel. — (1 Scrni. vii. 5-12.) It was so 

 well known as a place of public gathering, that the Philistines no sooner heard of 

 the assembling, than they marched against it. Here, too, Samuel called the people 

 together to elect a king. — (1 Sam. x. 17.) 



There seems to have been an altar at Gilgal ; for that burnt-offerings and other 

 sacrifices were made there, is manifest from Samuel's direction to Saul. " Go 

 down before me to Gilgal ; and behold I will come down to thee, to ofier burnt- 

 offerings, and to sacrifice sacrifices of peace-ofterings." — (1 Sam. x. 8.) Here 



