202 A NATURAL HISTORY 



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

 dies. R. David de Po?nis .... Cjclopadia. 



This Rabbi?iical 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 Rzek. xxi. 21. The King of 

 Babylon Jlood . . . at the Head of the tivo Ways . . . he coiifultedivith 

 Images ; with Teraphifu, fays the Hebrew. 



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

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

 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 correfpond- 

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

 gures, under certain Afpedts of the Stars, they afcribe extraordi- 

 nary Effeds. 



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

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

 to this Superftition of Talifmans. The Petf.ans call them Telefm, 

 a Word approaching to Teraphim. 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 againft Evils. Such were the Samothracian Talifmans, 

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

 Rings. ... 



The Lab a7ilc Images are fuppofed to be the mofl antient, if 

 not the firft religious Images, made of fome precious Metal, and 

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

 tamia. 



From Lahan's Hiftory, it feems as if thefe Teraphim were 

 Piftares or Images of certain Perfons deceafed^ that is, they were 

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

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



5 is 



* Father !>«'». Cahnet. 



