232 DR. E. W. G. MASTERMAN, ON EECENT DISCOVERIES 



The open-air enclosure in which these sacred emhlems stood 

 was paved with stones, and under the pavement at the foot of 

 the stones — to the west — were found large jars containing the 

 remains of newly-l^orn infants. Similar jars with infants' bones 

 were found both at Tell el Hcsif, at Tell MutascUim and at Tell 

 Tci^amik ; at the last mentioned the infant burials were in close 

 association with a very ancient rock-cut altar. There can be no 

 doubt that we have here evidence of the rite of infant sacrifice, 

 and almost certainly it was the custom of the sacrifice of the 

 first-born as carried out by the pre-Israelite Semites. In many 

 of the jars were deposited, with the infant remains, small 

 articles of pottery, possibly food and drink for the infant soul. 



In close association with the Temple, and evidently used in 

 connection with its worship at some period, was a cave, so 

 constructed as to be connected by a secret passage, through 

 which a man could just squeeze with difficulty into a second 

 inner cave. It seems very probable that this was used for the 

 giving of oracles and other forms of priestly jugglery. To the 

 east of the Temple area was found a large circular pit, for which 

 no evident use could be assigned until on clearing out the 

 bottom a small " brazen serpent " — in other words, a well-shaped 

 cobra-form serpent of bronze, was found. We know from 

 cuneiform inscriptions that serpents were kept in Babylonian 

 temples, and we read in ii Kings xviii, 4, that the children of 

 Israel worshipped a brazen serpent, which is ascribed by tradition 

 to the time of Moses, which TIezekiah had to destroy. Further, 

 the Uncus or cobra was a guardian serpent, the patron of 

 royalty, and was kept in tlie temples of Egypt. It is, therefore, 

 a probable theory that this circular enclosure at Gezer was a 

 pit to hold the sacred serpents. AYhatever views may be taken 

 witli regard to the " oracle cave " or the " serpent pit/' the Semitic 

 high place itself is a discovery of the greatest importance, and 

 one which throws a flood of light on many questions connected 

 with the religious beliefs of tlie Caananites and early Hebrews. 

 There can l^e no doubt whatever from the character of the onasse- 

 Itnlh whicli are unlike anything unearthed in the otlier Palestinian 

 excavations, that the shrine at Gezer was one of special sanctity 

 and one of the most important in Palestine. What was the 

 worship connected with these emblems ? It is highly probable 

 tliat there was originally at Gezer but one standing stone in the 

 " high place," shaded, may be, by a sacred tree — tlie foi'crunner 

 of the Asliercih. Of all tlie series, the second, and the sliortest, 

 stone is most pi-obably the original one. This lias its bluntly 

 pointed t^p })()lished by the fre(iuent anointing, rubbing or 



