236 DR. E. W. G. MASTEKMAN, ON RECENT DISCOVERIES 



over by the dwellings of the people — doubtless greatly increased 

 in number by the invasion of the Israelites. 



There is another period of history when we might expect that 

 the Temple would be destroyed ; this is long years later, when 

 the iconoclastic Simon Maccabreus captured the city from the 

 Syrian general Bacchides. Why did he not then throw down 

 the Masscboth ? The answer is simple. At his time almost all 

 the pillars were covered with accumulated debris of many 

 centuries of occupation. Only three could have been visible, 

 and these three he, or someone at this time, threw down. Two 

 have been broken up and only their bases remain ; the third was 

 found prostrate and has been re-erected — it is the phallic- 

 looking number VIII. 



There is another obscure but very interesting religious rite, 

 traces of which have been found not only at Gezer but also in 

 the Galilean " tells " — the foundation sacrifice. In the earliest 

 times* infants were eitlier buried in the walls or buried in 

 jarsf hclotu the house foundations, specially the corners. In 

 one case the body of an old woman, showing advanced 

 rheumatic arthritis, was buried under a house corner — along 

 with food vessels. But this is quite exceptional. At a later 

 stage, specially in the fifth stratum at Gezer, wdiich is probably 

 the first city under Hebrew influence, we find the human 

 victim reijlaced by a lamp. That is, instead of the sacrificed 

 infant in a jar, we find lamps between bowls buried under the 

 house walls. It would seem as if the lamp, in some way not 

 apparent to us, represented tlie human victim. 



The usual arrangement is a bowl al)ove and one below and 

 the lamp between, but, hcnvever arranged, the lamp is evidently 

 the protected thing, and, as such, is placed centrally. Here, 

 then, as in the other rehgious customs, we have an evolution in 

 religious ideas. But though with the Hebrews the rite of 

 foundation sacrifice became thus modified, yet it survived in 

 places as late as the Monarchy. The story of Hiel the 

 Bethelite is a case in point. He, in the days of Ahab, laid the 

 foundations of Jericho (perhaps the fortificaiions only) at the 

 cost of (the life of) Abirani, his first born, and set up the gates. 



* In the early Semitic strata at Gezer and Ta''anuk. At the latter 

 places several adult foundation sacrifices were revealed. At ToU. 

 MutaseUim several infant remains in jars were found under the 

 foundations of the earliest city walls. 



t The use of tine jars and the insertion of other articles of pottery in 

 the hir<^e jars Avith the infant remains make it clear that these are no 

 mere murders but real sacrifices. 



