442 
THE MED ITERRAN E AN NATURALIST 
possessions. Diodorus tells us that the island 
was, taken possession of by the Phoenicians 
about 1519 B' C., and that it was occupied by 
them till 750. B. C. a period of 650 years, dur- 
ing which it was utilized both as one of their 
principal maritime and trading depots, and as 
one of the chief centres for the celebration of the 
rites of the Phoenician religion. 
Relics of this period are not wanting to bear out 
the assertions made by the ancient historiographer, 
relics which, notwithstanding their time-worn 
condition, and the obscurity in which their origin 
is involved, powerfully appeal both to the imagi- 
nation as well as to the curiosity of the man of 
antiquarian tastes. 
Of late years, this interesting phase of the 
islands history has been taken up with considera- 
ble zeal, and the labour bestowed has resulted 
in the clearing away of many of the crude specu- | 
lations, and superstitious fancies in which the 
Phoenico-Maltese remains had previously been 
invested. 
Of the evidences of Phoenician occupation 
still existing in the islands, the most interest- 
ing, both in regard to size and complexity of 
del: bis, are the megalithic temples in whitfh the 
Phoenicia as performed their religious ceremonial 
rites. Two of these, Hagiar Chem and Mnaidrci , 
are situated within a short distance of one 
another near the southern cliffs of Malta, on 
an ancient shore terrace which overlooks the 
Mediterranean. The name Hagiar Chem is 
a corrupted Phcenician expression signifying 
“stones of veneration.” The general outline of the 
structure is that of a horse-shoe, around the 
periphery of which are seven elliptical or egg-shap- 
ed courts. The walls are constructed of an 
e; > oedingly compact limestone, which has been 
qua, Tin’ out of the formation on which the temple 
stands. The blocks stand on end, and like those 
of Stonehenge and of other similar structures, they 
are of colossal dimensions varying from 10 to 16 
feet m height, and from 6 to 10 feet in breadth. 
As in neither of those, nor in the Phoenician ruins 
that have been discovered in other parts of the 
islands have any traces of a roof been observed, it 
is surmised that the edifices were open-air temples 
dedicated to the worship of Light, and the 
Procreative Genius, 
Entrance to the temple is obtained by a portal 
which is made of rudely fashioned blocks of stone; 
and communication between one chamber and 
another is effected by means of trapezoidal aper- 
tures which have been pierced in the flat slabs 
forming the walls. On many of these, as well as 
on the blocks lining the interiors of the chambers, 
crude attempts at decoration have been made. 
Both the lintels and pillars of the doors, as well as 
the sides of the altars are pitted over with small 
hemispherical indentations, which the learned 
Maltese archeologist, the late Dr. C. Vassal io in 
his brochure on the religious systems of the 
Phoenicians, considered to be symbolical of the 
starry heavens, the worship of which held a conspi- 
cuous place in the Phoenician Creed. 
Situated at about a distance of a quarter of a mile 
up the rugged slopes of a rising knoll, which Ijesto 
| the west of Hagiar Chem , is another though smaller 
temple of the same type, known locally as Mnaidra. 
It originally consisted of two chambers, which 
were constructed on a similar plan to those of 
Hagiar Chem. Dr. A. Caruana is of opinion that 
the larger of rhese was used as an outer court to 
which the sick were brought for the purpose of 
being cured by the healing deity to whom sacrifices 
were offered in a smaller inclosure. The excavations 
which were carried out in 1885, during the 
Governorship of Sir Lintorn Simmons, showed 
that the original extent, both of Hagiar Chem and 
Mnaidra and of their surrounding courtyards was 
of considerable magnitude; and numerous other 
interesting details bearing on the modes of wor- 
ship and the uses to which the temples were put, 
were then forthcoming. 
Two theories have been advanced to explain the 
object for which these cyclopean edifices were built. 
The first of these contends, that they were erected 
in honour of the seven Cabiri, the seven leaders 
who took command of the various sections of the 
people aftdr their dispersal at the Tower of Babel, 
and who, in the course of time were accorded 
divine honours by the populace; while the other 
theory argues that it was to Ham, the son of 
N oah, who was venerated by the people as the 
source of light, that these monuments were raised. 
In the course of the excavations that Sir H. 
Bouverie ordered to be made in 1839, a slab arid an 
altar piece, together with several headless idols 
