ANTIQUITIES. 
423 
Herodotus, once in their lives sat at the shrine of Venus, their 
heads bound with garlands, and their bodies with cords. Thus 
exposed, if any stranger threw gold into her lap, she was obliged 
to retire with him into the temple, where her charms became 
the victim of its impure rites. The money was then laid on 
the altar, to be consecrated to the goddess. These insults to 
Divinity, seem to be referred to in the law of Moses, where he 
pronounces, “ Thou shalt not bring the hire of a harlot into the 
house of the Lord thy God.” And the Epistle of Baruch to 
Jeremiah, 43d verse, certainly notices the same custom. 
Nos. 7. and 8. are fragments of brick I found at Babylon. No. 7. 
is a very rare specimen, having a dog, and some Chaldaic figures 
impressed on its side. No. 8. shews other characters, some¬ 
thing similar to the line of, apparently, common style of writing, 
at e in Plate LXXVII. 
Plate LXXX. No. 1. This is from a cylinder of white agate, 
and, as may be seen, of a larger size than most of the preceding. 
The engraving is of better workmanship; it has also possessed 
an inscription in cuneiform letters, which, I am sorry to say, are 
much defaced. The hieroglyphics are, the sun, moon, five 
planets, and the anchaspand or seven balls, indicative of the 
seven celestial powers, or intelligences, always attendant on the 
Chaldasan and Persian great Deity. The two figures immediately 
under the sun and moon are habited nearly alike. That be¬ 
neath the sun holds a wreath, formed of globular shapes, in his 
left hand. Behind him, appendant to his back, appear to be 
a bow and quiver: balls also surmount these weapons. Be¬ 
fore him springs an object sprayed like a flower; and he is pre¬ 
ceded, in advancing towards a superior kind of being, by a bare¬ 
headed figure, whose hands are held up as if in the act of 
addressing that being, which fronts him, standing upon the 
