No. III.

The Religion of the Ammonites.

THIS people were the posterity of Ammon, otherwife called Ben Ammi, fignifying the fon of my people, our kindred, the offspring of Lot and his younger daughter *.

We are as little acquainted with the cuf toms and manners of this people, as of the Moabites aforementioned. Thefe had like-. wife kings, and were circumcifed †, and seem to have been principally addicted to husbandry alfo.

The religion of the Ammonites, as we have already observed concerning that of the Moabites, was originally as pure as it could flow from fo clear a stream, as the inftruction of Lot; but they also fwerved from it by degrees, and at length degenerated into

the

Gen. chap. xix. 32.

† Deuter. chap. ii. ver. 20.

1

Year of the the most stupid, and as is generally supposed,"

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before Chrift the most cruel idolatry.

897.

Their chief and peculiar deity is in the Scripture called Molech or Moloch. He is also thought to be understood under the names of Baal, Milcom, Melech, Adramelech, Anamelech, and the like.

These names or titles fignify no more than lord or king; and fometimes have an epithet prefixed to them, as in the two last, where he is filed the mighty and rich Melech or Moloch or king: these two were the Gods of the Sepharvites. I fhall only speak of the Ammonitish Moloch. The learned are not pofitively agreed in what relates to him. It is on all hands allowed that they addreffed him under the title of king or Moloch. His image is faid to be hollow, and divided into feven receptacles. The firft was opened for an offering of fine flour; the fecond for an offering of turtles; the third for a fheep; the fourth for a ram, the fifth for a calf, the fixth for an ox; the feventh for a child. It had the head of an ox, and the arms of a man ftretched out in the act to receive. These

feven

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feven receptacles are alfo called feven cha- Year of the pels; and instead of being within the image before Chrift itself, are placed orderly before it *.

Whatever was the difpofition of these seven places, their number correfponding with that of the fun, moon, and five other planets, has given room to fuppofe that they worshipped the fun; and the rather, as the oblations feem to rife in fuch proportion as might best answer the degree of each of these heavenly bodies. But it would be endless to expatiate in conjectures upon fo obscure a fubject as the learned have done.

As to the fuperftitions paid to Moloch, there is great disagreement among authors. By the fcripture it is often faid, that the Ammonites paffed their feed through fire to Moloch. This expreffion is taken in a literal fense by fome, in a figurative sense by others.

The first sentiment is embraced by the Jewish writers + who for the most part hold, that

+ Bedford's Script. Chron. page 259.

* Some of the Jewish writers hold, that the children were folemnly delivered to the priests; who upon their returning them, were carried

by

897.

Year of the that the children were barely carried or led before Chrift between two fires, by way of purification:

Blood 1451,

897.

the latter is adopted by the christian writers chiefly, who think that they actually burnt their children by way of facrifice to this grim idol. There was a place near Jerufalem, where this horrid custom was observed; it was called the valley of the fons of Hinnom,

fo

by their parents upon their fhoulders between two fires. According to others the priests carried them.

:

A very eminent Jewish writer fays, that the priests or fervants of fire, perfuaded men, that their children would die, if they did not pass them through fire wherefore parents, being anxious for the lives of their children, and perceiving there was neither danger or difficulty in performing the ceremony, no one neglected it, confidering that the children were not to be confumed by fire, but only to pass though it.

However, Voffius infifts on it, that wherever the expreffion of passing through fire is met with, it must be taken in the strictness of the letter, but allows, that in cafes of a great calamity, and upon other particular occafions, they gave up their offspring as an expiatory facrifice to their god.

Selden is of a quite different fentiment, and will have it that they not only led their children through fire, but burnt them alfo at the fame time.

This he proves as far as a matter of this nature can be ascertained. Upon the whole remembring how common a practice it was to offer up these unnatural oblations among some of the neighbouring nations, the fame may probably have prevailed among the Ammonites.

This valley was a delightful place, watered by the springs of Siloah. It was fhady an beautiful, with gardens. And, indeed, it is

remark.

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fo named from the fhrieks of the children Year of the facrificed. They used among other inftru- before Chrift ments a drum, to drown the dreadful outcries of the unhappy victims.

No. IV.

The Religion of the Midianites.

THE Midianites were, in their moft early times, evidently confounded with the Ishmaelites* and many ages afterwards, they are mentioned in conjunction with the Nabate

remarkable, that the heathens commonly chose fountain heads and folemn groves for the fceres of the homage they paid their deities. This cuftom is fuppofed to be borrowed from the Ammonites.

* Gen. xxxv. 37.-Nehemiah ii. iv. vi. xiii.-Jofephus Antiq. lib. 12. chap. ii, 12.-Gen. xxv. 4.-Judges chap. viii, ver. 24,