The great deity of the Tyrians, was Arcles, the Heracles or Hercules of the Greeks.* This Heracles was a triple divinity, and is described by Hieronymust and Hellanicus as a Dragon, with the heads of a Bull, of a Lion, and of a Man, with wings. To this the Orphic fragment, preserved by Athenagoras,‡ adverts, which states, that Water was the primeval principle, and from its subsidence ILUS, which he translates as Mud, proceeded, and from these sprung a Serpent animal, conjoined with the head of a Lion, in the midst of which was the countenance of the God Heracles or Kronus. The Egyptian Hercules is said by Plutarch to be placed in the Sun with Horus. Some further allusion to the Phoenician triad I believe is traceable in the three sons of Genus, given by Sanchoniatho, § as

Fire, Light, and Flame,

*Herod.

↑ Leg. p. 71.

+ Damas. Anc. Frag. 312.

§ Anc. Frag. 6.

as this Genus was the son of Protogo

nus or Phthah.

Among the Philistines also, we find their chief god Dagon, who is the Ouranus of Sanchoniatho. It appears also that Baal was a triple Divinity:* while Chemosh, the abomination of the Moabites, and Baal Peor, of the Midians, seem to be the Priapaan Khem of Egypt, the god of Heat and generation. The Edessenes also held the triad, and placed Monimus and Azizus as contemplars with the Sun.

Proceeding eastward-of the ancient Chaldean learning, we have but few remains, though I trust that the time is not far distant when modern enterprize and ingenuity will open to us the numerous inscriptions still existing in the plains of Shinar. "The Babylonians," says Damascius,† "like the

Baal Shilishi, or the "Triple Baal," II Kings, † Anc. Frag. 313.

iv. 42.

rest of the Barbarians, pass over in silence the One Principle of the universe, and they constitute two, Tauthe and Apason, making Apason the husband of Tauthe, and making her the mother of the Gods." And from these proceeds an only begotten son, Moymis,* which he conceives to be no other than the intelligible world, proceeding from the two principles; and this appears to be the same as Phanes.

Of the Chaldean, Pythagorean, and Cabalistic theories upon the numbers, I shall here take no notice, further than to mention, that each of these sects set apart the three first of the ten integers under peculiar names to represent three of the great attributes of the Deity, as a triad; while the other seven integers were also held to be mysteriously endowed.

In this we may probably recognize again the sacred AUM, dropping the Chaldean prefix M, signifying From.

In the Chaldean oracles, which have been preserved in quotations by the later Platonists, we meet every where with the doctrine of a triad: and though I conceive the greater part of these oracles to be forgeries of a later date, yet, however refined or corrupted they may be, I have no doubt, but that in them many of the remnants of the ancient system have been preserved. The fundamental tenet, which they set forth, is, that a

Triad shines through the whole world, over which a Monad rules,'* coinciding thus far with the ancient doctrine of the triplicated Horus Phanes or Intellect, proceeding from the Monad.

The triad of the Chaldean† oracles, is

Father,

Power,

Intellect, and one passage‡ seems to imply that

* Παντὶ γὰρ ἐν κόσμῳ λάμπει τριὰς ἧς μονας ǎpxε. Oracles of Zoroaster, Anc. Frag. 246, No. 36.

† Anc. Frag. Ib.

Ib. No. 37, 38.-See also Hermetic books,
Pmmander.

Ἥλιον νοῦν τοῦ Θεου.

it had once been,

Air,

Fire,

Sun,

and to this extent, and in this mere outline of the doctrine, I believe we may rely but by the latter Platonists, every scrap of ancient theology was bent to accommodate it to their own system.

The same doctrine is held in all the fragments of the Persian system which have come down to us. According to the Zendavest, under the name of ZEROUANE, or Time without bounds, the Persians recognized a first and original being. From him ORMUZD and AHRIMAN proceeded, each independent of the other. Ormuzd is the being essentially good, the cause of all good, and living in primeval light. Ahriman was originally good, but lapsed from envy of Ormuzd.

Plutarch states, that OROMASDES and

* Zendavest and Boun Dehesh. See Duperron's Translation.