The Artist's Repository, Or, Encyclopedia of the Fine Arts (Band 1): The Human Figure (London, 1808)

LECT. I.] HISTORY OF ART. Q

the severe prohibition in the second divine command,
of whatever might tend to idolatrous worship ; since
we find, that not only every land and nation, but
likewise every city and village, had at this time its
tutelary deity. Most of the names of towns recorded
in the history of the conquest of Canaan by the
Israelites, are titles distinguishing the idols of those
places (vide in the book of Joshua, chap. xv. xix.
<kc.) and express—sometimes the figure of a deity
alone, as Hermes (Erm, or Aram), Hamen, Ham-
moni:—more commonly, a deity, whether male or fe-
male, accompanied by some device, ornament, or
attribute, to distinguish it from others ; as, the Bull,
the Serpent, the Lizard, and other creatures ; some-
times united wkh emblems, as the Suns exe, (En-
shenmhJ ; the Eye on the Foot (En-rogel) ; the Lumi-
nous Pomegranate(Pdmmon-metoahJ; and many others.
From this custom of accompaniment by emblems,
the emblem itself, after a time, was regarded as a
symbol of the Divinity, and when separated from its
tutelar deity, was regarded with veneration, on ac-
count of the situation to which it had been pro-
moted. Hence arose, probably, the worship paid to
many creatures usually thought impure and offensive.
Beside this, some idols had numerous arms, hands,
or other parts, intimating multifarious powers; and
some were compositions of the human and animal
forms :

Dag on his name, sea-monster, upward man,
And downward fish :—

Edit. 7.

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