Universitätsbibliothek HeidelbergUniversitätsbibliothek Heidelberg
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Cook, Arthur B.
Zeus: a study in ancient religion (Band 3,1): Zeus god of the dark sky (earthquake, clouds, wind, dew, rain, meteorits): Text and notes — Cambridge, 1940

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https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.14698#0993

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892 Battyloi, Baitylia, and Zeus Betylos

Yet, whatever be the case with the stone at Bethel, there can be
little doubt that the Syrian baityloi or baitylia really were—as
G. F. Moore1 contended—either smallish meteorites or neolithic
implements believed to have fallen from heaven2.

Fig. 723. • Fig. 724.

The Syrian cult of meteorites is attested by one other record,
which does not contain the actual word baitylos. Sanchouniathon3
states that Astarte4, 'as she travelled round the world, found a star
fallen from the sky, picked it up, and consecrated it in the holy
island of Tyre.' Sir G. F. Hill5 would bring this statement into
connexion with an omphaloid stone in a portable shrine represented
on imperial coins of Tyre. But we have already ventured to explain
that stone as the emerald-block of Herakles6, who at Tyre bore

the star of Ishtar and the crescent of Sin. It may represent, in a corrupted form, the
horned turban of the god as seen, two or three together, on kudurrus.'

1 G. F. Moore in the Am. Jonrn. Arch. 1903 vii. 204.

Others, before and since, have identified baitylia with meteorites: see F. Miintf
' Vergleichung der vom Himmel gefallenen Steine mit den Bathylien des Alterthums' in
his Antiquarische Abhaiidlungen Kopenhagen 1816 pp. 255—298 ('Aus den Schrifte11
der Konigl. Danischen Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften von Jahr 1804. Deutsch: Kopef
hagen 1805; und in Gilberts Annalen der Physik, xxi. Band'), F. v. Dalberg Uebef
Meteor-Cultus der Alien, vorziiglich in Bezug auf Steine, die vom Himmel gefalW
Heidelberg 1811 pp. r—202 with title-vignette and figs. 1—7, F. Lenormant in Daren1'
berg—Saglio Diet. Ant. i. 642—647 s.v. 'BAETYLIA' with figs. 735—743, id. 'LeS
Betyles' in the Revue de I'histoire des religions 1881 iii. 31—53, Sir A. J. Evans in t'1^
Journ. Hell. Stud. 1901 xxi. 118 f., F. C. Conybeare in the Transactions of the Thtf
International Congress for the History of Religions Oxford 1908 ii. 178, I. Benzingel
Hebriiische Archdologie3 Leipzig 1927 p. 316, O. Eissfeldt in the Archiv f. Rel. i93°
xxviii. 25, 28 n. o, etc.

2 Supra ii. 505 ff.

5 Sanchouniathon [supra p. 887 n. 5) ap. Philon Bybl. frag. 2 (Frag. hist. Gr. iii- 5
Mtiller) ap. Euseb. praep. ev. 1. 10. 31 t) 5k ' kardprr] iwid-qKe t-q ISlq. Ke<pa,\i) f)a(x^e j
irapa.a'qp.ov k€<pa\iji> ratipov irepivoffTovffa 5e t7]v oiKovp.£vqv eftpev aepoweTT} aartpa, of ^
dveXopikvtj 4v Tdpy rrj ayty vrjacp acpitpco&e. _ ^

4 On the Tyrian Astarte, who was identified sometimes with the moon, some'11
with the planet Venus, see F. Cumont in Pauly—Wissowa Real-Enc. ii. 1777 f.

5 Sir G. F. Hill in the Journ. Hell. Stud. 1911 xxxi. 61 f. pi. 4, 25 (enlarged $)•
0 Supra i. 356 fig. 273.
 
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