(Wilkinson, Atic. Egypt, iv, 287). The Hebrews must have been well acquainted with the itlolatrous worship of the sun during the captivitj' in Ei;y|)t bcith from the contiguity of On, tlie chief seat of tlie worsliip of the sun as implied in tlie name itself (On = the Hebrew Bethsheraesh, " house of the sun," Jer. xliii, 13), and also from the connection between Joseph and Poti-phe- rah ("he who belongs to Ka"), the priest of On {(ien. xli, 45). After their removal to Canaan, the Hebrews came in contact with various forms of idolatry which originated in tlie worship of the sun — such as the Baal of the Phcenicians (Movers, P/^c;;. i, 180), the Molecli or Milcom of tlie Ammonites, and tlie Hadad of the Syr- ians (Pliny, xxxvii, 71). These idols were, with the exception of the last, introduced into the Hebrew com- monwealth at various periods (Judg. ii, 11; 1 Kings xi, 5) ; but it does not follow that the object symbol- ized by them was known to the Jews themselves. If we have any notice at all of conscious sun-worship in the earh' stages of their history, it exists in the doubt- ful term d'^iHtl, chammunim (Lev. xxvi,30; Isa. xvii, 8, etc.), which was itself signiticant of the sun, and probably described the stone pillars or statues under which the solar Baal (Baal-Haman of the Punic in- scriptions, Gesenius, Thesaur.\.AS^) was worshipped at Baal-Hamon (Cant, viii, 11) and other places. Pure sun-worship appears to have been introduced by the Assyrians, and to have become formalh' established by Manasseh (2 Kings xxi, 3, 5), in contravention of the prohibitions of Moses (Dent, iv, 19; xvii, 3). Wheth- er the practice was borrowed from the Sepharvites of Samaria (2 Kings xvii, 31), whose gods Adrammelech and Anammelech are supposed to represent the male and female sun, and whose original residence (the He- liopolis of Berosus) was the cliief seat of the worship of the sun in Babylonia (Rawlinson, Herod, i, Gil), or whether the kings of Judah drew their model of wor- ship more immediatelj' from the East, is uncertain. The dedication of chariots and horses to the sun (2 Kings xxiii, 11) was perhaps borrowed from the Persians (He- rod, i, 189; Curt, iii, 3, 11 ; Xenoph. Cyrop. viii, 3, 24), who honored the sun under the form of Mithras (Strabo, XV, 732). At the same time it should be observed that the horse was connected with the worship of the sun in other countries, as among the Massagetas (Herod, i, 216) and the Armenians (Xenoph. Anab. iv, 5, 35), both of whom used it as a sacrifice. To judge from the few notices we have on the subject in the Bible, we should conclude that the Jews derived their mode of worship- ping the sun from several quarters. The practice of burning incense on the house-tops (2 Kings xxiii, 5, 12; Jer. xix, 13; Zeph. i, 5) might have been borrowed from the Arabians (Strabo, xvi, 784), as also the simple act of adoration directed towards the rising sun (Ezek. viii, 16; comp. Job xxxi,27). On the other hand, the use of the chariots and horses in the processions on fes- tival days came, as we have observed, from Persia ; and so also the custom of " putting the branch to the nose" (Ezek. viii, 17) according to the generally re- ceived explanation which identifies it with the Per- sian practice of holding in the left hand a bundle of twigs called Bersam while worshipping the sun (Strabo, XV, 733 ; Hyde, Rel. Pers. p. 345). This, however, is very doubtful, the expression being otherwise under- stood of " putting the knife to the nose," i. e. producing self-mutilation (Hitzig, On Ezel:). An objection lies against the former view from the fact that the Per- sians are not said to have held the branch to the nose. The importance attached to the worship of the sun by the Jewish kings may be inferred from the fact that the horses were stalled within the precincts of the temple (the term "I1"1Q, /)ari?ar, meaning not "suburb," as in the A. V., but either a portico or an outbuilding of the Temple). They were removed thence by Josiah (2 Kings xxiii, 11). See Sun, Worship of.
In the metaphorical language of Scripture, the sun X.— B
is emblematic of the law of God (Psa. xix, 7), of the cheering presence of (iod (Ixxxiv, II), of the person of the Saviour (John i, 9; Mai. iv, 2), and of the glory and purity of heavenly beings (Kev. i, 16 ; x, 1 ; xii, 1). —Smith.
See Meiner, Gescli. der Rdig. i, 387 sq. ; Nork, Ueh. d. Sotmenciiltus d. alt. Vulker (Heilbroiin, 1840) ; Pococke, SjKC. Hist. A rdb. p. 5, 150; Jabloiiski, Opvsc. i, 187 sq.; Doughtaji Analcct. i, 189; Hyde, lid. Vett. Persarum, p. 206 sq. ; Eichhorn, I)e Sole Invicto Milhra, in the Comment. Soc. Gottiny. iii. 153 sq. ; Creuzer, Symhol, i, 738 sq. ; iv, 409 sq. ; Bochart, Uieroz. i, 141 sq. ; Ko- senmiiller, Morycid. iii, 249 S(|.; Bose, De Josia Quad- riyas Solis Eemovente (Lips. 1741); Pocarus, De Simu- lacris Solurib»s Israeiitarum (Jen. 1725); Gesenius, Monumen. Phoenic. ii, 349.
Sun, Children of (Armen..4 revurdis), an Armenian sect which originated with Sembat, a Paulician. They were also called Tlnontrukians (or Throndracians), from the village of Throntrake ( Throndtac ), where their Church was formed. Sembat, who originated in the province of Ararat, having enlered into some connection with a certain Medschusic, a Persian physician and as- tronomer, was led, under his influence, to attempt a new combination of Parseeism and Christianity. This sect, though it met with no mercy from the bishops, contin- ually revived, and spread widely in Armenia. About 1002 it made the most alarming progress, when it is said to have been joined by Jacob of Harkh. He gave a more distinctively Christian cast to its tenets; jour- neyed through the country, preaching repentance and inveighing against work-righteousness; and denounced the false confidence which was placed in masses, obla- tions, alms, and church-prayers for the forgiveness of sins. Finally, the Catholics of the Armenian Church, having secured his person, caused him to be branded with the heretical mark (a fox on the forehead ), carried from place to place attended by a public crier to proclaim him a heretic, and finally killed him. See Kurtz, Church History, i, 71, 2; Neander, Church History, iii, 587.