civilization and religious knowledge. In the mother country of Phoenicia, the ( Isirian worship had its ancient counterpart in the mysteries of Ailonis and the annual for Tammuz" (Ezek. viii, 14). There, again, the fate of the divinity was rigorously identified with periodic changes in the aspect of external nature. The idea of an Adonis in' the prime of life was the most vivid image which the Syrian mind could fashion of all fertilizing and benignant powers. At length, how- divinity sinks down oppressed and over- whelmed; his heart is pierced by some mysterious arrow: he dies, and in the sacred month, "the month
ol Tammuz," when the scorching blasts of - r
are well-nigh exhausted, a large crowd of Syrian maids na Bock together from all quarters; they be- l 'ammuz ; bul their vehement ejacu- lations are all quickly followed by a series of impure and diabolic orgies ; symptoms of returning life in nat- ure are to them a signal for festivity as frantic as their former grief. Vitality is coming back to earth: and in its advent they perceive another "finding" of their lost Adonis, .,- [s this the only in-
stance of some close affinity between the old mythog- raphers ol Egypl and Phoenicia. Mingling with the other progeny of Ptah, or the Egyptian Vulcan, Btand the greal Cabirian brothers, whose repute and worship were extensively diffused in various provinces of the West. The word CabeiH is itself immediately explain- able, if we resorl to the Shemitic languages; for there
ii means the "Great" or "Mighty t ;" and thus is
pointing in the Bame direction as the ancient dwarf- gods, which were also Bacred images ofCabeiri,and were venerated with a kindred fervor by the rude Phoeni- cian pilot and the polished priest of Memphis. The
PLANT
Cabeiri seem to have been eight in number, or. ex- cluding Esmun (literally the eighth), thai one of the fraternity who was regarded as the chiel or a§ i xpression for the whole. we limit them to seven: which strongly indicates, in the opinion of some w riters,an orig- inal identity of the Cabeiri with the more conspicuous
of the heavenly bodies. In the sacred l ks of China
the "seven brilliant ones" deemed worthy of peculiar
homage are the sun. the moon, and the five planets;
while the planets, when regarded Bingly, have been made to hear the corresponding title of the "five heav- enly chiefs." The Greek had similarly his seven &oi ,"•■ ;• "\oi. and the Persian his -even ministers of the highest; examples which appear to be Buggestive of the early spread of planet-worship, if they do not abso- lutely prove that astrot lical principles had entered
largely into the construction of all mythic systems, that of Egypt not excepted. See Hardwick," Christ and other Masters, ii. 264 267; Thiemann, \egypt. liter- tkiimer,ii, 162 sq.; Movers, Ca Religion und heiten der Phonizier | Bonn, 1841 I, p. 12 Bq.; Lucian, De I), a Syria,c. vi sq.; Bunsen, Egt/ptfs Place, i. 1 II : Jour- nal of Isiatic Society, L864, p.53 sq. (J. ll.W'.i
Planeta. See Ch \m bli .
Plank i-"\ els, Ezek. xli. 25, a tret [ i. e. b elsewhere usually rendered; 'sbs,tseld, a rib [or sidt . 1 Kings vi. 15, as elsewhere generally rendered: IV, 6b [probably the same as ZV. ab, a threshold, <>v "thick beam," 1 Kings vii,6; "thick (plank)," Ezek. xli, 25], "thick plank." Ezek. xli, 26).
Plant. Under this general term we classify and explain the several plants mentioned in Scripture, as edible, flowering, or medicinal, in order.
I. Edible Plants. Among these, with which we num- ber also aromas and spices, may be notici d :
1. Anise, <ir. avriSov, which means rather dill; an aromatic herb mentioned by Christ (Matt, xxiii, 23). See Anise.
2. Barley, the frequent rendering of the 1 1 • I rah', n~""i\ and of the Greek KptBlj, as in Rev. vi. 6; .John vi. 9, 13. See Barley.
:». Bean, Keb.p6l, bis, as in 2 Sam. xvii. 28; Ezek. iv, 9. See lit \s.
-!. Caper-berry, Heb. abiyonah', Wl*3S$, desi
xii. 5). See (' IPER-PLANT.
5. Cinnamon is the rendering of the Hebrew mon'. *,"";T*r ' Exod. xxx,23 '.and of the Greek Kivauto- fiov (Rev. \\ iii. 13 i. See Cins vmon.
6. Coriander represents the Hebrew gad, IS, in most ancient versions, as the Sept. and Vulg., in Exod. \\i. .".1 : Numb, xi.7: bul the Chaldee and Samaritan vary.
See ( !OKl \MU R.
7. Cucumber translates the Hebrew kisshu, N-'|? (Numb, xi, 5); and wild cucumbers appear to be meant in 2 Kings iv, 39 bypaJckuoth',T\'\S'pB, where our ver- sion has wild gourds. See Cue t mbi k; <o.i rd.
8. Cummin stands for the Hebrew kammdn, '"~ | Isa. xxviii. ■_'.">. -.'7 i : and in the New Test, for the Greek kv- UiVOV, which is simply an adoption of the ll> brew. See
Cl MM IN.
9. Doves1 dung our version gives for charey yonim,
----- --—. whi.h i- probably s e kind of vegetable
food, perhaps kali, though the rendering given is the literal translation i •_' Kings vi, 25). See Doves' 1>i kg.
10. Fitches is given by the A. V. in l-a. xxviii, ■_'.">, •27 for the Hebrew kitsach, IIXj?, which, according to the Sept.. Vulg., and rabbins, is a kind of fennel (lower, as black cummin. In Ezek. iv. '.' the word kusst meth, ~"Z~. i- rendered Jttcliest bul it seems to mean proper- See Fiti hi s: Rye.