Layard in his _Nineveh_, vol. ii., p. 471., in his description of "the
sacred emblems carried by the priests," says, they are principally the
fruit or cone of the pine.
"... and the square utensil which, as I have already remarked, appears
to have been of embossed or engraved metal, or of metal carved to
represent wicker work, or sometimes actually of wicker work."
He adds, that M. Lajard "has shown the connection between the cone of the
cypress and the worship of Venus in the religious systems of the East;"
that it has been suggested that "the square vessel held the holy water,"
that, "however this may be, it is evident from their constant occurrence on
Assyrian monuments, that they were very important objects in religious
ceremonies. Any attempt to explain their use and their typical {36}
meaning, can at present be little better than ingenious speculation."
There is a passage in Lucian _De Dea Syria_, § 13., which may serve to
elucidate this feature in the Nineveh marbles. He is referring to the
temple of Hierapolis and a ceremony which Deucalion was said to have
introduced, as a memorial of the great flood and the escaping of the
waters:
[Greek: "Dis ekastou eteos ek thalassês ydôr es ton nêon apikneetai;
pherousi de ouk irees mounon alla pasa Syriê kai Arabiê, kai perêthen
tou Euphrêteô, polloi anthrôpoi es thalassan erchontai, kai pantes ydôr
pherousai, ta, prôta men en tôi nêôi ekchrousi,"] &c.
"Twice every year water is brought from the sea to the temple. Not only the
priests, but" all Syria and Arabia, "and many from the country beyond the
Euphrates come to the sea, and all bring away water, which they first pour
out in the temple," and then into a chasm which Lucian had previously
explained had suddenly opened and swallowed up the flood of waters which
had threatened to destroy the world. Tyndale, in his recent book on
Sardinia, refers to this passage in support of a similar utensil appearing
in the Sarde paganism.
It may be interesting to refer to another passage in the _Dea Syria_, in
which Lucian is describing the splendour of the temple of Hierapolis; he
says that the deities themselves are really present:--
[Greek: "Kai Theoi de karta autoisi emphanees; idrôei gar dê ôn para
sphisi ta xoata,"]
When the very images sweat, and he adds, are moved and utter oracles. It is
probable Milton had this in recollection when, in his noble _Nativity Ode_,
he sings of the approach of the true Deity, at whose coming
"... the chill marble seems to sweat,
While each peculiar power foregoes his wonted seat."