28. Cf. Curtiss, _Primitive Semitic Religion To-day_, Chicago, 1902;
Jaussen, _Coutumes des Arabes du pays de Moab_, Paris, 1908, pp. 297 ff.
29. Cf. Robertson Smith, _passim_; Lagrange, pp. 158-216; Vincent, _op.
cit._, pp. 102-123; 144 f.--The power of this Semitic litholatry equaled
its persistence. Philo of Byblus defined the bethels as [Greek: lithoi
empsuchoi] (2, § 20, FHG, III, p. 563): Hippolytus also tells us (V, 1, p.
145, Cruice), that in the Syrian mysteries ([Greek: Assuriôn teletai]) it
was taught that the stones were animated ([Greek: hoi lithoi eisin
empsuchoi; echousi gar to auxêtikon]), and the same doctrine perpetuated
itself in Manicheism. (Titus of Bostra, II, 60, p. 60, 25, de Lagarde ed.:
[Greek: Ouk aischunetai de kai tous lithous epsuchôsthai legôn kai ta panta
empsucha eisêgoumenos]).
During the last years of paganism the neo-Platonists developed a
superstitious worship of the bethels; see Conybeare, _Transactions of the
Congress of Hist. of Rel._, Oxford, 1908, p. 177.
30. Luc., _De dea Syria_, c. 41. Cf. the inscription of Narnaka with the
note of Clermont-Ganneau, _Etudes d'arch. orient._, II, p. 163.--For bull
worship in Syria cf. Ronzevalle, _Mélanges fac. orient. Beyrouth_, I, 1906,
pp. 225, 238; Vincent, _op. cit._, p. 169.
31. Philo Alex., _De provid._, II, c. 107 (II, 646 M.); cf. Lucian, _De dea
Syria_, 54.
32. For instance on Mount Eryx in Sicily (Ael., _Nat. Anim._, {245} IV,
2).--Cf. Pauly-Wissowa, _Realenc._, s. v. "Dea Syria," col. 2242.