Of idolatry a discourse, in which is endeavoured a declaration of, its distinction from superstition, its notion, cause, commencement, and progress, its practice charged on Gentiles, Jews, Mahometans, Gnosticks, Manichees Arians, Socinians, Romanists : as also, of the means which God hath vouchsafed towards the cure of it by the Shechinah of His Son / by Tho. Tenison ...

PART 8. Why Moses might be honoured by the Symbol of an Ox.

FOR the second Question, why Moses was honour∣ed by the Symbol of an Ox; I must not dogma∣tize in the resolution of it. Idolatrous Priests were ex∣tremely fanciful, both in the names and in the Images of their Gods. And who can at this distance of time, and after so many revolutions, search every fold in their imagination? They described the Junior Bacchus with the face of a Bull a 1.1, having respect to the strength of Wine, of which he was said (though falsly) to be the inventer. And who knows whether the Egy∣ptians might not in such sort labour with their fancy, in bringing forth the Image of their more ancient Bac∣chus, whom we suspect to have been Moses. To him learn'd men have ascribed the Fable of the invention of Wine. And they think it might have occasion given to it by the clusters of Eschol, imperfectly understood. He that would indulge his fancy might still be fruitful in reasons: And he might say amongst other things, that the rays from the face of Moses might move them to the choice of this Symbol of the Ox. For they resem∣bled Horns of strength, which were common Ensigns of Kingly Power, both in Egypt and Phoenicia b 1.2.

Artapanus c 1.3 ascribeth to Moses the Invention of Tillage by the help of Oxen. And thence may again be offered a conjecture about the cause of this Symbol. And it is but a conjecture. For it is strange if from the time of Cain, till the days of Moses, so obvious and useful an invention should be unknown to the world. But if it was so long unknown, the discovery of it was of less advantage to Egypt than to most Countries of the World. For (to use the words of Monsieur

Vattier a 1.4, in the Months of July and August the Fields of Egypt are changed into so many Seas, and the Ci∣ties and Villages, into so many Islands, by a fortu∣nate Inundation, which spares the Inhabitants that trouble of Tilling and manuring them, which is else∣where necessary. For the Egyptians have no more to do but to sow the seeds, when the waters are fallen a∣way, and slightly to stir the slime which was spread on the Earth, that they might not lye uncovered. And this they did of old, [not by Oxen, but] as Herodotus relates, by herds of Swine driven after the sowers. And yet some Heathen Writers ascribe the invention of Tillage to Osiris b 1.5; and they make Isis c 1.6 to be Ceres; and the ancient Isis called Ceres, and said by Lactantius to be the mother of Osiris, seemeth no o∣ther than the Mother of Moses. If any thing of this nature be applicable to him, I should think it rather some way of getting the corn out of the ear by the help of Oxen, than the invention of Tillage it self by them; for to that use Oxen served in his time, and his Law forbiddeth the muzling of such serviceable Crea∣tures. It may be, not withstanding the aforesaid guesses, that the story of Moses sacrificing Oxen to his God, and of Aaron making the Golden Calf; and again of Mo∣ses conducting the Israelites towards Palestine, the then Granary of the World; being received in Egypt, or in some other place of Commerce, in a confused and im∣perfect narration, after the manner of reports at di∣stance of time and place, might give occasion to the worship of him in the form of a Bull.

But if I attribute this form to him, as the Embleme of his diligence and victorious strength, (for the Horn, as was just now said, served for such an Embleme;) I shall bring the nigher together, the reasons of his Sym∣bol, and of the name of it, about which latter I am to say something in answer to the third Question above propounded.

Notes

• a 1.1

  De Bacch•…•… 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. See Iön. P—in A∣then. Deipn. l. 2. p. 35. & Ca∣saub. Not. p. 78.
• b 1.2

  See Pignor. de Mensâ Isia∣câ. p. 30.
• c 1.3

  Artap. ap. Eus. de Praep. Ev. l. 9. c. 27. p. 433.
• a 1.4

  M. Vatt. P•…•…∣to Prod. of Egypt, p. 7, 8.
• b 1.5

  See Natal. Com. p. 482.
• c 1.6

  Diod. Sic. l. 1. c. 13. p. 12.