Forlong - Rivers of Life

Fire Worship.
Parnassus seen from the south, having only two grand peaks, and a lofty terrace on
which its children dwelt. It was so holy, that one of Alexande’s successors here
deposited enormous treasure, which
formed the nucleus or gave life to
what is called its Atalik dynasty, lasting
till 133 B.C. Under the Ataliks,
Pergamos, in the third century B.C.,
became “a city of temples,” and of
Phallo-Solar Faith, and so holy over
all Western Asia, that it was even
called Pergameus Deus. Eskulapius
was known as its “Soter,” the city
was his dwelling-place, and the serpent,
therefore, the prevalent god and sign.
In the days of Marcus Antoninus,—
2nd century A.C.—Zeus, Athene,
Fig. 155.—PERGAMOS, THE MOUNTAIN GOD.
Dionysus, and Eskulapius, were here all equally worshipped. It was a city very likely to
seduce the followers of Paul and Peter into mixing up serpent and solar faith with their
new and more spiritual cult, which accounts naturally for “the dweller in Patmos”
calling it “Satan’s sea” (Rev. ii. 12, et seq.), just as Protestants call by this name the
good old Pope’s throne on the Tiber. The Apocalyptic visionary saw clearly enough that
these Pergamites would never embrace Christianity; he praises them, but adds that there
are not only Nicolaitanes but actually Balaamites among the churches. And clearly
this great city laughed at the new faith. It loved its holy mount, thinking no place
and no faith so good or so ancient. Others it freely acknowledged, for every church
had its own favourite ark or altar, and every altar a Mount Zeus, Zion, Moriah, or
Meria; and from furthest east to west we can still name similar hills. Travellers in
Tatary tell us much regarding such “mounts of prayer and sacrifice” prominent
among which is Great Baikal, where all covenants and testimonies are signed, sealed,
and delivered with solemn rites. These must take place on the very summit, just as
Moses taught in the case of his God of Sinai, Hor, and Nebo, for such gods do not
descend from their Kailās unless to destroy. The great deity of Baikal is a Jupiter
Fœderis, who permits no departure from any oath made on his “holy hills;” the
penalty of breaking the oath used to be death, which doubtless the priests carefully saw
executed. Death was the penalty in the case of Moses, Aaron, and others, when they erred
before their covenant-god of Sinai and Horeb. Tatar gods all dwell on hil-tops, for
the most part high and pleasant ones, where the priests attend to solar, phallic, tree,
and ophite rites. Hills are preferred, because, perhaps among other reasons, the
priests are not so closely watched as on the plains, and height and distance do lend
enchantment.
Laplanders used to sacrifice, if they do not do so still, to the vicegerent of Tor—
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