Forlong - Rivers of Life

Sun Worship.
critics, I think, have much misunderstood, and often erroneously confounded with
Chemosh—the Sun.
Malek, Malki, Melik, or Molok—words known to us still all over the East as “Lord”
or “Master,” the Greek Kurios—were terms of respect applied to all honoured or revered
Gods or persons, and, of course, therefore, to the Sun. We see this word in “Melchisedek,
the priest of the Most High God,” 1 for this name is really pdx-yklm, M l k i – Z d k, or
Malki-Zedek, the Lord or “Sun of Righteousness,” and as the high priest, he was a sort
of demi-god of Is-ra-el; nay, in the opinion of orthodox and learned commentators,
he represents Saturn. In the margin of Bagster’s Bible, we have the following
note against Amos v. 26; For “Tabernacle of your Molok,” read “Siccuth your
king;” 2 that is, “Sikut of the king,” which by metathesis we may read Siktu—in Sanskrit,
Sakti—the Agni Mandalam or Pudendum of the God. This, as is customary
with Eastern writers and speakers, is repeated in another form in the next sen-
tence, as “the Kiun of your images,” which Rabbi Cahen, in his excellent but
sometimes obscure French translation, renders “et la representation de vos idoles.”
Bagster’s note to this, however, is very valuable, though he mistakes the Sakti or Kiun
for the male Deity. He reads Chiun }wyk as the “Arabic }awyk, Kaiwan,” which denotes
Saturn, though rendered by the LXX. 'Raifan (Raiphan), and in Acts vii. 43,
'Remfan (Remphan), probably the same as the Koptic Repham of same import.” 3
Some have sought to translate Kiun as “Pedestal,” but I read the passage thus, “Ye
have borne the Sikut of your M l k k m (God-king), and the Pedestal of your idols.”
Fürst is in accordance with Bagster’s “Note” above, and mentions }wk Kun as the
root, signifying “to be firm,” “upright,” &c.; but this is owing, I think, to want of
knowledge as to the lore and the hermaphrodite character of these gods, whether of
Siva and his Sakti, or of Pallas or Herm-Athena. It appears to me Parkhurst has
expressed the meaning, though he. does not grasp its import. He calls Kiun the
“burning” or “shining” one, “the resplendent seat or throne whereon their idols
were placed,” and connects it with Kuin }ywk, Windows which admit heat, 4 all very
specific, and suggestive. The italics are those of the reverend writer.
Both Kiun and Kuin seem closely connected with Chivi, Siva Kivi, Kiwe, or
Kiwem, &c. Siva is often called “the one-eyed god” became wearing the very peculiar
oval eye of his Sakti—Parvati on his head. Molok had also a star on his forehead. 5
The image of Julius Cesar, says Suetonius, was depicted with a star on the crown of
his head; and we know how fervently he worshipped Venus Genetrix, offering to her
symbolical shields inlaid with pearls after his victories.
Molok, Milkom, Rephan, and Ramphan, then, are all clearly the same God or
different features of Saturn in his male or female energy. Bagster 6 says, that in later days,
he had a form hateful to the educated Rabbis—viz., the head of a calf (young Bull)
adorned with a royal crown and the body of a man, and that he sat upon a throne of
1
Genesis xiv. 18. Cf. Vol. II. 599-602.
3
See Kircher Lingua Egypt. Restit., p. 49.
5
See Godwyn’s C. and Eccles Rites, p. 151.
2
[NIV has “shrine of your king.” — T.S.]
4
Heb. Lex. of 1807, p. 310.
6 Note to Lev. xx. 2.
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