Копи царя Соломона
The Place of Death
WhilstIwasgazingandwondering,suddenlyitoccurredtome—beingfamiliarwiththeOldTestament —thatSolomonwentastrayafterstrangegods, thenamesofthreeofwhomIremembered —"Ashtoreth,thegoddessoftheZidonians,Chemosh,thegodoftheMoabites,andMilcom,thegodofthechildrenofAmmon" —andIsuggestedtomycompanionsthatthefiguresbeforeusmightrepresentthesefalseandexplodeddivinities.
"Hum,"saidSirHenry, whoisascholar,havingtakenahighdegreeinclassicsatcollege, "theremaybesomethinginthat;AshtorethoftheHebrewswastheAstarteofthePhoenicians,whowerethegreattradersofSolomon’stime. Astarte,whoafterwardsbecametheAphroditeoftheGreeks,wasrepresentedwithhornslikethehalf-moon,andthereonthebrowofthefemalefigurearedistincthorns. PerhapstheseColossiweredesignedbysomePhoenicianofficialwhomanagedthemines. Whocansay?"
Beforewehadfinishedexaminingtheseextraordinaryrelicsofremoteantiquity,Infadooscameup, andhavingsalutedthe"SilentOnes"byliftinghisspear,askedusifweintendedenteringthe"PlaceofDeath"atonce,orifwewouldwaittillafterwehadtakenfoodatmid-day. Ifwewerereadytogoatonce,Gagoolhadannouncedherwillingnesstoguideus. Asitwasnotlaterthaneleveno’clock—driventoitbyaburningcuriosity—weannouncedourintentionofproceedinginstantly, andIsuggestedthat,incaseweshouldbedetainedinthecave,weshouldtakesomefoodwithus.
