_Sirius_, is applied indiscriminately to every star, because all the stars were either supposed to follow the Sun in his daily course, or to borrow their light from that luminary. From this source, there can be little doubt that the Israelites, during their period of bondage in Egypt, borrowed their ‏מלך‎, _Moloch_, or ‏מלככם‎, _Molekem_ and _Milcom_, that is, their _king_, and the Star of their god _Remphan_ or _Chiun_ ‏כיון‎; whence comes Κύων, or _Canis_ and _Canicula_, the Dog-star or Sirius, idols of which they made to themselves figures to worship in the wilderness, Amos v. 26; Acts vii. 43. This kind of idolatry appears to have been pursued with more or less obstinacy by the children of Israel, during the whole period of the Critarchal and Monarchal ages; notwithstanding the strict prohibitions of the _First_ and _Second Commandments_, and the awful sanctions with which their promulgation was accompanied at Mount Sinai. Passing over the rebellion of the _Golden Calf_ and the sin in the matter of _Baalpeor_, in the wilderness, we find that the Israelites forsook Jehovah, after the death of Joshua and of all the elders who outlived him, and served _Baalim_, or _Baal_ and _Ashtaroth_, ὁ βααλ and ἡ βααλ, the _King_ and _Queen_ of Heaven; and as often as they repeated this iniquity, so often were they punished for it, by subjection to the yoke of their enemies; Judges ii. 13; iii. 7; vi. 30; and ix. 46. After the worship of the true God was set up in all its magnificence and glory in the Temple at Jerusalem, how soon, alas! was it forgotten, and that of _Moloch_ or _Milcom_, _Chemosh_ and _Ashtaroth_ adopted in its stead; and how consoling must it have been to the real worshipper of Jehovah, to be informed, that even in the worst of times, there were 7000 in Israel who had not bowed the knee to _Baal_; 1 Kings, xi. 5; and xix. 18. Nevertheless, Israel was at last cut short for his idolatry, in making images and groves, worshipping all the _Host of Heaven_, and serving _Baal_; and Judah, being seduced by Manasseh to commit precisely the same abominations, was threatened with a similar captivity; 2 Kings, xvii. 16; and xxi. 3. A temporary suspension of this sentence, however, took place; and a respite of _forty_ years was granted to the house of Judah, because of the reform which was effected in the days of King Josiah. For, he put down them that burned incense to _Baal_, to the _Sun_, and to the _Moon_, and to the _Planets_, and to all the _Host of Heaven_;[46] and he took away the horses that the kings of Judah had given to the _Sun_, and burned the chariots of the _Sun_ with fire; but, after his death, they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people, and there was no remedy: until, in fact, Jerusalem was destroyed, and Judah carried captive into Babylon; 2 Kings xxiii. 5; and 2 Chronicles xxxvi. 16.