The central obelisk of this temple is of a circular form at base, of a vast bulk, 21 feet long, and 8 feet 9 inches diameter; when standing, higher than the rest. This is what the scripture calls a pillar, or standing image, _Levit._ xxvi. 1. These works, erected in the land of _Canaan_ by the same people, the _Phœnicians_, as erected ours, were ordered to be demolished by the _Israelites_, because at that time perverted to idolatry. All the stones, our whole temple, were called _ambres_, even by our _phœnician_ founders; but this particularly. The _Egyptians_ by that name call’d their obeliscs; which _Kircher_ did not rightly understand, interpreting it to be sacred books; but meaning _petræ ambrosiæ_, _main ambres in celtic, anointed, consecrated stone_; _Manah_, the name of a great stone of this sort which the _Arabians_ worshipped. They were called likewise, _gabal_, and the present word _kibla_ or _kebla_ comes from it, but in a larger sense. _Elagabalus_ is hence deriv’d after they turn’d these _kiblas_ into real deities. It means the _god obelisc_; and hence our _english_ words, _gable end_ of a house, _javelin_ or _roman pile_, and _gaveloc_ a _sharp iron bar_. [Illustration: TAB. XIII. A View of the Remains of the Northern Temple at Abury. Aug. 1722. _Stukeley del._ A. _Abury Steeple._ B. _the cove._ C. _Windmill hill._] Exactly in the southern end of the line that connects the two centers of these temples, _viz._ in that pasture mark’d IX. in our ground-plot, is an odd stone standing, not of great bulk. It has a hole wrought in it, and probably was design’d to fasten the victim, in order for slaying it. This I call the _ring-stone_. From this we may infer the like use of that stone at _Stonehenge_, in the avenue near the entrance into the area of the temple. I spoke of it under the name of _crwm leche_, p. 33. It has a like hole in it. These two temples were all that was standing originally in the great area, within the circular colonnade. Very probably it was the most magnificent patriarchal temple in the world. Now a whole village of about thirty houses is built within it. This area would hold an immense number of people at their panegyres and public festivals; and when the _vallum_ all around was cover’d with spectators, it form’d a most noble amphitheater, and had an appearance extremely august, during the administration of religious offices. ————_ter denas curia vaccas Accipit, & largo sparsa cruore madet._ Ovid. fast. IV. Each of these temples is four times as big as _Stonehenge_.