Where the Country abounded with Wood, a _Dog_ was fixt in the Governor’s Standard, to which the _Egyptians_ gave no little Veneration, especially Sportsmen ... as the Poet observes[430]. Footnote 430: _Oppida tota canem venerantur, nemo Dianam._ The Dog whole Towns, _Diana_ none implore. Juvenal. Satir. xv. That which gives some colour to this Partition of _Osiris_’s Kingdom, is, “that God ordained very near the same thing to be observed in the Encampments of the _Israelites_, when he divided the twelve Tribes into four Bodies, and allotted to one of the three Tribes, belonging to each Body, _the Figure of an Animal to be placed in the Banner_: Thus, that of _Reuben_ carried the Figure of a _Man_; that of _Judah_, a _Lion_; that of _Dan_, an _Eagle_; and that of _Ephraim_, an _Ox_[431]”. Footnote 431: _Jurieu’s Crit. Hist._ vol. ii. After this manner the _Egyptian_ Monarch did place in their Banners the Figures of certain Animals, which by degrees were usher’d into their Religion and Temples. _N. B._ These Banners thus painted with different Animals, were fixt upon Poles, between their several Provinces, by which their Bounds were determined. _Semiramis_, being conquered by _Staurobates_, Antiquity feign’d she was changed by the Gods into a Dove, the Bird of _Venus_, which is the reason why the _Dove_ was worshipped by the _Babylonians_, and why they gave it in their Ensign. I Conclude this Part with some Instances, that are given of the Sottishness of _Pagans_ in what they called religious Worship, which indeed is almost incredible, if they were not common, and well attested.—— The _Egyptians_ did not only worship variety of Beasts, but also the Figures of them, as the Representatives of their Gods: Each City and District entertain’d a peculiar Devotion for some particular Beast or other, in honour of which they built Temples; yea, every one of the _Pagan Deities_ had his own Beast, Tree and Plant consecrated to him. Thus the _Pigeon_ was consecrated to _Venus_; the _Dragon_ and _Owl_ to _Minerva_; the _Eagle_ to _Jupiter_; the _Cock_ to _Æsculapius_ and the _Sun_. This, says _Jurieu_, is the true Origin of the _Egyptian Idolatry_. _Ibid._ Who adds, The _Egyptians_ assign’d to their Gods certain Animals, as their Representatives, and being introduced into the Temples, as the Images were in some Christian Churches, they at last began to worship them. This points out the Impiety of admitting any symbolical Representations of Divinity into Places of publick Worship.