“On the 8th of August the Sabeans pressed the wine for the gods and called it by many different names. On this day they sacrificed to the gods, in the middle of the forenoon, a new-born male child. First the child was slaughtered, then boiled until it became very soft, when the flesh was taken off (the bones). The flesh was then kneaded with fine flour, oil, saffron, spikenard and other spices, and, according to some, with raisins. It was then made into small cakes of the size of a fig, and baked in a new oven. This was used by the participants in the mystery of Shemal.... No woman, no slave or son of a slave, or no idiot was allowed to eat of it. To the killing and the preparation of the child only three priests were admitted. Everything remaining, such as the bones and other things not eatable, the priests offered as a burnt sacrifice to the gods.” [Ab (August) Den 8. dieses Monats pressen sie neuen Wein für die Götter und legen ihm viele verschiedene Namen bei. An diesem Tage opfern sie in der Mitte des Vormittags den durch Standbilder dargestellten Göttern ein neugeborenes männliches Kind. Zuerst wird der Knabe geschlachtet und dann gesotten, bis er ganz weich wird, dann wird das Fleisch abgenommen und mit feinem Mehl, Safran, Spikenard, Gewürznelken und Oel (nach der andern Lesart: Rosinen) zusammengeknetet, daraus werden kleine Brode, von der Grösse einer Feige, gemacht (oder geknetet) und in einem neuen (oder eisernen) Ofen gebacken. Dies dient den Theilnehmern an dem Mysterion des Schemal (zur Speise) für das ganze Jahr. Es darf aber kein Weib, kein Sklave, kein Sohn einer Sklaven und kein Wahnsinniger etwas davon essen. Zu dem Schlachten und Zurichten dieses Kindes werden blos drei Priester zugelassen. Alles aber, was von seinen Knochen, Gliedmassen, Knorpeln, Arterien und Nerven übrig geblieben ist, verbrennen die Priester den Göttern zum Opfer.] [254] R. A. Nicholson, _Literary History of the Arabs_, p. xxvii. [255] George Sale, Introduction to the Koran, p. 93. [256] George Sale, Introduction to the Koran, p. 93. [257] Aghani, vii., 150, quoted by W. Robinson Smith, _Kinship and Marriage_, p. 222. [258] Sale, Introduction to Koran. [259] Koran, chapter 5, p. 86. [260] Nicholson, _Literary History of the Arabs_, p. 243. [261] E. W. Lane, _Selections from the Kur-an_, Introduction, p. xxi.-xix. [262] Hamasa, quoted by W. Robinson Smith in _Kinship and Marriage_, p. 293. [263] Porphyry, book 2, chap. lvi. [264] Ammianus, book xxxi., chapter xvi. [265] Procopius, _Bell. Pers._, part i., chap. xix. [266] W. Robinson Smith, _Kinship and Marriage_, p. 296. [267] Trans. by George Sale, Al Koran, chap. vi., p. 114. [268] _Ibid._, chap. xvi., p. 218. [269] _Ibid._, chap. lxxxi., pp. 480–481. [270] “Al Hedaya Fil Foroo,” by Sheik Burhan-ad-deen Alee, trans. by Charles Hamilton, vol. i., p. xxxiii. [271] _Id._, book x., vol. ii. [272] “Al Hedaya Fil Foroo,” vol ii., book x., par. 3. [273] _Id._, vol. ii., book x., par. 6.