242 That the prophet’s office in Canaan was developed out of the widespread respect for insanity is duly recognized by Ed. Meyer, _Geschichte des Altertums_,2 i. 2. p. 383. M57 Inspired prophets at Byblus. 243 W. Max Müller, in _Mitteilungen der Vorderasiatischen Gesellschaft_, 1900, No. 1, p. 17; A. Erman, “Eine Reise nach Phönizien im 11 Jahrhundert v. Chr.” _Zeitschrift für Āgyptische Sprache und Altertumskunde_, xxxviii. (1900) pp. 6 _sq._; G. Maspero, _Les contes populaires de l’Égypte Ancienne_,3 p. 192; A. Wiedemann, _Altägyptische Sagen und Märchen_ (Leipsic, 1906), pp. 99 _sq._; H. Gressmann, _Altorientalische Texte und Bilder zum Alten Testamente_ (Tübingen, 1909), p. 226. Scholars differ as to whether Wen-Ammon’s narrative is to be regarded as history or romance; but even if it were proved to be a fiction, we might safely assume that the incident of the prophetic frenzy at Byblus was based upon familiar facts. Prof. Wiedemann thinks that the god who inspired the page was the Egyptian Ammon, not the Phoenician Adonis, but this view seems to me less probable. 244 1 Samuel ix. 6-8, 10; 1 Kings xiii. 1, 4-8, 11, etc. 245 1 Samuel ii. 22. Totally different from their Asiatic namesakes were the “sacred men” and “sacred women” who were charged with the superintendence of the mysteries at Andania in Messenia. They were chosen by lot and held office for a year. The sacred women might be either married or single; the married women had to swear that they had been true to their husbands. See G. Dittenberger, _Sylloge Inscriptionum Graecarum_2 (Leipsic, 1898-1901), vol. ii. pp. 461 _sqq._, No. 653; Ch. Michel, _Recueil d’Inscriptions Grecques_ (Brussels, 1900), pp. 596 _sqq._, No. 694; _Leges Graecorum Sacrae_, ed. J. de Prott, L. Ziehen, Pars Altera, Fasciculus i. (Leipsic, 1906), No. 58, pp. 166 _sqq._ M58 “Holy men” in modern Syria. 246 Hosea ix. 7. 247 Jeremiah xxix. 26. 248 S. I. Curtiss, _Primitive Semitic Religion To-day_ (Chicago, New York, Toronto, 1902), pp. 150 _sq._