The Hittites : $b The story of a forgotten empireSayce, A. H. (Archibald Henry)
History
The Hittites : $b The story of a forgotten empire
Sayce, A. H. (Archibald Henry)
Hittites
It stood, we are told, in the very centre of the 'Holy City.' It
consisted of an outer court and an inner sanctuary, which again
contained a Holy of Holies, entered only by the high-priest and those of
his companions who were 'nearest the gods.' The temple was erected on an
artificial mound or platform, more than twelve feet in height, and its
walls and ceiling within were brilliant with gold. Its doors were also
gilded, but the Holy of Holies or innermost shrine was not provided with
doors, being separated from the rest of the building, it would seem,
like the Holy of Holies in the Jewish temple, by a curtain or veil. On
either side of the entrance was a cone-like column of great height, a
symbol of the goddess of fertility, and in the outer court a large altar
of brass. To the left of the latter was an image of 'Semiramis,' and not
far off a great 'sea' or 'lake,' containing sacred fish. Oxen, horses,
eagles, bears, and lions were kept in the court, as being sacred to the
deities worshipped within.
On entering the temple the visitor saw on his left the throne of the
Sun-god, but no image, since the Sun and Moon alone of the gods had no
images dedicated to them. Beyond, however, were the statues of various
divinities, among others the wonder-working image of a god who was
believed to deliver oracles and prophecies. At times, it was said, the
image moved of its own accord, and if not lifted up at once by the
priests, began to perspire. When the priests took it in their hands, it
led them from one part of the temple to the other, until the
high-priest, standing before it, asked it questions, which it answered
by driving its bearers forward. The central objects of worship, however,
were the golden images of two deities, whom Lucian identifies with the
Greek Hera and Zeus, another figure standing between them, on the head
of which rested a golden dove. The goddess, who blazed with precious
stones, bore in her hand a sceptre and on her head that turreted or
mural crown which distinguishes the goddesses of Boghaz Keui. Like them,
moreover, she was supported on lions, while her consort was carried by
bulls. In him we may recognise the god who at Boghaz Keui is advancing
to meet the supreme Hittite goddess.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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