Chapter 812

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Faber and Bishop Cumberland would make these all the later pagan personifications of “the Noëtic Ark, and ... no other than the patriarch [Noah] and his family”(!), as the former writer puts it in his Cabiri (i. 136); because, we are told, that most probably after the Deluge in commemoration of the event, the pious Noachidæ established a religious festival, which was, later on, corrupted by their impious descendants, who made of “Noah and his family” demons or hero-gods; “and at length unblushing obscenity usurped the name and garb of religion” (ibid., i. p. 10). Now this is indeed putting an extinguisher upon the human reasoning powers, not only of antiquity, but even of our present generations. Reverse the statement, and after the words “Noah and his family” explain that what was meant is simply the Jewish version of a Samothracian mystery, of Saturn, or Cronus-Cydyk and his Sons, and then we may say Amen.