The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-02-28

is nv business: Yonder, in the temple
they celebrate a service which it is
lawful for strangers to witness, and L
thought that, having heard something
of our mysteries in the grove last night,
You might wish to behold II. If that
be so, 1 am come to guide you"
Aziel's first impulse was to refuse to
go: indeed, the words of dismissal were
on his lips when another purpose en-
tered his mind For this once he would
lcok upon these denominations and see
the part that ELISA played in them,
and thus be cured forever of the long
ings that had seized him.
What is the ceremony" he asked.
"A sacrifice for the recovery of the
Lady Baaltis, who is sick, prince"
And what is the sacrifce?" asked
Aziel
"A dove, as I am told" was the in
different answer.
II will come with you, Metem."
so be it, prince. Your retinue awaits
you at the gate"
At the main entrance to the palace.
Aziel found his guard and other ser
wants gathered there to escort him.
With them Issachar. whom he greeted,
asking him if he knew the errand upon
which they were bent.
Il do, prince. 1t is to witness the
abomination OF a sacrifice of these
heathecs.'
''Will you, then, accompany me there,
Issachar?"
Where my lord goes, 60" answer
ed the Levite, gravely. Moreover,
prince, if you have your reasons for
wishing to see this devil worship, may
have mine"
Then they set out, Metem guiding
them. At the north gate of the temple,
which was not more than a yard in
width, the Phoenician spoke TO the
guards on duty, who drew back to let
them pass. In single file, for the pas
sages were too narrow to allow of any
other means of progression, they
threaded the tortuous and may paths
of the great building. between huge
walls built of granite blocks laid with
out mortar, till at length they reached
a large open space where the ceremony
had already begun. Almost in the CEN
ter Of this space, which was paved
with blocks of granite, stood two conf
cal towers the larger of which meas
ured so feet and the smaller about half
that height. These towers, also built
of blocks of stone, were, as Metem in
formed them, sacred to and emblemati
cal of the gods of El and Baaltis. In
front of them was a platform sur
mounted by q stone altar, and between
them, built in q pit. in the grou-d,
burned n great furnace of wood. All
the cente- of the Enclosure was occu-
pied by the priests and Driestesses,
while without this sacred ring stood the
masses of spectators among whom
Aziel ard his followers were given a
place. though some of the more Dious
murmured audibly at the admission of
these Jews.
When they entered. the companies of
priests and priestesses were finishing
a prayer, the sentences of which they
chanted alternately, with strange eff
feet In part it was formal and in
part an improvised supplication TO the
protecting gods to restore health to
that woman or high priestess. who was
known as Lady Baaltis. The prayer
ended beautiful girl advanced to an
open space in front of the altar and,
with a sudden movement, threw off
her white robe. revealing herself to the
spectators in a many-colored garment
CT gauze, through which her fair flesh
cleaned.
Her black hair was adorned with
coronet of scarlet flowers, and hung
loose about her. Her feet and arms
were naked, and in each hand she held
a knife of bronze. Very slowly she