The Mount Holly news., 1919-04-15
THRONE HER Prize
Lucky Swimmer Ruler of Ancient
City for Year.
Every Girl In 6ybIos, Syria, Had op
portunlty to Compete in
Aquatic Contest, Held
Annually.

The ivory throne of the high priest
ess or oracle in the temple of Byblos
might be won by any girl in the an
cient city. no matter how wealthy or
how poor her parents. The position
was open to the society queen and the
fisher alike, and once seated, she was
In reality the ruler of that Syrian city
for year.
In the old days the city of Byblos,
or Gabal, was famous for the art of its
stone cutters, and in the Book Of
Kings these Giblites are mentioned as
the stone "squarers" employed by King
Solomon upon the temple. But 1t was
mainly for the annual festivities held
at Byblos, and known as the Mysteries
of Adonis, that the city was most
famed. There was located there a
splendid temple to Adonis, ard In the
spring Of each year hundreds Of per-
sons from all parts of Syria and the
adjacent lands journeyed to the city
to witness the celebration of the mys-
teries.
The soil of the land at the headwater
Of the river is Of red clay, and when
the spring rains began to fall in the
hills the water of the river became red.
The priests said Adonis had been slain.
The myth was variously told, but brief
ly It narrated the story Of Adonis be-
ing killed while hunting and his re-
storation to life by Jupiter at the
prayer of Venus.
When the water of the river became
red the people began to lament the
death of Adonis. Streets and houses
were draped with mourning and the
people went about weeping and lament
ing. This lasted week. Then a great
funeral procession formed and
wooden image Of the god was carried
to the river, where 1t was set adrift
to float out to sea.
Then began the unique and interest
ing part Of the ceremonies. The young
women of the city assembled along the
seashore and all day gazed out over
the waves. Sometimes several days
were consumed In this part Of the cere-
mony for the watch must be kept until
an expected message was received
from the waves.
Finally, far out, one might behold an
object bobbing up and down on the
rollers. As soon as it was discovered a
great shout went up from the girls,
and all plunged into the sea, each
striving to be the first to reach and
recover the object. an earthen jar in
which the message that the god lived
again was supposed to come.
Several hundred young women, Wild
ly swimming out at sea. was the un-
usual sight, for to the first girl to
grasp the jar fell the honor of being
the high priestess or oracle of the god
during the coming year.
The lucky swimmer, on returning to
the shore, was grasped by the hands
of the crowd and borne In state upon
an ivory throne to the great temple,
where she was seated with solemn
ceremony before the image of the god.
This swimmer might be the daughter
Of the wealthiest merchant and the
leader Of society, or might have spent
all Of her life In the hut of a poor
fisherman. No matter what her former
social position may have been, from
the moment she recovered the jar with
its message until another took her
place at the close of the year, this girl
was consulted about all matters Of i'm
portance that were Of interest to the
people. Once seated upon the ivory
throne the daughters Of the rich came
to consult her 'mystic wisdom" and
merchants planning voyages to lands
of which she had never heard would
appear with choice gifts. Nothing
could occur without her sanction and
her words were fnal.
Then, at the close Of the year, an
other was seated in her place. When
the water of the river began to turn
red the ivory throne was vacated. She,
who for year had ruled supreme
and spoken the words of the god be-
came a common attendant In the great
temple and stood quietly in the great
assembly. amid the ascending clouds
of incense before the image Of the god,
to see another seated on the prophet
ic, ivory throne.