Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-12-21
THE OUTLINE OF HISTORY
BY H. G. WELLS

| No. 49.-The Priest Comes Into History
When we direct our attention to these new
accumulations of human beings that were
beginning in Egypt and Mesopotamia, we
find that one of the most conspicuous and
constant objects in all these cities is tenn
| pie of group of temples. In some cases
there arises beside it in these regions a
royal palace but as often the temple towers
over the palace.
This presence of the temple is equally
true of the Phoenician cities and of the
tGreek and Roman as they arise. The palace
| of Cnossos, with it's signs of comfort and
pleasure seeking, and the kindred cities of
the Aegean peoples include religious shrines
but in Crete there are also temples standing
| apart from the palatial city households. All
over the ancient civilized world we find
it's foot in Africa, Europe or western Asia,
temple arose, and where the civilization is
most ancient, in Egypt and in Sumer, there
the temple is most in evidence.
When Hanno reached what he thought
was the most westerly point of Africa he set
up temple to Hercules. The beginnings of
civilization and the appearance of temples is
simultaneous in history. The two things be-
long together. The beginning of cities is
the temple stage of history.
MOnstrouS Divinities
In all these temples there was a shrine;
dominating the shrine there was commonly
half animal form, before which stood an
altar for sacrifices In the Greek and Ro-
man temples, however, the image was gen.
orally that of a divinity in human form This
figure was either regarded as the god or for
whose worship the temple existed. And con-
nected with the temple there were number
and often a considerable number, of priests
or priestesses, and temple servants gener-
ally wearing distinctive costume and form
ing an important part of the city popula-
ton. They belong to no household; they
made UP new kind of household of their
own. They were a caste and a class apart
attracting intelligent recruits from the gen
eral population.
The primary duty of this priesthood was
concerned with the worship of and the saeri-
fices to the god of the temple And these
things were done, not at any time, but at
particular times and seasons. There had
come into the life of man with his herding
and agriculture a sense of a difference be-
tween day and day. Men We're beginning to
work and to need days of rest. The temple
by its festivals, kept count. The temple in
the ancient city was like the clock and calen-
dar upon a writing desk.
The people went to the temple not only en-
masse for festivals, but individually for
help.
The early priests were also doctors and
magicians. In the earliest temples we al
ready find those little offerings for some
made in the chapels of Catholic churches to-
day. ex votos, little models of hearts re-
lieved and limbs restored, acknowledge
ment OF prayers answered and accepted
vows.
1t is clear that here we have that COMPARE
lively unimpOrtant element in the life of the
early nomad, the medicne-man, the shrine
keeper, and the memorist. developed, with
the development Of the community and as a
part of the development of the community
from barbarism to civilized settlement, into
something of very much greater Importance
And it is equally evident that those print
tive fears of (and hopes of help FROM
strange beings, the desire to propiate un
known forces, the primitive desire for
cleansing and the primitive craving for power
and knowledge have all contributed to crys-
tallize out this new social fact of the temple
The temple was accumulated by complex
necessitates, it grew from many roots and
needs, and the god or goddess that domi-