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78 THE MAGIC OF JEWELS AND CHARMS
world, there can be little or no doubt that such a race existed in China, although as yet we have no distinct evidences of it.
The
Babylonian royal astrologers taught that the mere fact of the passage
of a meteor across the heavens, whether its course were from east to
west, or from north to south, was a good omen, portending victory and
the successful issue of the royal projects. Especially favorable was
the augury when the meteor was very brilliant and left behind it a
trail that might be likened to the tail of a scorpion. This not only
foretold joy for the ruler and his house, but for the entire country;
evil would be overcome, righteousness would reign supreme, and
prosperity would prevail. A meteor of this type is recorded as having
appeared at the time Nebuchadnezzar laid waste Elam about 1150 b.c. This refers to the elder Nebuchadnezzar.9
A
curious series of cuneiform texts treats of the prognostics to be
drawn from the transformations of stars into various animals, metals,
stones, etc. This is explained as referring to the apparent form or hue
of the meteor itself, or of the trail it left behind. The
transformations into stones concern the dushu-stone, porphyry (or some
other dark red or purple stone) and lapis lazuli. This omen is
invariably a favorable one.10
The
Old Testament offers abundant testimony of the ancient belief that
certain stones were animated by a divine spirit. In regard to this,
Benzinger writes : " "It was not Yahweh who found Jacob at Bethel but
rather Jacob who found Yahweh there. He anoints the stone; that is, he
sacrifices to it, for the divinity residing in the stone has caused his
dream." According to Benzinger's opinion the Ark of the Covenant
originally served as receptacle for a
•
Morris Jastrow, Jr., " Die Religion Babyloniens und Assyriens," vol.
ii, Pt. II, Giessen, 1912, pp. 689, 690. »Ibid., pp. 692-694.
"Benzinger, Hebräische Archäologie, Freiburg i. B., 1894, p. 370.
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