Identifier: cu31924091762140 Title: History of Egypt, Chaldea, Syria, Babylonia and Assyria Year: 1903 (1900s) Authors: Maspero, G. (Gaston), 1846-1916 Sayce, A. H. (Archibald Henry), 1845-1933 Subjects: Civilization, Ancient History, Ancient Publisher: London : Grolier Society Contributing Library: Cornell University Library Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

View Book Page: Book Viewer About This Book: Catalog Entry View All Images: All Images From Book

Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.

Text Appearing Before Image: is hollowed out on thesummit of each altar/ At Meshed-i-Murgab, on the site ofthe ancient Pasargadae, the altars have disappeared, but thebasements on which they were erected are still visible, asalso the flight of eight steps by which they were approached.Those altars on which burned a perpetual fire were not leftexposed to the open air : they would have run too great a risk of contracting im-purities, such as dustborne by the wind, flightsof birds, dew, rain, orsnow. They were en-closed in slight struc-tures, well protected bywalls, and attaining insome cases consider-able dimensions, or inpavilion-shaped edifices of stone adorned with columns.The sacriflcial rites were of long duration, and frequent, andwere rendered very complex by interminable manual acts,ceremonial gestures, and incantations. In cases where thealtar was not devoted to maintaining a perpetual fire, itwas kindled when necessary with small twigs previouslybarked and purified, and was subsequently fed with precious

Text Appearing After Image: THE TWO IKAOTAN ALTARS OF MUKGAB.^ ^ According to Perrot and Chipiez, it is not impossible that thesealtars were older than the great buildings of Persepolis, and that theywere erected for the old Persian town which Darius raised to the positionof capital. ^ Drawn by Boudier, from Flandin and Coste.

Note About Images