Ashimah

ASHIMAH, a famous Deity which the men of Hamath, who were carried to 2 Kings xvii. 30.Samaria, invented and adored. Some of the Rabbins say, that Ashimah had the shape of an Ape¹, others that it was represented like a Lamb, a Goat, or a Satyr; all differing in their opinions, and nothing at all certain in any one of them²: They who made an Ape of this Divinity seem to have had some regard to the sound of the word Sima, which has some relation to the Greek, Simia³; but the Hebrews have another word to signify an Ape. Moreover both the Ape⁴ and Goat⁵ were Deities worshipped in Egypt and other places in the East.

Some of the Rabbins⁶ have imagined, that the famous Mordecai, Esther’s Foster-father was Author of the Samaritan Pentateuch, and that he gave it to the Persians of Ahasuerus’s Kingdom; that the Persians having received this work into their Library, blotted out the name of God Elohim, which was to be read in the beginning of Genesis, and in the room of it substituted the name of Ashimah their false Deity, the worship whereof was introduced into Samaria by those who were sent by the Kings of Assyria. This accusation is certainly false: we have authentick copies of the Samaritan Pentateuch, both manuscript and printed in our hands, where the name of Elohim is to be read in the same manner as in the Hebrew copies of the Jews.

A certain Critick⁷ prepossess’d with an opinion, that the ancient Persians worshipped fire, and imagining Ashimah to signify this Element, which the Samaritans likewise adored in their Country, instead of Ashimah⁸ chose to read Ashita, which he explains of the Fire of Heaven, or Eschiomah the daily Fire. But if they will discover the word Fire in Ashimah, it is more natural to say, Esch-schamaï, the Fire of Heaven.

These people came from Hamath or Emesa, a City of Syria upon the Orontes, where we read, that the Sun was adored under the name of Elah-Gabalah; whence the Emperor Heliogabalus took his. This God Elagabal was represented below by a large round Stone, which rising insensibly in a point, terminated in a conick or pyramidal Figure⁹. The worship of this false God became celebrated at Rome from the time of Heliogabalus’s reign, who caused a magnificent Temple to be erected for him. Round about this Temple were several Altars, upon which hecatombs of bulls, and great quantities of sheep were sacrificed every morning; abundance of excellent wine and spices was poured out upon the Altars. Quires of musicians and people who played upon instruments were placed round the Altar; Phœnician women danced in a circle playing upon cymbals and dulcimers, before the Senate and Roman Knights. Such was the worship which Heliogabalus appointed to be paid his God which he had brought from Emesa.

To come now to the name of Ashimah, it may be very well understood of Fire from Heaven or the Sun, as we have before said, or it may be derived from the Persian Asuman. This is the name of an Angel or Genius¹⁰, who according to the Superstition of the ancient Magi of Persia, presides over every thing which happens on the 27th day of every Solar Month in the Persian year, which therefore for this reason is called by the name of this Genius. The Magi believe Asuman to be the Angel of Death, which separates the souls of men from their bodies. The Persians call likewise Heaven Asuman and Suman, which comes pretty near the Hebrew, Schamaïm.

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