Meni

MENI. The Goddess Meni is the Jerem. vii. 18. xliv. 17, 18. Isai. lxv. 11. Heb.Moon. Jeremiah speaks of her by the Title of Queen of Heaven, and Isaiah by the Name of Meni. Each of ‘em shew, that her Worship was very frequent in Palestine, and that the Hebrews were much addicted to it. Meni is probably the same as Astarta, and Venus Cælestis, in Honour among the Phœnicians and Carthaginians. ‘Twas from the Phœnicians or Canaanites, that the Israelites had learned the Worship of this false Deity. Isaiah reproaches them with setting up a Table to Gad, which is the Sun, and with making Libations to Meni. Qui ponitis Fortunæ (Heb. Gad.) Mensam, & libatis super eam: (Heb. & libatis Meni) Vulg. Jeremiah says, that in Honour of the Queen of Heaven, the Fathers light the Fire, the Mothers knead the Cakes, and the Children gather the Wood to bake them. Filii colligunt ligna, & patres succendunt ignem, & mulieres conspergunt adipem, ut faciant placentas Reginæ Cæli. Elsewhere the Israelites declare to the same Jeremiah, that notwithstanding his Remonstrances, they would continue to honour the Queen of Heaven, by offering Oblations to her, as their Fathers had done before them; and that ever since they had left off to sacrifice to the Queen of Heaven, they have been consumed by the Sword and by Famine. We may see by Strabo¹, that Men, the Month or Moon, had several Temples dedicated to her Worship in Asia Minor, and in Persia, and that they often swore by the Men of the King, that is, by his Fortune. See our Commentary upon ISAIAH, Chap. lxv. ℣ 11.

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