afterwards they consecrated others of that form, and worshipped them;
which false worship was perpetuated even to the time of St.
Austin."--See note (N), _Ant. Univ. Hist._, vol. i. p. 310.

Now if such stones were an object of worship among the Phoenicians, nothing
is more probable than that they should take such a stone along with them in
their migrations to new settlements; and it may therefore well be that the
Phoenicians, who first settled in Ireland, did bring such a stone with
them; and hence possibly the tradition in question may have originated.

There is abundant evidence that the Phoenicians fled from Palestine in very
early times (_Ant. Univ. Hist._, vol. iii. p. 479.), and probably some of
the Jews also about the time when Samaria was taken; and there can be no
doubt that some Phoenicians, if not some Jews, settled in these islands at
a very remote period; and it is a very remarkable fact that the Welsh
spoken in North Wales is said to be nearer to the old Hebrew than any other
existing language, and varying no more from it than the great length of
time which has passed would lead any one to expect. (_Ant. Univ. Hist._,
vol. vi. p. 31. note.)

It should seem that some at least of the baetyli were round, and of such a
size that they might be carried about by their votaries either by hanging
at the neck or in some other way (_Ant. Univ. Hist._, vol. xvii. p. 287.
_x._). But probably they were originally in the shape of a pillow. In Gen.
xxviii. 18., it is said that Jacob "took the stone that he had put for his
pillow, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it;"
from which it is plain that the stone was not a sphere, but oblong and flat
at the top and bottom; and probably not with square edges, as that would be
most uncomfortable to lay the head upon.[4]

S. G. C.

[Footnote 4: Query whether from these baetyli our ancestors derived the
word _beetle_, which denotes a wooden maul or hammer for driving wedges.
Its head is about a foot long, flat at each end, and the rest round; so
that it nearly resembles a pillow in shape, and the head, together with its
handle, would well resemble a stone of similar shape suspended by a cord in
the middle. Bailey derives the word in this sense, and as denoting the
insect, from Sax. [Bytel]. If a handle was ever put in a baetylus, which
was of the form I have suggested, it would form an excellent instrument for
driving wedges or the like.]