ess of the city; and also to the
perpetual fire preserved within its precincts. The God of fire, Hephaistus,
was an Egyptian compound of Apha-Astus, rendered by the Ionian Greeks
Hephaestus.

The [234]Camoenae of Latium, who were supposed to have shewn the sacred
fountain to the Vestals, were probably the original priestesses, whose
business it was to fetch water for lustrations from that stream. For
Cam-Ain is the fountain of the Sun: and the Camoenae were named from their
attendance upon that Deity. The Hymns in the temples of this God were sung
by these women: hence the Camoenae were made presidents of music.

Many regions, where the rites of fire were kept up, will be found to have
been named Asta, Hestia, Hestiaea, Hephaestia; or to have had cities so
[235]called. This will appear from the histories of Thessaly, Lycia, Egypt,
Lemnos; as well as from other countries.

From Asta and Esta come the terms AEstas, AEstus, AEstuo, [Greek: Astu,
Hestia, Hestiazein.]

SHEM, SHAMEN, SHEMESH.

Shem, and Shamesh, are terms, which relate to the heavens, and to the Sun,
similar to [Hebrew: SHMSH SHMYS SHWM], of the Hebrews. Many places of
reputed sanctity, such as Same, Samos, Samothrace, Samorna, were
denominated from it. Philo Biblius informs us, that the Syrians, and
Canaanites, lifted up their hands to Baal-Samen, the Lord of Heaven; under
which title they honoured the Sun: [236][Greek: Tas cheiras oregein eis
ouranous pros ton Helion; touton gar, phesi, theon enomizon monon OURANOU
KYRION BAAL-SAMEN kalountes]. Ephesus was a place of great sanctity: and
its original name was [237]Samorna; which seems to be a compound of
Sam-Oran, Coelestis Sol, fons Lucis. We read of Samicon in Elis,
[238][Greek: chorion Samikon], with a sacred cavern: and of a town called
[239]Samia, which lay above it. The word [Greek: Semnos] was a contraction
of Semanos, from Sema-on; and properly signified divine and celestial.
Hence [Greek: semnai theai, semne kora]. Antient Syria was particularly
devoted to the worship of the Sun, and of the Heavens; and it was by the
natives called Shems and Shams: which undoubtedly means the land of
Shemesh, from the worship there followed. It retains the name at this
[240]day. In Canaan was a town and temple, called Beth-Shemesh. What some
expressed Shem and Sham, the Lubim seem to have pronounced Zam: hence the
capital of Numidia was named Zama, and Zamana, from Shamen, Coelestis. This
we may learn from an i