and not man was worshipped as the Savior. Another significant feature
noticed in connection with this subject is that the oldest figures
which represent this Goddess are black, thus proving that she must have
belonged to a dark skinned race.

This image, although black, or dark skinned, had long hair, hence not a
negress. The most ancient statue of Ceres was black, and Pausanias says
that at a place called Melangea in Arcadia there was a black Venus. In
the Netherlands only a few years ago, was a church dedicated to a black
goddess. The Virgin of the Sphere who treads on the head of the serpent
represents universal womanhood. She is the Virgin of the first book of
Genesis and mother of all the Earth. She represents not only creative
power but Perceptive Wisdom. Although this Goddess is usually seen with
the lotus in her hand, she sometimes carries ripe corn or wheat.

The mother of Gotama Buddha was called Mai or Maya, after the month in
which the Earth is arrayed in her most beautiful attire.

Maya is the parent of universal Nature. According to Davis, the mother
of Mercury "is the universal genius of Nature which discriminated all
things according to their various kinds of species," the same as was
Muth of Egypt. Mai is said to mean "one who begins to illuminate." She
was in fact the mother of the sun whence everything proceeds. She was
matter, within which was concealed spirit.

In the representations of Montfaucon appears the Goddess Isis sitting on
the lotus. Her head, upon which is a globe, is surrounded by a radiant
circle which evidently represents the sun. On the reverse side is Ieu,
the word "which is the usual way of the ecclesiastical authors reading
the Hebrew word Jehovah." Referring to this from Montfaucon, Godfrey
Higgins observes: "Here Isis, whose veil no mortal shall ever
draw aside, the celestial Virgin of the Sphere, is seated on the
self-generating sacred lotus and is called Ieu or Jove."(32) She has
also the mystic number 608 which stands for the Deity. Her breasts show
plainly that it is a female representation, although connected with the
figure appears the male emblem to indicate that within her are contained
both elements, or that the universe is embodied within the female.

32) Anacalypsis, book v., ch. iv.

Higgins thinks there is no subject on which more mistakes have been made
than on that of the Goddess Isis, both by ancients and moderns. He calls
attention to the inconsis