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In Egypt and the East: Ephesians

The bee was sacred to "Diana of the Ephesians," whose magnificent temple at Ephesus was one of the seven wonders of the world. Her priestesses were called "bees," and the chief priest was "the king bee."

This "Diana," or Atargatis, as she was called by the Ephesians, was of Babylonian origin. She was the goddess of war and of love, and is represented in her later form with many breasts, - a frank expression of the creative principle with which the bee is so often found associated. "The bee is employed on Hittite gems, and a gem found near Aleppo represents Atargatis standing on the insect."

Nymphs in the form of bees are said to have revealed to the Ephesians the site for their city.

Of Eastern peoples the Hebrews next to the Hindus recognize the bee in literature. In the "Talmud" we find in the chapter of the "Fives" the following reference to honey, which, though forming but a small proportion of the heaven-sent manna, is not wholly excluded:- "Five things have in them a sixtieth part of five other things: fire, honey, the Sabbath, sleep, and dreams. Fire is a sixtieth of hell, honey a sixtieth of manna, the Sabbath a sixtieth of the rest in the world to come, sleep the sixtieth of death, and a dream the sixtieth of prophecy."

But it is in the Bible that we find the dramatic and poetical possibilities of the bee most fully appreciated. Moses, addressing the children of Israel, rehearses to them In Egypt and the East their defeat by the Amorites because they went to war against the command of God. "And the Amorites, which dwelt in that mountain, came out against you and chased you, as bees do, and destroyed you in Seir, even unto Hormah."

We have already heard of the bees attacking and defeating armies and depopulating villages in the East, and no doubt the sting of the tropical bee is a matter to put armies to rout. In the beautiful imagery of the Psalms, the bee is likened to hostile nations. "All nations compassed me about: but in the name of the Lord will I destroy them. "They compassed me about; yea, they compassed me about: but in the name of the Lord I will destroy them. "They compassed me about like bees; they are quenched as the fire of thorns: for in the name of the Lord I will destroy them."

The Hebrews, like the Hindus, believed that honey bestowed knowledge, as is shown in the following verse: "Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil and choose the good."

The high regard in which honey was held is well expressed in the following: - "My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste: so shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto the soul.". Concerning prophecy and honey, of which we hear so much in the Greek and Latin myths, we have in Hebrew the prophetess Deborah, who foretold the downfall of Sisera, Deborah in Hebrew meaning "a bee."

The word of God is compared to honey in the Psalm where David exclaims:- "How sweet are thy words unto my taste! Yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth."

And again, - "The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honey-comb."

In Proverbs we are told, "Pleasant words are as honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones." Jacob, sending his sons to Egypt to buy food, enjoins them to gain the favor of the governor by taking him a present: "Take of the best fruits of the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, nuts and almonds."

Thus is clearly shown that honey was considered one of the choice gifts of the land, as again, in the Book of the Kings, where Jeroboam sends his wife to the prophet he bids her: "And take with thee ten loaves, and cracknels, and a cruse of honey, and go to him."

Honey too was one of the gifts brought to David's army as he was encamped in the wilderness.