Page:History of Art in Sardinia, Judæa, Syria and Asia Minor Vol 1.djvu/289

 Furniture and Ornament about the Temple. 259 hectolitres of liquid or more, they must have been larger than nature, spirited, too, albeit conceived as simply as possible, 1 the bodies and the heads parallel one to the other. To have given the figures complex attitudes would have been in direct contradic - tion with the principle observable in all early stages of art-produc- tion ; when general effect obtained in the mass is sought after rather than subtle arrangement. Opinion is divided as to whether the shape of the vessel was semi-spherical, as the Cypriote vat, or cylindrical. 2 In the absence of absolute certainty, we have adopted the latter, because it imparts an appearance of solidity to the monument not obtainable with the former. 3 With regard to the means employed for daily replenishing the brazen sea — whether the water was carried in skins or buckets from the numerous cisterns that underlay the sacred area and kept the other parts of the building constantly supplied with the necessary element, or whether there were movable pipes which permitted the rain-water to be directed into the brazen sea — has not been ascertained. 4 However that may be, there were, doubtless, taps towards the lower part of the recipient, which allowed of water being obtained for the various uses of the service of the temple. 5 Some have supposed that under the rock supporting the altar was a perennial spring, which gave forth at all times an abundant supply of water ; and that this was the fountain seen by the prophet in his vision. 6 Tacitus has been quoted in support of this hypothesis ; but his words are just as applicable to the reservoirs of Solomon, which received their 1 These figures must be understood as only approximately correct, for as Reuss remarks, a diameter of ten cubits yields a circumference of 31*40; and a circum- ference of thirty cubits is but 9-55 at the diameter. Two thousand bats says the text (1 Kings vii. 25). A bat, according to some authorities, is assumed to be equivalent to twenty litres, and double that amount hy others. 2 We allude to De Stade's restoration, Geschichfe, torn. i. p. 336. 8 It is quite possible that under the recipient there was a block of masonry to give it central support, which the oxen hid almost entirely from view. These were cast on a core, and therefore hollow ; but in their depths were stout metal supports, on which rested the whole weight of the apparatus. 4 2 Chron. iv. 6. 6 Stade, Geschichte, torn. i. pp. 334, 335. He believes that the brazen sea may have been fed by pipes enclosed in masonry, which tapped the fountain and carried the water into the tap. But could water that rose several yards above the plateau have disappeared only to percolate at the very low level of the Kedron valley ? 6 Ezek. xlvii.