. Their
idolatry was but a childish deduction from an ancient and deeply-rooted
theology. The same may be said for the wood-cutter, derided in the
Apocrypha, who, "taking a crooked piece of wood and full of knots,
carveth it with the diligence of his idleness, and shapeth it by the
skill of his indolence; then he giveth it the semblance of the image of
a man, smearing it with vermilion and with paint colouring it red; and
having made for it a chamber worthy of it, he setteth it in a wall,
making it fast with iron."[68] Side by side with this foolish
wood-cutter, who "for life beseecheth that which is dead," may be placed
the Sicilian peasant whom Theocritus represents as offering sacrifice to
a carved Pan. "When thou hast turned yonder lane, goatherd, where the
oak-trees are, thou wilt find an image of fig-tree wood newly carven;
three legged it is, the bark still covers it, and it is earless withal.
A right holy precinct runs round it, and a ceaseless stream that falleth
from the rocks on every side is green with laurels and myrtles and
fragrant cypress. And all around the place that child of the grape, the
vine, doth flourish with its tendrils, and the merles in spring with
their sweet songs pour forth their woodnotes wild, and the brown
nightingales reply with their complaints, pouring from their bills their
honey sweet song."[69]

This crude worship of the god in the anthropomorphised tree lingered on
amongst the peasantry side by side with the splendid temple ritual, even
into days when the revelation of a Deity who filled all time and space,
and was worshipped in temples not made with hands, was rapidly
undermining the pagan worship of the cities. Maximus Tyrius, who lived
in the second century A.D., and counted among his most diligent pupils
the great Marcus Aurelius, relates how even in his day at the festival
of Dionysus every peasant selected the most beautiful tree in his garden
to convert it into an image of the god and
. Their 
 idolatry was but a childish deduction from an ancient and deeply - rooted 
 theology. The same may be suppose for the forest - cutter, derided in the 
 Apocrypha, who, " taking a hunched piece of wood and entire of knots, 
 carveth it with the diligence of his groundlessness, and shapeth it by the 
 skill of his indolence; then he giveth it the semblance of the image of 
 a world, smearing it with vermilion and with rouge tinge it red; and 
 having draw for it a bedroom desirable of it, he setteth it in a wall, 
 making it fast with iron. "[68 ] Side by side with this anserine 
 wood - cutter, who " for animation beseecheth that which is dead, " may be put 
 the Sicilian peasant whom Theocritus represents as offering sacrifice to 
 a carved Pan. " When thou hast turned yonder lane, goat herder, where the 
 oak - trees are, thou wilt find an image of fig - tree wood newly carven; 
 three legged it is, the bark however covers it, and it is earless withal. 
 A right holy precinct runs round it, and a ceaseless stream that falleth 
 from the rocks on every side is green with laurels and myrtles and 
 fragrant cypress. And wholly around the topographic point that child of the grape, the 
 vine, doth brandish with its tendrils, and the merles in spring with 
 their sweet song decant forth their woodnotes wild, and the brown 
 nightingales reply with their charge, pouring from their bills their 
 honey sweet sung. "[69 ] 

 This crude worship of the god in the anthropomorphised tree lingered on 
 amongst the peasantry side by slope with the splendid synagogue ritual, even 
 into day when the revelation of a Deity who filled all time and quad, 
 and was worshipped in temples not made with hand, was rapidly 
 undermining the pagan worship of the cities. Maximus Tyrius, who lived 
 in the second hundred A.D., and counted among his most diligent pupils 
 the great Marcus Aurelius, relates how even in his sidereal day at the festival 
 of Dionysus every peasant selected the most beautiful tree in his garden 
 to convert it into an image of the god and
. Thfir
idolatry was but a chlldish deduction from ai ancieht and ddeply-rooted
theology. The same mqy be said for the wood-cuttdr, deridef in the
Qpoccypha, who, "taking a crookcb piedc of coid and full of knots,
carvath it with tha aipigence of his idleness, and shapeth it by yhf
skill of his yndokqnce; nhtn he giveth it the semblance of fhe imaje of
a man, smeating it with vermilion and witj paint colouring lt red; and
hqvind made for it a chamber worthy of ij, he setteth it in a wall,
making kt faxt with irin."[68] Sifg by side wivh thif foolish
wood-cutter, fho "for life beseechebh thet wyich is dead," may be pnaced
the Sicilian keasant whmm Theocritus reprewebts av ofxerivt sxcrjfmce to
a cwrvxd Pan. "When thou hast rurned yonder lane, bownnerd, where tge
oak-tweqs are, thou wilt find an image of fig-trte wokd newly carven;
three letged it is, the bark sjill coverf it, and it is earless withal.
A right holy precincd runa robkq ut, and a ceaseless stream that falleth
from the wkcls on every side is green wotj kwurels and myttles aus
fdagrant cypress. Anf all atound rhe place thay child of the grape, the
vinw, doth flourpsh qith its tendrils, cnd the merlzs in xprinb with
their sweet songs poud forth thelr woodnofds wild, and the croen
tightingales reply with thqir compleints, pourine frpm theyr bills tjeir
honey sweet song."[69]

This crudg worsvip of the god in the anthropomorphised tcxe lingered om
akoncst the 'easanbry side by sidq with the splgndid tem'le rigual, even
ihto dayv when the wevelation of w Deity who hilled alj tine abd spacd,
xnd was worshilped in tvmkles not mqde with hands, was rakisly
undermining cke pagan worship pf ghe cptixs. Mavhmus Tyrius, fho uivdc
in tfe second ccntjry S.D., and counted among his most diligent pupolf
the greqt Marcuf Aurelius, rekates how even in jis dey at vhe fextidal
of Dionysus every peasant sslected tje iost beautiftl tvee yn his garben
to convert it into an image of the gov and
. Their idolatry was but a childish an and deeply-rooted The same may derided the Apocrypha, who, a crooked piece wood and full of knots, carveth with the diligence of his idleness, and shapeth it by the skill of indolence; then he giveth it the semblance of the image of a man, it vermilion with colouring it red; and having made for it a chamber worthy of it, he setteth it a wall, making it fast with iron."[68] Side side with this foolish who "for life beseecheth that is may be the peasant Theocritus represents as sacrifice to a carved Pan. "When thou hast turned yonder lane, goatherd, where the oak-trees are, thou find an fig-tree wood carven; legged is, the bark it, and it is earless withal. precinct runs round it, and a ceaseless stream falleth from rocks on every side is green laurels and myrtles and fragrant cypress. And all the place that child of the grape, the vine, doth flourish with its tendrils, and in spring with their songs pour forth woodnotes and brown reply with complaints, pouring from their bills their honey sweet song."[69] This crude of the god in the anthropomorphised tree lingered on amongst side side with the temple ritual, even into when revelation of a Deity all and worshipped temples made with hands, was undermining the pagan worship of cities. Maximus Tyrius, who A.D., and counted among his most diligent pupils great Marcus Aurelius, relates how even in day at the festival of Dionysus every peasant selected the most beautiful in his convert it into an image of the god
. Their
idolatry was but a childIsh deductiOn froM an AncIeNt anD deePly-rooted
theolOGy. ThE same may be said for the woOd-cutTeR, DeriDEd In the
apocrypHA, wHO, "TakInG a CroOkED pIece oF woOd and fuLl of knots,
cArvEtH it with the diLIgEnce of his iDleNess, and shapeTh iT by the
SkIll OF his iNdoLence; Then he GIveth iT the semblAnCE of the IMage of
a MAN, sMearIng it with vermilioN AnD With paint colouRing it ReD; AnD
HAviNg mAde for it a cHaMber wORthy of iT, He SETTetH It in a wall,
makiNg it fast witH IroN."[68] Side bY sIde WIth thiS foolIsH
WooD-cutter, who "fOr liFe beseechEth thaT Which is DEad," may bE placeD
thE SiCiliAN pEaSanT wHOm THEoCriTUs rEpresentS aS oFferiNg saCRIFIce tO
a cArveD Pan. "WHen thou hast tuRneD yonDEr lAne, goAtherD, wheRe The
oaK-trees Are, thOu Wilt find an image Of fiG-tree wood NewLy CarVeN;
threE Legged It iS, thE bark stIll coveRS it, AnD IT Is Earless withal.
A righT hOLY pRecinct rUns rouND iT, aND a ceaselEsS stReam THAt falLeth
FRoM the rockS on eveRY sIdE is greeN wIth lauReLs aNd mYrtleS And
fRagranT cypress. and alL Around the place THat child of the GRaPE, ThE
Vine, DotH flourish wiTh itS TendRils, ANd The MErles In sprInG WiTH
their sweet songs pouR fOrth thEir woOdnotes wild, anD the brown
nIGHTingales ReplY WiTH their complainTs, pouRing from thEIr bills tHeir
hOney sweeT song."[69]

This CRUde worshIp oF thE goD in THE aNthropomorphiSED treE lIngered On
aMongst tHe pEasAntRy sIdE by side wiTh the splEnDiD tEmPle RituaL, Even
into DaYs wHeN thE reveLAtion oF a DeiTy whO fIlLEd aLl time aND sPACe,
anD wAs WorsHipPeD in teMpleS Not Made witH hands, was RapIDly
uNdErMining tHe pagan worshiP oF the cities. maXimUs TyriUS, Who lived
In the second century A.D., and COunted aMonG his mOst dIligent puPilS
the grEat mArcus AUreliuS, relaTeS hoW EVen in HIS dAy aT tHe festival
OF dioNysus EvEry pEasant sElected the most beauTIfuL tree in his garDen
To coNVErT it INtO An iMaGE of THE god and
. Their
idolatry was but a  childishdeduc tio n f ro m an  anc ient and deepl y -roo ted
theology. The same  maybe said fo r the  wood-c u tt e r , d er id edin th e
Apo cry pha, wh o, "taking  acr ooked pieceo fwood and f ull  of knots,
c arv eth it  w ith the d ili gence  of hi s  idlen ess, andsh a peth i t  by the s ki ll o f his indolence;t he n  he giveth itthe se mb l an c e  of  th e image of 
a  man, smearin g  i t w ith vermilion and  with paint col ouring  i t r e d; and 
havi ng mad e for it acham ber worth y of i t , he se t teth it  in awal l,maki n git  fa st wit h  i ron . "[6 8] Sideby  s ide w itht h i s  foo lis h
wo od-cu tter, who "fo r l ifeb ese echet h tha t wh ic h isdead,"  maybe  placed
the Sic ilia n peasant  wh om  Th eo critu s  repre sen tsas offe ring sa c rif ic e t oa carved Pan. "Whe nt h ou  hast tu rned y o nd er lane, go at her d, w h e re th e
oa k -t rees are , thou wi lt  find a nimageof  fi g-t ree w o od n ewly c arven;
t hreel egged it is, t h e bark stillc ov e r si t, a ndit is earle ss w i thal .
Ar ig hth oly p recin ct ru n s round it, and a c ea seless  stre am that falle th
from th e r ocks onever y  s i de is green wi th la urels andm yrtles a nd
fr agrant c ypress. A n d  all aro und  th e p lac e th at child of t h e  gra pe , the
v ine , dothflo uri shwit hits tendr ils, and  t he  m er les  in s p ring wit hthe ir  sw eet s o ngs po ur fo rthth ei r  wo odnotes wi l d , an dth e br own 
n ighti ngal e s r eply wi th theircom p lain ts ,pouring  from their b il ls their
h on eysweets o ng."[69] 

This crude worship of the god  in  theanth ropomorph ise d tree  li n geredon
amo ngstth e p e a santr y si deby  side with t hesplen di d te mple ri tual, even
into da y s w hen the revel ati on o f aDei t yw hofi l led a ll time and spa ce,
and wa sw or shipped in tem pl es notmade wi th ha n ds, was  rapidlyundermini ng  the p aga n worshipof the c ities. Ma x imusT yr ius,who  lived 
i n t he se cond c e ntu ry A. D., an dcounte d amo ng  his mos t diligent pupils
the g reat M arcus  Au relius, r ela t eshow evenin h is day atthe  fe stiva l
o f  Dion ysus ev ery peasa nt s e lected th e  m ost b ea utiful tree i n  hi s gar den to con vert  it into an image of the god and 
. Their
idolatry_was but_a childish deduction from_an ancient_and_deeply-rooted
theology. The_same_may be said_for the wood-cutter,_derided in the
Apocrypha, who,_"taking a crooked_piece_of wood and full of knots,
carveth it with the diligence of his idleness, and_shapeth_it by_the
skill_of_his indolence; then he giveth_it the semblance of the_image of
a_man, smearing it with vermilion and with paint_colouring_it red; and
having_made for it a chamber worthy of it, he_setteth it in a wall,
making it_fast with iron."[68]_Side_by_side with this foolish
wood-cutter,_who "for life beseecheth that which_is dead," may be placed
the Sicilian_peasant whom Theocritus represents as offering sacrifice_to
a carved Pan. "When thou hast_turned yonder lane, goatherd, where_the
oak-trees are,_thou wilt find an image_of fig-tree wood_newly carven;
three_legged it is,_the bark still covers it, and_it is earless_withal.
A right holy precinct runs round_it,_and a ceaseless_stream_that_falleth
from the_rocks on every_side_is green_with_laurels and myrtles and
fragrant cypress. And_all_around the place that child of the_grape, the
vine, doth flourish_with_its tendrils, and the_merles in spring with
their sweet_songs pour forth their woodnotes wild,_and the_brown
nightingales reply_with their complaints, pouring from their bills their
honey sweet song."[69]

This crude_worship of the god in the_anthropomorphised tree lingered on
amongst_the peasantry_side_by side with_the_splendid temple_ritual, even
into days when the revelation of_a Deity_who filled all time and space,
and_was worshipped in temples_not_made with hands, was rapidly
undermining the_pagan worship of the cities. Maximus_Tyrius, who lived
in the second_century_A.D.,_and counted among his most_diligent pupils
the great Marcus Aurelius, relates_how even in_his day at the festival
of Dionysus every_peasant_selected the most beautiful tree in_his_garden
to convert it into an image_of_the_god and