Sun-Worship
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia [1]
sun´wûr - ship : The splendor of the sun makes it a natural object of adoration, once the purer idea of the one true God ( Romans 1:20 , Romans 1:21 ) is parted with, and in most ancient nations the worship of the sun was an outstanding feature. It is found in Babylonian and Assyrian ( Šamaš ; special seats of sun-worship were Sippara and Larsa); in Egypt it is a leading feature of the religion (Ra, and, under special phases, Horus, Tum, Aten; a special seat of sun-worship was Heliopollis, the Old Testament On, called in Jeremiah 43:13 Beth-shemesh, "house of the sun"). Other cities bore the same name: Beth-shemesh ( Joshua 15:10 = Ir-shemesh; Joshua 19:41 , in Judah; Joshua 19:22 , in Issachar; Joshua 19:38 , in Naphtali; see Beth-Shemesh ). Allusions to, and warnings against, sun-worship are frequent in the Old Testament, as in Leviticus 26:30; 2 Chronicles 14:5; 2 Chronicles 34:4 , 2 Chronicles 34:7; Isaiah 17:8; Isaiah 27:9; Ezekiel 6:4 , Ezekiel 6:6 , in which passages for the King James Version "images," "idols," the Revised Version (British and American) has "sun-images" (which see); Job 31:26 , Job 31:27 and numerous passages show that this form of idolatry latterly penetrated deeply into Judah - even into its temple-worship ( 2 Kings 23:5 , 2 Kings 23:11 , "horses ... given to the sun" (see under Horses Of The Sun , _ "Chariots of the Sun"); and Ezekiel 8:16 ). Josiah's reformation took account of these abuses ( 2 Kings 23:5 , 2 Kings 23:11 ff; 2 Chronicles 34:4 , 2 Chronicles 34:7 ), and Ezekiel strenuously denounced them ( Ezekiel 8:16 ff).
The Nuttall Encyclopedia [2]
The worship of the sun is conceived of as an impersonation of the deity, that originated among races so far advanced in civilisation as to recognise what they owed to its benignant influence, in particular as tillers of the soil, and, is associated with advance as the worship of Bacchus was, which could not originate prior to cultivation of the vine.
