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the battle of conflicting faiths, the falls, fumblings and rebuffs which Christianity had to bear in its combat against Mithraism. Translations from the books of Apostles and utterances of Gautama are given side by side to suggest the remarkable agreement of sentiments. It is a profoundly interesting book— illuminating, elevating and thought-provoking.’^— The Servant (Oct. 24, 1924.) 14. The Orig^in of the Cross Contents : Sex-Worship in Egypt, Assyria, Phoenicia, Syria, Armenia, Persia, Greece, Italy, India, among the Jews, Druids, Cabbalists and Gnostics, Serpent, Bull, Goats, Tortoise, Dove, Tree, River, Stone and the Breast-Worship as sex-symbols. The Origin of the Cross from the sex-symbols. 206 pages. Rs 3. “There have been many books published of late years on the subject of Phallic Worship. The result of these has been that men have developed a growing sense of the fact that the worship of the generative organs, as simbolizing the creative power in Nature, was a rudimentary feature in all the ancient religions, and still lingers' in some of the symbols and practices of Christianity as it is seen to-day. ‘The writer of the present works deals fully with the subject of Sex-Worship, taking as a title of his book, “The Origin of the Cross.” He divides his undertaking into seventeen chapters, every one of which bears an attractive designation. In nine chapters he gives this history of the primitive worship in the best known countries of the world, and also aniong such • people as the Druids, Kabbalists and Gnostics. “In the remaining chapters he considers fully the various objects and creatures which were looked upon as sex-symbols among the ancients, and which still allow of the same interpre¬ tation even at the present time. Among these living creatures were the serpent, the tortoise, goat, bull and dove ; and among inanimate objects, the tree, river; stones and other objects which became conspicuous in the symbolizing of the sex idea. This treatment of the subject by the author leads him up to his important conclusion that the Cross of Christianity took its rise in the Phallic conception of what was most worshipful in the economy of ^Nature, and how best to express it in a con¬ venient form, a-s a symbol of a great truth. “This book of 2c6 pages is, in some respects, the most satisfactory work on the subject that we have met with in a Works By Chandra Chakraberty 15 long time. Coming from India, and by a writer who shows every evidence of being perfectly familiar with his subject— familiar as one who saw daily the worship mentioned performed before his very eyes—the work can be thoroughly relied on as being a true exposition in every respect. “Among the countries and the nations he treats, we would name Egypt, Phcenicia, Persia, Greece, Italy, India, and the people called the jews. His chapter on the “Sex-Worship among the Jews” is one of the most interesting and instructive to be found in this very useful volume. Too little is known of the history of the Jews by persons who esteemed themselves as educated. And when it comes to a question of the Jewish religion, the general ignorance is so striking, that it amounts to little more than the popular knowledge of the Shinto religion, with the secret ceremonies of which, the Crown Prince of Japan was recently married. “Jehovah was a tribal divinity, “a jealous deity who wanted the monopoly of all the sacrifices made by the Jews. But the Jews, finding the worship of other deities, as Astarte, Baal, IMoloch, more interesting and enjoyable, often preferred them to Jehovah ; and Jehovah would swear and curse, and brag of his own prowess. The history of Judaism is nothing but a continual struggle for supremacy between Jehovah, Baal, Astarte and Moloch. There wa^ no question of monothestic principles or doctrines involved—but one Phallic god was trying to oust other T ti all^ gods, who were encroaching upon his own fovorite territory.’^ “Speaking of the Bible our author says : “There is neither idealism in that vast literature, nor poetry, execept in Solo- mon^s song, which is entirely erotic. But let us be to the point, so as to find out the Phallic symbolism of Jehovah and the’ nature of Sex-Worship in which the Jews indulged.” He then goes on :o quote at considerable length some of the numerous texts in the Old Testament which unquestionably exhibit Jehovah as a Phallic divinity, and original Judaism as a sexual type of worship. “Want of space forbids a more extended review of this excellent manual on the philosophy of sex as applied to the so-called religious instinct. As a work dealing with religion, it is so intensely interesting that one will desire to read it through without a single break. It is illuminating on every page. It is plain of speech without morbidity of thought. All the facts are given in a clear and attractive way ; and it seems to us that the 16 Susputa Sangha : 177, Raja Dinendra Street, Calcutta, author has left nothing unsaid that would illustrate the truth that in Phallicism, or Sex-Worship, as it was later called, are to be found the seeds of the spirit of adoration which in recent years developed into the religion of the Synagogue, the Church and the Mosque “This is a book of permanent value, and should be read by every Freethinker.”— The Truth Seeker, New York (March 8, 1924). “The students of Mythology and believers in the common origin of the various myths will find ample food for thought in the present volume. The author has taken pains to collect the material before him. He has succeeded in tracing Sex-Worship in Egypt, Assyria, Syria, Persia, Greece, Italy and India with a view to show parallels of thought in various countries. He has also attempted to trace the origin of the sex-symbols and find the origin of the Cross to be present in these symbols.”— The Vedic Magfazine (Sept. 1924). 51 TW, (minerals), (vita- mines) 'srfm cat? ■sft'ii I i’i I I (Bengal Fevers). ^T^- (Tuberculisis). b-o ^ ( ) I K 1 (General and Personal Hygiene). ^ I Vb* \ I ::b" I (Infectious Diseases). ^S\ - — \ I • (Diseases of Childhood). | ^ Susruta Sangha PUBLlS^^ERS OF SCIENTIFIC AND MEDICAL BOOKS, ^77^ Rtija Dineiidra Street. Calcutta* - ^.Surja^l^ress, ,'33 Goaflfribari Lane Calcutta. BINDING SECT. AUG 1 2 1974 R Chakraberty, Chandra 135 jbi interpretation of C43 ancient Hindu nedicine Biological & Medical PLEASE DO NOT REMOVE CARDS OR SLIPS FROM THIS POCKET UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO LIBRARY