Cause of Idolatry.

Everywhere, these festivals belonged to religion, and the priests announced them constantly. Before the invention of torches and portable lights, people must have observed the new moon with great interest. This celestial body was a comfort to northern nations German: mitternächtlichen, literally "midnight nations," a historical term for the North, who had to do without the sun's beneficial rays for so long; to the inhabitants of burning southern regions German: mittäglichen, literally "midday nations," a term for the South, it provided the opportunity to use the cool of the night to continue their journeys and labors.

The beginning of the religious change in the year 2017, and its completion in the year 2503.

The change of the original religion occurred, as I mentioned in Section 1, § 4, in the year 2017 of the world German: d. W., abbreviation for der Welt (Anno Mundi), dating from the creation of the world and reached its completion in the year 2503. Yet for several centuries, there were neither temples nor regular sacrificial altars, because it is certain that temples and altars were only built in Egypt and Central Asia several centuries after the Great Flood German: Sündfluth, referring to the biblical Deluge. Religious service took place under the open sky; in dark places, beneath leafy trees, altars made of sod were erected; they were wreathed with the first flowers that spring German: Lenz, an archaic and poetic term for the spring season had brought forth from the maternal womb of the earth; they were covered with the first fruits that ripened in autumn—all as an offering for their chosen deities.

Temples are found in Egypt during the time of Joseph.

In the time of Joseph, one finds in Egypt the temple designated for sun worship in the city of Heliopolis, which is called the city of On in the Bible in the first book of Moses Genesis, chapter 41, verse 45, and was presumably [built] by Menes or his