Inthetimeofignorance，theArabs，liketheJewsandEgyptians，abstainedfromthetasteofswine\'sflesh；^53theycircumcised^54theirchildrenattheageofpuberty:thesamecustoms，withoutthecensureorthepreceptoftheKoran，havebeensilentlytransmittedtotheirposterityandproselytes。Ithasbeensagaciouslyconjectured，thattheartfullegislatorindulgedthestubbornprejudicesofhiscountrymen。Itismoresimpletobelievethatheadheredtothehabitsandopinionsofhisyouth，withoutforeseeingthatapracticecongenialtotheclimateofMeccamightbecomeuselessorinconvenientonthebanksoftheDanubeortheVolga。
[Footnote44:WhatevercannowbeknownoftheidolatryoftheancientArabiansmaybefoundinPocock，Specimen，p。89—136，163，164。HisprofounderuditionismoreclearlyandconciselyinterpretedbySale，PreliminaryDiscourse，p。14—24；andAssemanniBibliot。Orienttom。iv。p。580—590hasaddedsomevaluableremarks。]
[Footnote45:Diodor。Sicul。tom。i。l。iii。p。211。Thecharacterandpositionaresocorrectlyapposite，thatIamsurprisedhowthiscuriouspassageshouldhavebeenreadwithoutnoticeorapplication。YetthisfamoustemplehadbeenoverlookedbyAgatharcides，deMariRubro，p。58，inHudson，tom。i。，whomDiodoruscopiesintherestofthedescription。WastheSicilianmoreknowingthantheEgyptian?OrwastheCaababuiltbetweentheyearsofRome650and746，thedatesoftheirrespectivehistories?Dodwell，inDissert。adtom。i。Hudson，p。72。
Fabricius，Bibliot。Graec。tom。ii。p。770。
Note:Mr。ForsterGeographyofArabia，vol。ii。p。118，etseq。hasraisedanobjection，asIthink，fataltothishypothesisofGibbon。Thetemple，situatedinthecountryoftheBanizomeneis，wasnotbetweentheThamuditesandtheSabaeans，buthigherupthanthecoastinhabitedbytheformer。Mr。