baetyl

[ beet-l ]

noun

, Classical Antiquity.

1. a meteorite or stone held sacred or believed to be of divine origin.

Other Words From

• bae·tyl·ic [bee-, til, -ik], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of baetyl¹

1850–55; < Latin baetulus < Greek baítȳlos meteoric stone

Example Sentences

This pillar can hardly be anything but a baetyl, or sacred stone.

From Project Gutenberg

At the foot of one of the trilithons was found a baetyl 51 inches in height, now in the museum at Valletta.

From Project Gutenberg

This latter was an aneiconic worship developed out of the cult of the dead; in it the deity or hero was represented by a baetyl, i.e. a tree or pillar sometimes standing free, sometimes placed in a 'dolmen-like' cell or shrine, in which latter case the pillar often served to support the roof of the shrine.

From Project Gutenberg

If the pillar which supports the slab is, like the free-standing pillars, a baetyl, the slab is probably a mere roof to cover and protect it; if not, the slab is almost certainly a table.

From Project Gutenberg

It has been suggested that this pit was made to hold the base of the cult-object, whether it was a baetyl or an idol.

From Project Gutenberg