The Oriental Religions in Roman Paganism [1911] - Get a Free Blog

102 THE ORIENTAL RELIGIONS.
refreshed by the breezes of the north wind.89 Even
at Rome the adherents of the Alexandrian gods fre
quently inscribed the following
wish on their tombs:
"May Osiris give you fresh water." 90 Soon this water
became, in a figurative sense, the fountain of life pour
ing out immortality to thirsting souls. The metaphor
obtained such popularity that in Latin rcfrigerium be
came synonymous with comfort and happiness. The
term retained this meaning in the liturgy of the
church, 91 and for that reason people continue to pray
for spiritual rafraichissement of the dead although the
Christian paradise has very little resemblance to the
fields of Aalu.