the act of devoting anything to sacred uses. The Mosaic law ordained, that all the first-born both of man and beast should be consecrated to God. We find also that Joshua consecrated the Gibeonites, as Solomon and David did the Nethinims, to the service of the temple; and that the Hebrews sometimes consecrated their fields and cattle to the Lord, after which they were no longer in their own power.

In England, churches have always been consecrated with particular ceremonies, the form of which is left in a great measure to the discretion of the bishop.

Consecration is also used for the benediction of the elements in the eucharist.

the ancient ceremony of the apotheosis of an emperor, is thus represented on medals:—On one side is the emperor's head, crowned with laurel, sometimes veiled, while the inscription gives him the title of divus; on the reverse is a temple, a bustum, an altar, or an eagle taking its flight towards heaven, either from off the altar, or from a cippus. In others the emperor is borne up in the air by the eagle. The inscription is always consecratio. These are the usual symbols; yet on the reverse of that of Antoninus is the Antonine column. In the apotheosis of empresses, instead of an eagle there is a peacock. The honours rendered to these princes after death were explained by the words consecratio, pater, divus, and dea. Sometimes around the temple or altar are put the words memoria felix, or memoriae aeternae; and for princesses, aeternitas, and sideribus recepta; whilst on the one side of the head is dea, or dea.