¹ It has been said that Bī-sitūn is a corruption of the “Bāghistān” of Diodorus Siculus, but is it not more likely to be a synonym thereof? For Bāghistān can mean Heaven, and this is the meaning of Bī-sitūn also, without pillars, the firmament, Heaven. Orientals regard it as one of the marvels of creation that the sky does not fall, thougli destitute of pillars, and we find the same idea in a letter of Martin Luther's where he says (Köstlin, 's Life, ii, 234)Google Scholar that he has lately seen two marvels, one of them being that Heaven has no pillars, yet does not fall down.