βας της νόμος, και μητροπολις Βεβαζος Ηλιοπολίτης νομος, και μητροπολις Ηλιοπολις. The first of thefe Phacufa, called by Strabo Phaccufa, but mentioned only as a village, was the province at whofe fummit the Nile was first divided, where ftood the city Cercafora. Many writers, mifled by it's being called the Arabian nome, have fuppofed it to be fituated in that country: but I have fhewn that it could not be fo. Besides, what may seem a paradox, this very circumftance of it's being called the Arabian nome proves it. The author of the Itinerary mentions many places of upper Egypt, that were in Arabia and Ptolemy speaks of several nomes above Delta, to the number of nineteen or twenty, one half of which (at least a great number) were to the east of the Nile, and in Arabia. Among others Aphroditopolis, Antinoopolis, Panopolis were certainly there. If Phacufa had been in that part of the world, they could never have called it the Arabian province by way of distinction; when there were so many others that were in the fame fituation. The title conferred upon it would not have been adequate to the end propofed: and what would have been given by way of eminence to particularize, must have proved matter of doubt and confufion. The title therefore was conferred for another reafon; as I fhall hereafter fhew. Ptolemy has taken care to guard us against this mistake; by distinguishing between the province termed Arabian, and the places that were really in that country: Agabias The nome called Arabian was νομός, και μητροπολις Φακεσα. Phacufa; but the places really fituated upon the borders of that part of the world were Babylon, Heliopolis, Heroum : εν μεθοριῳ Αραβίας και Αφροδιτοπολεως, Βαβυλων, Ἡλιεπολις, Ηρωων Toλis. From hence we gain this additional evidence, that there were two cities of Egypt called Heliopolis; which is a circumftance that has never been attended to by any one hiftorian antient or modern, and has been the caufe of very great confufion. The first of thefe was a city of lower

2

Egypt,

Egypt, that gave name to a province; the fame that is so particularly mentioned by Herodotus. The other was a city to

the east of the Nile in Arabia; whose situation is thus described in the Itinerary, agreeable to what is above faid by 7Ptolemy;

Aphrodito
Scenas Mandras

Babylon

Heliu

M. P. XX.

M. P. XII.

M. P. XII.

Neither the last city nor Babylon are mentioned by Herodotus; for they did not exist in his time: but the other Heliopolis, the more ancient and famous, he gives an ample description of, as we have seen above. It is mentioned too by Diodorus Siculus and Jofephus; but by neither of them accurately: for they make one account of two places, and confound them together. Though some of these writers had been in Egypt, yet is certain that they did not know that there were two cities of the fame name; for not one of them, except Ptolemy, makes any distinction. They are always confused when they speak of this part of the world; and the circumstances of both places are referred to one only, Strabo is in fome degree plain and intelligible: for, having mentioned the town of Phacufa, and the great canal that began immediately from it,

Extra

7 Hence Cellarius is certainly to blame for placing these three provinces in the deferts of Arabia; and for founding his opinion upon the evidence of Ptolemy, which he did not fufficiently attend to. Delta, Arabiam verfus, Ptolemæus tres nomos pofuit. Primum dicit Arabiæ nomon, cujus metropolim Phacufam facit, Bubaftico flumini adpofitum : fecundum Bubafticum nomon, cujus urbs eft Bubaftus feu Bubaftis ad idem flumen fita, cui nomen dat: tertium Heliopolitanum nomon. There is a miftake in the firft pofition; for Ptolemy does not place these nomes, nor any nomes in Arabia. He befides mentions but one Arabian nome; though I think Heliopolis may likewise be esteemed fuch: not on account of it's fituation, but for another reason that I fhall hereafter mention. All that Ptolemny fays is this; Αραβίας νόμος, και μητροπολις Φακέσα: Βεβας της νόμος, και μητροπολις Βεβατος Ηλιοπολίτης νομος, και μητροπολις Ηλιοπολις. Εν μεθοριῳ Αραβίας και Αφροδιτοπολεως, Βαβυλων, Ἡλιοπου λις, Ηρωων πολις. Phacufa is by many writers included in Heliopolis, fo that one province is conftituted out of two.

it, he fays, Thefe places are towards the top of Delta: there "is likewife Bubaftus and it's nome, and likewife Heliopolis « above. &c. 8 Ουτοι δ ̓ ὁι τοποι πλησιάζεσι τη κορυφῃ τε Δελτα αυτε δε και ἡ Βεβαςος πολις, και ὁ Βεβαςιτης νομος, και ύπερ αυτων ὁ Ἡλιοπολίτης νομος. Ενταυθα δ' εςιν ἡ τε Ήλια πολις. His Epitomifer fays the fame-περι την αρχην τε Δελτα εσιν ή τε βέβαιος πολις, και Μέμφις, και Ἡλιεπολις. In refpe&t to this antient city, Herodotus always fpeaks of it as lying in a line, as you pass from the fea upwards to Thebes and fuperiour Egypt. He makes use of it as a landmark to be directed by in going up the Nile; as an intermediate point to measure from, in stating the length of the country.

Ενθευτεν μεν [απο θαλασσης] και μεχρι Ἡλιεπολις

L. 2.7.

L. 2.7.

L. 2.7.

L. 2.8.

απο δε Ηλιοπολιος ες Θήβας εςι αναπλους εννέα ημερεων L. 2.9. How can these references be in the least applicable to a place in Arabia, beyond the limits of Egypt, in quite a different direction? They certainly relate to an interamnian city, that lay in the path marked out; as the antient Heliopolis did, the city we have been treating of. The other Heliopolis was unknown to Herodotus; and was fituated quite out of the line of direction, lying to the east of the Nile and all its branches: fo that it could not be paffed by in going up or down the river; nor be any ways referred to, as the other city is referred to.

These uncertainties in the ancient geography have misled the moderns very much: who have neglected their evidence in points where they are universally agreed; and too often copy them, where they differ from one another, and are at variance with themselves. Such has been the obfcurity, that has hitherto attended the hiftory of three of the principal Egyptian provinces, of which Heliopolis was particularly remarkable.

8 Vol. 2. pag. 1158.

P

Here

Here was the city On, so famous for it's temple and religious rites; whose inhabitants are reported to have been twv Arγυπτιων λογιωτατοι, "the wifeft of the Egyptians." The temple is faid to have been very magnificent: and it's original name was Ain Shems or Shemesh, the fountain of the fun: from whence the whole province received it's name, being called at different periods 9 Ain, Aven, and On. Bubaftus was to the east of this, and likewife a noted province; separated from the former by the great Sebennytic branch; and from Arabia by the Pelufiac. It was, like Heliopolis, renowned for it's temple: which is represented as a magnificent structure; and was dedicated to the goddess Beheh or Befhet, the Agreμis argia or Diana Agreftis, as interpreted by the Greeks and Romans. This nome and the chief city of it are the Phibefeth of the Scriptures: and they are often mentioned in conjunction with On or Heliopolis, which was next in fituation. The prophet Ezekiel, in his denunciation of God's vengeance upon the land of Egypt, mentions them as joined together in situation, and partners in calamity. "The young men of Aven and of Phibefeth fhall fall by the fword: and these cities shall go in"to captivity." Which two places are by the Seventy very properly tranflated Heliopolis and Bubaftis,

There may not poffibly at first fight appear any great fimilitude between Phibefeth and Bubaftus: but they were undoubtedly one and the same place; as may be proved from their situation, and many other circumstances. It is to be observed that the mouth or opening of a river or canal was called by the Hebrews 'D, Pi or Phi. Hence, Phi Haaroth,

be

9 Thus faith the Lord of hosts, the God of Ifrael; Behold, I will fend and take Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon my fervant.-And when he cometh, he shall fmite the land of Egypt.-He shall break alfo the images of Beth-fhemesh, that is in the land of Egypt; and the houses of the gods of the Egyptians fhall he burn with fire. Jeremiah 43. v. 10, 11-13.

1 Chap. 30. v. 17.

2 Exod. 14. v. 2.

before which the children of Ifrael encamped is by the Seventy translated xaтα soμa Eigwe, "overagainst the mouth nata "of Haaroth or Hiroth;" or overagainst the opening of 3 Haaroth. The Egyptians seem to have used it in the same acceptation for the mouth of a canal: and it often occurs for the canal itself, or branch of a river. Thus Pithom was properly the canal of Thom: Phi Nepthim the canal of Nepthim. This was one of the tribes of the Mizraim, that settled upon the fea coaft in the lower part of Egypt, to the west: the fame that are mentioned in Genefis; 4" And Mizraim begat “Ludim, and Anamim, and Lehabim, and Naphtuhim.” In these two instances the word is exactly conformable to the 5 Hebrew pronunciation: but it seems in general to have been pronounced with a B instead of the letter P; which letters are in most languages convertible, and often substituted one for another. Hence the Bifehor was the canal of the Sehor or Nile proper, which the Greeks called Bufiris: Bicalig was the mouth of the calig or canal, which they termed Bucolicum: and Bi Beseth the river of Befeth, the Phibefeth of the Scriptures, changed by the Greeks to Bibefitus, and contracted Bubaftus. Sometimes it was fubjoined to the name of the place that was spoken of; as Cnoufbi or Canoufbi, the canal or mouth of the Cnouf; which the Greeks changed to Canoubicum: Athribis, or, as Stephanus reads it, Atharrhabis, the mouth or canal of Athrib. Nor was this manner of denominating cities from the rivers and canals they stood on peculiar to Egypt only,

3 Than the Lorde spake unto Mofes fayinge: bid the children of Ifrael, that they turn and pitch their tents before the entrynge of Hiroth. Tindall's translation of the Pentateuch. 1530.

4 Gen. 10. V. 13.

s Phatnicum feems to be Phitanicum, the mouth of the river Tanis. 6 The Greeks changed it to Bo and Bou. The Borysthenes feems to be Bo Rutben, the mouth of the river Ruthen; called fo from the Rutbeni. Bithynia is of the fame compofition: Thyna merce-Horace. Lib.3. Od.7. which is further explained by a paffage in Claudian: Thyni Thraces erant, quæ nunc Bithynia fertur. In Eutrop. Lib. 2. v. 247.