of Phaccufa and Phithom, he fays; 2 ουτοι δ ̓ οι τοποι πλησιάζεσι τη κορυφή τα Δελτα αυτά δε και ἡ Βέβαςος πολις, καὶ ὁ Βεβας της νομος και ύπερ αυτων ὁ Ηλιοπολιτης νομος. Ενταύθα δ' εσιν ἡ τε Ήλια πολις. "Thefe places (the towns of Phaccufa and Phi"thom) are fituated not far from the vertex of Delta: there "too (towards that vertex) is the city of Bubaftus with it's nome, and above them the nome of Heliopolis, with the city of the fun." After this he gives a very ample decity, and it's fuperb temple; and then

fcription of the laft

concludes; εντευθεν δη ὁ Νειλος εςιν ὁ ὑπερ τε Δελτα, you come "now to the river above Delta." Thus far it is plain: but afterwards, every circumftance is perplexed and contradictory; fo that there is no interpreting what he fays with any confiftency. 3. Εντευθεν δη ὁ Νείλος εςιν ὁ ὑπερ τε Δελτα τέτε δη του μεν δεξια καλεσι Λιβυην αναπλέοντι ώσπερ και τα περι Αλεξαν δρειαν, και την Μαρεωτιν' τα δ' εν αριστερα Αραβίαν. Η μεν εν Ηλιο πολιτις εν τη Αραβία εςιν, εν δε τη Λιβύη Κερκέσουρα πολις, κατα τας Ευδοξε κείμενη σκοπας· δεικνυται γαρ σκοπη τις προ της Ηλια πολεως» καθαπερ και προ της Κνιδε, καθ' ήν εσημείωτα εκείνος των ερανίων τινας κινήσεις. Ὁ δὲ Ὁ δε νομος Λιτοπολιτης ουτος. The meaning is this: "After Heliopolis you come to the Nile above Delta: and as you pafs up the river, the right hand fide is called Libya ; just as all the country is about Alexandria and Mareotis: « but the left hand fide is efteemed Arabia. The nome of Heliopolis is therefore in Arabia: and the city Cercefoura is "in Libya, lying near the obfervatory of Eudoxus. For they

shew you an observatory just before the city Heliopolis, fi"tuated like that at Cnidus: which obfervatory Eudoxus, when "in Egypt, made ufe of to contemplate the celestial mo"tions. This is the nome called Litopolites." Here is a fad confused scene. We are informed that above Delta on the right hand of the Nile was Libya, on the left hand was Arabias

Arabia; in which last was fituated Heliopolis and it's nome; as Cercefoura on the other fide was in Libya. The author marks out the fituation of Cercefoura, by faying it was near the observatory of Eudoxus: which obfervatory stood before Heliopolis, the city of the fun, and in the nome of Litopolis. Here is a city in Libya defcribed by an object in Arabia; which could not well determine it, as it lay at a distance, though represented and applied to as near: and this object is said to stand before Heliopolis, the capital of a very considerable nome: and yet the author concludes that this is the nome of Litopolis: which is abfurd and impoffible; for no such nome existed. This paffage has been corrected by some unskilful hand; and the order of things has been inverted. A change of place in two words, and a very flight alteration in one of them will reduce every thing to it's original state, and clear up all this perplexity. The names Heliopolites and Latopolites, being pretty much alike, have been transposed; and fhould be made to change place again. But ftill there will remain this difficulty, that no fuch nome as 4Litopolites was ever heard of. Befides, what is the meaning of y Aitowoλitng? it is neither fenfe nor grammar; no more than 'HowλITIS was before. The paffage is ftill depraved: but this feminine article, that is here retained, will lead us to the true reading as it was originally, which was 5 Airowols. The text then will

n

4 There was νομος Λητοπολίτης towards the lower part of Delta to the weft, called fo from Anrus woλis, the city of Latona: but that was quite a different place from this. And there was Aarowokis high up in Thebäis, likewife far removed from this city.

5 Η μεν εν Ηλιοπολιτις: it fhould have been : Ηλιοπολιτης, if Heliopolis had been here meant: but the corrector, who changed the text from Litopolis, did not know that the nome was masculine, though the city had been feminine: nor, though it was Airowoks with a fingle letter, yet it was 'Haws with a dipthong: he therefore left these remains of the original reading, which in fome measure lead us to the truth and confirm it. Out of ἡ λιτόπολις they formed Ηλιοπολις and Ηλιοπολιτης. Cafaubon, in a short note upon this paffage, would have the place called Latopolis, ac

cording

will fand thus : τα μεν δεξια καλεσι Λιβύην -τα δ' εν αριστερα Αρα βιαν' ἡ μεν εν Λιτοπολις εν τη Αραβία εςιν, εν δε τη Λιβύη Κερκέσερα πολις κατα τας Ευδοξε κειμενη σκοπας· δείκνυται γαρ σκοπη τις προ της Ήλια πολεως, καθαπερ και προ της Κνιδε, καθ ̓ ἣν εσημείωτο εκεί νος των κρανιων τινας κινησεις· ὁ δε νομος Ηλιοπολιτης δυτος. On the right hand of the Nile is Libya, as you fail up; on the left "Arabia. Therefore the city Litopolis must be esteemed in "Arabia; as Cercefoura, a place on the other fide, is adjudged "to Libya. Cercefoura ftands near the observatory of Eudoxus: " for they fhew you in the front of Heliopolis an observatory " &c, that Eudoxus made ufe of. Here then is the nome of Heliopolis:" between which city and Cercefoura this edifice ftood. By this fmall change every thing becomes clear and intelligible: fo that Strabo's account agrees with that of Herodotus, which it illustrates; and he is no longer at variance with himfelf.

cording to Ptolemy. But the city, which he speaks of, was not fituated here, but, as I have above mentioned, in the Thebäis. Whatever this city was called, it was a tranflation of the Egyptian name, which was taken from the nature and fituation of the place near the quarries. Latopolis, if it was fo called, was named from the Latomia, quafi λατομων πολις, from λας, lapis: and Litopolis, which is the fame as Λιθόπολις, is of the like original. It must be owned that Stephanus Byzant. calls this city urbs Latone: Λητούς πολις, πόλις Αιγυπτο εςι δε μοιρα Μεμφιδος : but he is certainly mistaken. It was Litopolis, that was in this province. Strabo's authority must be valid: he was an eye-witness of what he fpeaks of; and feems to have been very inquifitive and exact. Harpocration mentions the fame place by the name of Litepolis: which is ftill a mistake for Litopolis, but nearer to the reading in Strabo.

OF THE

TEMPLE OF ONIAS,

CALLED

HELIOPOLIS.

In

T is very manifest from what I have faid, that not only the Tome by Phatufa and Bubalus were w; that the only the Delta; but that Heliopolis, which is fo generally referred to Arabia, was really a mediterranean city. Hence it is wonderful that so many learned men have determined it another way who fell into this mistake by not observing, that there were two cities of the fame name: the one as Pliny terms it, interior; intus, et Arabia conterminum, claritatis magnæ, Solis oppidum; the other without, of lefs note, really fituated in Arabia, and modern in comparison with the former. It lay to the east of the Nile, and to the north of the Fossa Regia; at the distance of XII M.P. from Babylon, and XXIV from Memphis. Hence Harduin is unjust in his animadversion on Stephanus Byzantinus: for there were two cities of this name, though different from what Stephanus fuppofes. It is mentioned by several writers under the name of Heliopolis: but it's true name was Onium; which it received from Onias the fon

1 Nat. Hift. Lib. 5. Cap. 9.

of

2 Hinc Stepbani error duas effe Heliopoles exiftimantis. Not. in Plin. Lib. 5. Cap. 9.

of Onias a Jew, who built it. The general history of this affair is attended with some mistakes. It is 3 faid that Onias, having fled from his own country, had a great inclination to build a temple in Egypt in imitation of that at Jerufalem; or rather in oppofition to it. In effecting this he found much difficulty: and, before he could gain the affent and affistance of his brethren in that part of the world, he was forced to have recourse to a prophecy, which he pretended was originally uttered in favour of his scheme. 4" In that day shall "five cities in the land of Egypt speak the language of Ca" naan, and fwear to the Lord of hosts: one shall be called, the city of destruction. In that day fhall there be an altar "to the Lord in the midft of the land of Egypt, and a pillar at the border thereof to the Lord." The learned 5 Scaliger has a very ingenious conjecture, that Onias was led to the choice of this prefecture of Heliopolis for erecting his temple by this prophecy: but at the fame time making ufe of an alteration, that rendered it more in his favour. Instead of * Air baberes yeamer leachath, "one fhall be called the city of "deftruction;” it is imagined that he read it, Air hacheres yeamer leachath, "one fhall be called the city of the fun." This is a happy conjecture, and feems to be well grounded: but still must be admitted with fome limitation. For first, Onias could not be led to the choice of that prefecture by this paffage: "the city of the fun" not being the place where he took up his refidence; nor was his temple founded in the. nome of Heliopolis. It was certainly diftinct from it; as I have fhewn, and will farther prove. The name of Heliopolis

was.

3 See the Connection of the Old and New Teftament by Dr. Prideaux. Part. II. Book. IV.

4 Isaiah. 19. v. 18, 19.

s Animadverf. ad Eufeb. Chron. p. 144. fub numero MDCCCLVI. 6 Aquila and Theodotion render this paffage Civitas Ares. Symmachus and St. Jerome tranflate it the city of the fun. The Chaldee Paraphraft: retains both; civitas folis quæ deftruetur.