6

offerings in their temples than frankincense and libations, attended with fuitable thanks and praises: but no body can fuppofe that in these confifted their diet. The priests were particularly abstemious: yet, from what they were allowed, we may form fome judgment of what was permitted to the people, who were under less restraint. Charemo the ftoic, as we learn from 5 Porphyry, gave this account of their food, that it was very fimple and plain, διαιτα δε λιτη και αφελης; that they tasted no wine, and abstained from all fish, xα Tergaπodwv, ôσα μώνυχα η πολυσχιδή, η μη ο (ει μη) κερασφορα πτηνων δε ὅσα σαρ κοφάγα. They abftained from all fourfooted animals, that were either folid-hoofed, or that divided the foot, unless they were of the horned fpecies:" that is, they abftained from all quadrupeds, but fheep and oxen; " and all carnivorous birds." And even among these they had some exceptions: the flesh of a cow or heifer they never could be induced to tafte: 7 Παρα γεν Αιγυπτίοις και Φοινιξι θαττον αν τις ανθρωπειων κρεων γευσαιτο, η θηλειας βοος. Plutarch however does not allow the priests the latitude I have mentioned; but says that they lay under an interdict in respect to sheep: Tagasτείσθαι και των κρεων τα μηλεια. Suppofing this to be as Plu tarch reprefents it; we plainly learn from it, that this practice of abftinence did not reach to the common people: for he would not have mentioned a circumstance as peculiar to the priesthood, if it had prevailed univerfally.

5 De Abftin. Lib. 4.

We

"In the original it is thus: "They abftained from all quadrupeds, that "were either of a folid hoof, or that divided the foot, or that had not "horns:" but this includes all fourfooted beafts. Here is a feeming exception made, and now allowance given: a remainder fuppofed, where there is nothing left. It should therefore be μn, unless they "were horned." By this means hogs and camels were excluded. 7 Porphyr. de Abftin. Lib. 2.

8 De Ifid. et Ofir.

We find then, that what the Egyptians abstained from in those early times, was not the eating sheep or oxen, but the ufng them for facrifice. 9 Μαθοι δ' αν τις επιβλέψας τες λογιω τατες πάντων Αιγυπτίας οι τοσετον απείχον τε φονεύειν τε των λοιπων ζωων, ώςε τας τε των εικονας μιμήματα των θεων εποιεντο αρχης μεν γαρ αι των καρπών εγίνοντο τοις θεοις θυσιαι 1 Έσερα μεν τοίνυν και νεωτατη ἡ δια των ζωων θυσια. In fhort, they shed no blood in their temples, nor brought victims to their altars. And, though Herodotus does make mention of bloody facrifices in his time; yet it was not fo of old. And, even when he wrote, they were not univerfal. For when, in the time of the Ptolemies, the Egyptians were in fome parts obliged to admit Saturn and Serapis as gods; 2 Ita tamen imperio paruerunt, ut non omnino religionis fuæ obfervata confunderent. Nam quia nunquam fas fuit Ægyptiis pecudibus et fanguine, fed precibus et thure folo placare Deos, his autem duobus advenis hoftiæ erant ex more maƐtandæ; fana eorum extra pomarium locaverunt; ut et illi facrificii folennis fibi cruore colerentur, nec tamen urbana templa pecudum morte polluerentur. The fituation of this temple, where Serapis was worshipped was in the Nitriotic nome, as we learn from Strabo. He tells us, conformably to what is said above, that this was the only place in Egypt where a sheep was facrificed. 3 Τιμαται δ' ενταυθα ὁ Σάραπις" και παρα μονοῖς τέτοις θυεται EV ALŸUTTY πgoßatov. When Pharaoh therefore, to prevent the εν Αιγύπτῳ προβατον. children of Ifrael from going three days journey into the wilderness, tells Mofes, that they may facrifice to their God in

9 Porphyr. de Abftin. Lib. 2.

Egypt;

Ibid. Prifci homines foli et fideribus, quos exiftimabant Deos, berbam cum foliis et radice comburebant: mittebant etiam awapxas, frugum primitias; nam animalia occidere nefas arbitrabantur. Et dicebat Pythagoras fe aliquando concilio Deorum interfuiffe; eofque didiciffe Egyptiorum facrificia probare, quæ libationibus conftant, thure et laudibus: non placere animantium cedes. Alex. Sard. Lib.3. Cap.15. See Eufeb. Præp. Evang. Lib. 1. Cap.9. 2 Macrob. Saturnal. Lib. 1. Cap. 7.

3 Vol. 2. pag. 1155.

Egypt; he is anfwered, 4" It is not meet fo to do; for we "fhall facrifice the abomination of the Egyptians to the Lord our God: lo, fhall we facrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes, and will they not stone us?" The abomination was a facrifice of blood: which offering was so offenfive to the Egyptians, that the Ifraelites, during their fojournment, do not appear to have once ventured to facrifice after the custom of their fathers. They seem to have been under a prohibition from the princes of the country: as we may infer from the repeated requests of Mofes; who, unlefs he went three days journey into the wilderness, did not think it safe to offer a burnt-offering to the Lord. In respect to facrifices in those early times, it was usual for people of every profeffion to make fome returns to the gods for the benefits they enjoyed. This acknowledgement was generally made out of the increase, that they were particularly bleffed with. Among the Egyptians it confifted originally in handfuls of corn, grafs, and of the lotus, with other fruits of the earth. In process of time they added myrrh, frankincenfe, and cafia for the fervice of the altar. 5 Such were the offerings of the antient Egyptians. On the other hand, the shepherd's increase was from the fold only; and his offerings were the firstlings of his flock. This made the Egyptians diflike fhepherds; not their occupation; for nothing was more innocent or neceffary. Besides, they had flocks of their own, and confequently people to tend them. But they difliked foreign 'fhepherds on account of their different rites and customs: which hatred must have arifen from an intimate intercourse: for we do not abominate what we are little

4 Exod. 8. v. 26.

ac

5. Ου σμύρνης, «δε κασίας, και λιβανωτο κροκῳ μιχθεντων απαρχας πολλαις γαρ γενεαις ύσερα παρειλήφθη ταυτα, που τότων εθνον πρότερον, αλλά χλόης. Porph. de Abftin. Lib. 2.

6 Scaliger differs from me in opinion about the Shepherds of Egypt. See Animadvers. in Eufeb. Chron. pag. 18.

acquainted with. We may dislike at a distance, and difapprove but this was a total abhorrence. It was a general and national disgust; to promote which, many things must have concurred. In the first place, the Egyptians were a fastidious people from the beginning; and held every nation but their own in low esteem. 7 Βαρβαρες δε παντας οι Αιγυπτιοι και λεεσι τες μη σφισι ὁμογλωσσες. This contempt was carried into a disgust by the contrariety in their religious customs: and this still heightened and imbittered by the tyranny of the Paftor Kings, and the cruel ufage that the Egyptians experienced from them; particularly, when they broke down the fhrines of their gods, and overturned their altars. Hence arose that fixed hatred we have been speaking of; which was prior to the coming of the Ifraelites. "For every shepherd "was an abomination to the Egyptians," before they knew Jofeph: the reigns therefore of the Cusean kings were antece

dent likewife.

Gen. 43.

7 Herod. Lib. 2. Cap. 158. See alfo Lib. 2. Cap. 41. v. 32. "And they fet on for him by himself, and for them by them"felves, and for the Egyptians that did eat with him, by themselves : "because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews; for that " is an abomination unto the Egyptians."-not the eating bread, but the eating it with the Hebrews.

OF

OF THE

STATE OF EGYPT

AT THE

DEPARTURE

OF THE

ARABIAN SHEPHERD S.

IN

N these early times there were no large monarchies formed. The Affyrian and Babylonish empires, as they are termed, were distinct, and in reality of small extent. All countries feem to have been divided into petty 'principalities. Every city for the most part had it's particular king. A powerful enemy had forced Egypt to unite itself under one head: but that grievance being removed, the people of that country feem to have foon lapsed again into a state of independency. At least they were divided; and under the jurifdiction

of

1 Quemadmodum Ægyptus, prifcis hifce temporibus, inter diverfos diftributa eft regulos, ita etiam in Afid regna vetuftiffima funt anguftiffima.-Urbes fingula fuos habebant Towapxas. Marham. Čanon Chron. Sec. V. pag. 76.