2 shewed the greatest reverence to fire and water. They esteemed Isis, as the deity which presided over all' fluids: and looked upon Osiris to be the lord of the contrary element: though some give the precedency to Hephaistus or Vulcan. Το δε πυς, μεθερμηνευομενον Ηφαισον ονόμασαι (της Αιγυπτιες) νομισαντας μεγαν ειναι Θεον. The Egyptians esteemed fire, which they called Hephaistus, to be a great God. They went so far as to think it to be really a living animal, endowed with a soul.---3 νενομίσαι το πυς θηριον ειναι εμψυχον. Hence we find, that not only the presiding deity, but the elements. themselves, were held in idolatrous veneration. The propriety of the punishment is therefore conspicuous. We are farther told, that the flax and the barley was smitten: for the ear, and the flax was bolled. 31. These circumstances pear of little consequence. barley was in the Exod. ch. ix. ver. may to some apAnd it may be And it asked, when it is intimated that men and cattle ' Plut. Is. et Osir. passim. In some places Canobus was looked upon as the God of Water. * Diodor. Sic. 1. 1. p. 11. B. 3 Herod. 1. 3. c. 16. p. 202. I were slain in great abundance, what occasion was there for adding this trivial article about flax and barley? I answer, it is by no means trivial: but of great moment. The Egyptians were doomed to undergo many terrors; and, beside these, to suffer no small losses: and scarcely any thing could have distressed them more than the ruin of the former article. I have before mentioned that the Egyptians, above all nations, affected outward purity and cleanliness. On this account the whole na tion wore ' linen garments: and the priests never put on any other kind of clothing. This linen was manufactured from that fine flax, for which the, country was particularly famous. The Athenians, who were originally from Sais in Egypt, for a long season wore garments of this sort; and.* Thucydides says, that it was not long before his time, that the custom was laid aside. The flax and linen of Egypt are celebrated by 3 Herodotus, ♦ Pliny, Apuleius, and many other writers. It was in Qui grege linigero circumdatus et grege calvo 2 L. 1. c. 6. p. 6. 4 Juvenal, Sat. 6. v. 532. 3 Χιτώνας λινέες. Herod. 1. 2. p. 121. c. 105. p. 151, 4 L. 19. c. 1. p. 156, 7. great request in other countries: on which account we read in the scriptures of its excellence.---In the Proverbs a person is introduced saying, 'I have decked my bed with the fine linen of Egypt. And in Ezekiel mention is made of fine linen and embroidered work from Egypt. And though the Egyptians did not themselves trade abroad, and carry on any foreign commerce, yet they suffered other nations to come to them and this they permitted very early. For not only the Israelites were permitted to come to Egypt: but we read also antecedently of the sons of Ismael going thither with their caravans; and this as early as the time of Joseph. The manufacture of their flax is still carried on in this country: and many writers take notice of it. Egmont, and 3 Hayman speak of it particularly, and say that it is of a beautiful colour, finely spun; so that the threads are hardly discernible. Hence the de C. 7. v. 16. 2 C. 27. v. 7. 3 3 The soil of Egypt is also very proper for raising flax.The Egyptians, besides the extraordinary beautiful colour of their flax, spin it so remarkably fine, that the threads of their linen are scarce discernible. The vestments of their priests. were wholly made of it, &c.-The Byssus, which was the finest sort, was frequently dyed purple, which raised it to so great a price, that few could purchase it. Vol. 2. p. 222. * molition of their flax was attended with great inconvenience, and must have proved a heavy loss: so that this judgment particularly affected this people above all other nations and their priests more particularly suffered. The History illustrated from the Climate, I The ruin of their barley was equally fatal, both in respect to their trade (for Egypt seems very early to have been the granary of the world) and to their private advantage. They had few vines in Egypt: but instead of the juice of the grape, they made a liquor called by Herodotus---oivos ngıbıvos, barley wine; undoubtedly a kind of beer: which was particularly serviceable during the time that the Nile was turbid, and not so fit to be drunken. These advantages were lost to them now through the devastation made by the rain, hail, and fire and they could not but have been severely felt. As this calamity came upon them towards the time of barley harvest, They are however mentioned in Psalm lxxviii. v. 47. He destroyed their vines with hail, and their sycamore trees with frost. 2 Herod. 1. 2. c. 77. p. 139. 2 we may form a judgment of the month, when it happened. We are told by modern travellers, that corn in Egypt is fit for mowing or reaping in March, and April: that is, the barley comes to maturity first, and is cut down in the former month; and the wheat in the latter. When Le Bruyn was in that country, he observed the whole to be over at Cairo upon the 19th of April. This agrees with the account given by the sacred writer, who says, that the barley was in the ear; though, as is intimated, not quite fit to be mowed: but the wheat and the rye were not grown up. Exod. ix. 32. This judgment therefore must have happened about the beginning of March, before the precise time of harvest: so early as to leave room for the three succeeding plagues to take place. These were over by the 15th of Abib, which answers to the first of April; at which time the Israelites went forth from the land of Egypt. The history by these means is wonderfully authenticated: and the divine purpose in each operation more plainly discovered. Egmont and Hayman, vol. 2. p. 223. Wheat ripens in March, and harvest is over in April. Has selquist, p. 453. Levant, p. 134. b. |