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the compound signified a priest; and the latter the Sun. It was expressed neтедрн, Реtеphre, by the authors of the Coptic version; and Πετεφρή ιερευς in the time of the Greek version, and y Pytah phry in the days of Moses. I have thought proper. to state these things; as we may from hence perceive the purport of the injunction given to ' Moses, and explain those remarkable words---İ am that I am; and I am hath sent thee.

Some farther Considerations upon these Words.

It is remarkable, that the Samaritan version accords implicitly with the original in this instance, and it is closely copied in the Vulgate, where the passage is rendered---Ego sum, qui sum. But the Greek translation differs in the

* See Coptic Lexicon, p. 157. There were two words in the ancient Egyptian language, which denoted a priest→ NETE and SONT-They were probably two departments in the same office of priesthood: but their precise-meaning cannot be now ascertained.

This person is said to be Pete-phre, Cohen On; that is, a priest of the Sun, who officiated at the city On, to distinguish him from a priest of the same order who might be of Moph, Theba, or any other place.

* Genesis, ch. xli. ver. 45. and ver. 50.

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mode of expression, and instead of--- Eyw ειμι, ὃς ε, which would afford the literal ειμίς port, we meet with---Eyw ss, o v. How came the authors of this version so industriously to vary from others? I answer; because they were Jews of Egypt, and knew the true object alluded to. And, as the Egyptian term on, the same as Ens, corresponded with the like word in Greek, they have preserved it in their translation, as from this correspondence of terms, they could give the true meaning of the original. In consequence of this, instead of Εγω ειμι, ός ειμι, which would have been the obvious interpretation of I am that I am, they render it---Eyw on. I am the Ens, the truly existing being; the living God. And that we might not mistake the meaning of the term r, used by the Seventy, and also by the Platonists, many learned persons have been at the pains further to explain it, and to shew, that by On was signified Ens Entium, the Being of Beings, the self-existent God. Hence Hesychius defines & Ω», by θεος αεί ζων, ὑπαρ Xwv. God, who lives for ever; that exists everlastingly. We find the like in Suidas. O Nv, À αει wv, εos nμwv. By On is denoted, the God

1 Exodus iii. 14.

that lives for ever, whom we acknowledge for our particular deity. The learned Alberti, in his notes to Hesychius, quotes from a manuscript' Lexicon a passage to the same purpose.O Ων, ὁ ζων, ὁ ὑπαρχων, ὁ κει ων· τετεσι θεός. By this term is meant the Being who lives and exists; the Being who lives for ever; that is, God. It is therefore plain, that the purport of this Egyptian word, when explained by the Grecians, related uniformly to life, and the God of life, the self-existing being. We have seen that the justness of these interpretations. is confirmed by the Coptic. The same is observable of the To ov of Plato, which was borrowed from the same source. Annnowa yag sv Αιγύπτῳ τον Θεον τῷ Μωυση ειρηκεναι, Εγω είμι Ων, εγνω, ότι οι κυριον ονομα ἑαυτε ὁ Θεὸς προς

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AUTOV εon They are the words of Justin αυτόν εφη Martyr', who says, that Plato learnt in Egypt, that the deity represented himself to Moses under the character of, or the living God; and that Plato knew it was not a proper name: by which is intimated, that he rendered it as

Just. Martyr. Cohort. p. 21. c.

Το

By the ancient philosophers, the deity was stiled to V ; and it was said-τὸ ἐν παντα. Plato changed the term to re o", as we learn from Simplicius, Plotinus, and others.

ων,

an attribute, and described the cause of all things by his self-existence. He mentions farther', that the different manner of expressing the term, which was both O, and N,, amounted to little; as both were equally apposite. 'O μεν γαρ Μωυσης ὁ ων έφη, ο δε Πλάτων το ον· έκα τερον δε των ειρημένων τῷ αει οντι Θέω προσήκειν Qamera For Moses expresses the word wv, and Plato ro ov: but each of the terms appear to be truly applicable to the living God, who alone may be said to exist. Eusebius, Cyril, Augustine, and many other writers suppose, that Plato got his intelligence in Egypt: and I think there can be no doubt of it. But they go farther, and think, that he obtained it from the history of Moses; which does not appear probable, They seem all to have imagined, that he got his information from the words Ey pov, I am He that is, i. e. the living God: which is a portion from the Greek of the Septuagint. But they did not consider, that this version was not made till after the death of Plato. He could not have had any light from hence. In short he borrowed his knowledge of the term O from the same fountain from whence the authors of the Septuagint afterwards borrowed; which was from the natives Just. Martyr. Cohort. p. 23. c.

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of Egypt. He resided three years at Heliopolis, the very place called On, or City of the Sun and was very conversant with the priests of the place, the most intelligent of any in the whole nation. He could not fail of learning the purport of the name; and was certainly informed, that the city of On was denominated from the self-existent being; and that the temple of On was properly the sanctuary of the living God, though the title was abused, and conferred upon Osiris, the Sun. Hence Plato, in his Inquiry concerning the Nature of the Supreme Being, asks, Ti TO OD μLED dεl; ΤΟ Ον μεν αει;

yevern de un exor. Explain to me that deity On, γενεσιν ઈંક εκ έχον. which ever IS, and who never knew beginning nor production? In this, and all other instances to the same purpose, he alludes to the Egypțian term, which signified life and being.

A farther Consideration.

It may be proper to remark, that, when Moses was directed to make known to the Is

The people of Heliopolis were particularly famous for their knowledge. Οι Ηλιοπολιται Αιγυπτιων λογιωτατοι. Herod. 1. 2. c. 3. p. 104.

* In Timæo, vol. 3. p. 27.

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