Beans are sown in no part of Egypt, neither will the inhabitants eat them, either boiled or raw; according to Plutarch, was their excessive enmity to the sea, which they considered as an element inimical to man: the same reasoning they extended to the produce of the Nile, which they thought corrupted by its connection with the sea.- T. Almost all the natives of the river were deemed sacred. They were sometimes looked upon as sacred emblems, at other times worshipped as real deities. One species of fish was named oxurunchus, and there was a city of the name built in honour of it, and a temple where this fish was publicly worshipped. A fish called Phagrus was worshipped at Syene, as the Mootis was at Elephantis. The Lepidotus had the like reverence paid to it, as had also the eel, being each sacred to the god Nilus.-Bryant. Mention is made in Isaiah of the fishes of Ægypt. The fishers also shall mourn, and all they that cast angle into the brooks shall lament, and they that spread nets upon the waters, shall languish; 19, v. 8. The children of Israel also mention with regret the fish of Egypt. Numbers xi. v. 5. We remember the fish which we did eat in Ægypt freely, &c. From this it should appear that fish was not only plentiful in Ægypt, but a delicacy. Yet some authors say that the Nile does not abound in fish, partly from its mud, and partly from the crocodiles. But as Harman observes, fish might be plentiful in Ægypt, though not in the Nile. There are certainly lakes and great reservoirs of water in which fish appear in great quantities. Various motives are assigned, why the Pythagoreans, in imitation of the Egyptians, abstained from beans, by Plutarch, Cicero, and others. "The Pythagoreans," observes Cicero, "abstained from beans, as if that kind of food inflated the mind rather than the belly; but there is nothing so absurd which has not been affirmed by some one of the philosophers."-T. raw; the priests will not even look at this pulse, esteeming it exceedingly unclean. Every god has several attendant priests, and one of superior dignity, who presides over the rest; when any one dies, he is succeeded by his son72. XXXVIII. They esteem bulls as sacred to Epaphus", which previously to sacrifice, are thus carefully examined: if they can but discover a single black hair in his body, he is deemed impure; 72 Succeeded by his son.]-Amongst the Egyptians the priests composed a distinct class, as the Levites amongst the Jews, and the Brachmans with the Indians.-Larcher. 73 Bulls as sacred to Epaphus.]—It was doubtless from the circumstance of this idolatry that Aaron erected the golden calf in the wilderness, and Jeroboam in Dan and Bethel.-T. From the circumstance of the Ægyptians worshipping the ox, the cow, and the heifer, Bryant takes occasion to remark that the plague which affected the kine was peculiarly significant and apposite. "This judgment displayed upon the kine of Egypt was very significant in its execution and purport. For when the distemper spread irresistibly over the country, the Ægyptians not only suffered a severe loss, but what was of far greater consequence, they saw the representatives of their deities, and their deities themselves, sink before the God of the Hebrews." p. 102. Ægyptia superstitione inquinatos Israelitas vitulum aureum coluisse certum est.-Selden de Diis Syris. It is in this place not unworthy of remark, that Herodotus uses the word μοσχος, which may be interpreted vitulus. See also Virgil: Ego hanc vitulam, ne forte recuses, Bis venit at mulctram, binos alit ubere fœtus, pure; for this purpose a priest is particularly appointed, who examines the animal as it stands, and as reclined on its back: its tongue is also drawn out, and he observes whether it be free from those blemishes 74 which are specified in their sacred books, and of which I shall speak hereafter. The tail also undergoes examination, every hair of which must grow in its natural and proper form: if in all these instances the bull appears to be unblemished, the priest fastens the byblus round his horns; he then applies a preparation of earth, which receives the impression of his seal, and the animal is led away; this seal is of so great importance, that to sacrifice a beast which has it not, is deemed a capital offence. XXXIX. I proceed to describe their mode of sacrifice-Having led the animal destined and marked for the purpose to the altar, they kindle a fire; a libation of wine is poured upon the altar; the god is solemnly invoked, and the victim then is killed; they afterwards cut off his head, and take the skin from the carcase; upon the head they heap many imprecations: such as have a market-place at hand carry it there, and sell it to the Grecian traders; if they have not this opportunity, 74 Free from those blemishes.]-See Numbers, chap. xix. ver. 2. Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring thee a red heifer without spot, wherein is no blemish, and upon which never came yoke." portunity, they throw it into the river. They devote the head, by wishing that whatever evil menaces those who sacrifice, or Ægypt in general, that head 75. This ceremony it upon fall may respecting the head of the animal, and this mode of pouring a libation of wine upon the altar, is indiscriminately observed by all the Ægyptians: in consequence of the above, no Ægyptian will on any account eat of the head of a beast. As to the examination of the victims, and their ceremony of burning them, they have different methods, as their different occasions of sacrifice require. XL. Of that goddess whom they esteem the first of all their deities, and in whose honour their greatest festival is celebrated, I shall now make more particular mention. After the previous ceremony of prayers, they sacrifice an ox; they then strip off the skin, and take out the intestines, leaving the fat and the paunch; they afterwards cut off the legs, the shoulders, the neck, and the extremities of the loin; the rest of the body is stuffed 75 Fall upon that head.]-See Levit. ch. xvi. ver. 21. “And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions, putting them upon the head of the goat." In imitation of the Egyptians throwing the head of the ox into the river with imprecations, Mr. Bruce makes the Agens of Geesh perform some unknown ceremonies in a corner with the head of their black heifer. stuffed with fine bread, honey, raisins, figs, frankincense, and various aromatics; after this process they burn it, pouring upon the flame a large quantity of oil whilst the victim is burning, the spectators flagellate themselves", having fasted before the ceremony; the whole is completed by their feasting on the residue of the sacrifice. XLI. All the Ægyptians sacrifice bulls without blemish, and calves; the females are sacred to Isis, and may not be used for this purpose. This divinity is represented under the form of a woman, and as the Greeks paint Io, with horns upon her head; for this reason the Ægyptians venerate cows* far beyond all other cattle, neither 76 Flagellate themselves.]--Athenagoras, in his Legat, pro Chris. ridicules this custom of the Egyptians; Larcher quotes the passage, and adds, that it is somewhat singular that such a ceremony should seem ridiculous to a christian. Flagellation, however inflicted, or voluntary submitted to as a penance, was subsequent to the time of Athenagoras. It is a maxim, says Mr. Gibbon, of the civil law, that he who cannot pay with his purse must pay with his body. The practice of flagellation was adopted by the monks, as a cheap though painful equivalent. This is another sneer of Gibbon's; flagellation was in use not as an equivalent, but as a symptom of self-devotion, ages before monks or Athenagoras were heard of. The sect of the Flagellants is another thing. The thirteenth century, according to Mosheim, gave birth to the sect of the Flagellants.-T. * The resemblance between many of the Hindoo customs and those of the ancient Egyptians, is remarkably striking. The Hindoos venerate cows; put none on any account to death, &c. &c. |