PART THIRD. THE HISTORY OF THE KINGS OF EGYPT. Νο part of ancient history is more obscure or uncertain than that of the first kings of Egypt. This proud nation, fondly conceited of its antiquity and nobility, thought it glorious to lose itself in an abyss of infinite ages, as though it seemed to carry its pretensions backward to eternity. According to its own historians, first gods, and afterwards demi-gods or heroes, governed it successively, through a series of more than twenty thousand years.* But the absurdity of this vain and fabulous claim is easily discovered. To gods and demi-gods, men succeeded as rulers or kings in Egypt, of whom Manetho has left us thirty dynasties or principalities. This Manethe was an Egyptian high-priest, and keeper of the sacred archives of Egypt, and had been instructed in the Grecian learning: he wrote a history of Egypt, which he pretended to have extracted from the writings of Mercurius, and other ancient memoirs preserved in the archives of the Egyptian temples. He drew up this history under the reign, and at the command of Ptolemy Philadelphus. If his thirty dynasties are allowed to be successive, they make up a series of time, of more than five thousand three hundred years, to the reign of Alexander the Great; but this is a manifest forgery. Besides, we find in Eratosthenes, who was invited to Alexandria by Ptolemy Euergetes, a catalogue of thirty-eight kings of Thebes, all different from those of Manetho. The clearing up of these difficulties has put the learned to a great deal of trouble and labour. The most effectual way to reconcile such contradictions, is to suppose, with almost all the modern writers upon this subject, that the kings of these different dynasties did not reign successively after one another, but many of them at the same time, and in different countries of Egypt. There wele in Egypt four principal dynasties, that of Thebes, of Thin, of Memphis, and of Tanis. I shall not here give my readers a list of the kings who have reigned in Egypt, most of whom are only known to us by their names. I shall only take notice of what seems to me most proper to give youth the necessary light into this part of history, for whose sake principally l'engaged in this undertaking; and I shall confine myself chiefly to the memoirs left us by Herodotus and Diodorus Siculus concerning the Egyptian kings, without even scrupulously preserving the exactness of succession, at least in the beginnings, which are very obscure; and without pretending to reconcile these two historians. Their design, especially that of Herodotus, was not to lay before us an exact series of the kings of Egypt, but only to point cut those princes, whose history appeared to them most important and instructive. I shall follow the same plan, and hope to be forgiven, for not having involved either myself or my readers, in a labyrinth of almost inextricable difficulties, from which the most able canscarcely disengage themselves, when they pretend to follow the series of history, and reduce it to fixed and certain dates. The curious may consult the learned works, in which this subject is treated in all its extent.‡ I am to premise, that Herodotus, upon the credit of the Egyptian priests whom he had consulted, gives us a great number of oracles, and singular incidents, all which, though he relates them as so many facts, the judicious reader will easily discover to be what they really are, I mean fictions. The ancient history of Egypt comprehends 2158 years, and is naturally divided into three periods. The first begins with the establishment of the Egyptian monarchy, by Menes or Misraïm, the son of Cham,§ in the year of the world 1816; and ends *Diod. l. i. p. 41. A historian of Cyrene. Sir John Marsham's Canon. Chronic. Father Pezron; the Dissertations of F. Tournemine, Abbé Se vin ko ¡Or Ham. with the destruction of that monarchy by Cambyses, king of Persia, in the year of the world 3479. This first period contains 1663 years. The second period is intermixed with the Persian and Grecian history, and extends to the death of Alexander the Great, which happened in the year 3681, and consequently includes 202 years. The third period is that in which a new monarchy was formed in Egypt by the Lagidæ, or Ptolemies, descendants from Lagus, to the death of Cleopatra, the last queen of Egypt, in 3974; and this last comprehends 293 years. I shall now treat only of the first period, reserving the two others for the eras to which they belong. MENES. THE KINGS OF EGYPT. Historians are unanimously agreed, that Menes was the first king of Egypt. It is pretended, and not without foundation, that he is the same with Misraïm, the son of Cham. Cham was the second son of Noah. When the family of the latter, after the extravagant attempt of building the tower of Babel, dispersed themselves into different countries, Cham retired to Africa, and it doubtless was he who afterwards was worshipped as a god, under the name of Jupiter Ammcn. He had four children, Chus,† Misraïm, Phut, and Canaan. Chus settled in Ethiopia, Misraïm in Egypt, which generally is called in Scripture after his name, and by that of Cham his father; Pnut took possession of that part of Africa which lies westward of Egypt; and Canaan, of that country which afterwards bore his name. The Canaanites are certainly the same people who are called almost always Phoenicians by the Greeks, of which foreign name no reason can be given, any more than of the oblivion of the true one. I return to Misraim.. He is agreed to be the same with Menes, whom all historians declare to be the first king of Egypt, the institutor of the worship of the gods, and of the ceremonies of the sacrifices. BUSIRIS, some ages after him, built the famous city of Thebes, and made it the seat of his empire. We have elsewhere taken notice of the wealth and magnificence of this city. This prince is not to be confounded with Busiris, so infamous for his cruelties. OSYMANDYAS. Diodorus gives a very particular description of many magnificent edifices raised by this king; one of which was adorned with sculptures and paintings of exquisite beauty, representing his expedition against the Bactrians, a people of Asia, whom he had invaded with four hundred thousand foot and twenty thousand horse. In another part of the edifice, was exhibited an assembly of the judges, whose president wore on his breast a picture of truth, with her eyes shut, and himself was surrounded with books; an emphatic emblem, denoting that judges ought to be perfectly versed in the laws, and impartial in the administration of them. The king likewise was painted here, offering to the gods gold and silver, which he drew every year from the mines of Egypt, amounting to the sum of sixteen millions. T Not far from hence was seen a magnificent library, the oldest mentioned in history. Its title or inscription on the front was, The office, or treasury, of remedies for the diseases of the soul. Near it were statues, representing all the Egyptian gods, to each of whom the king made suitable offerings; by which he seemed to be desirous of informing posterity, that his life and reign had been distinguished by piety to the gods and justice to men. *A. M. 1816. Ant. J. C. 2188. ↑ Or Cush, Gen. x. 6. The traces of its old name, Mesraïm, remain to this day among the Arabians, who call it Mesre; by the testimony of Plutarch, it was called Xnuia, Chemia, by an easy corruption of Chemia, and this for Cham or Ham. Herod. l. ii. p. 99. Diod. 1. i. p. 42. Diod. 1. i. p. 44, 45. Three thousand two hundred myriads of mina. F 2 VOL. I. His mausoleum discovered uncommon magnificence; it was encompassed with a circle of gold, a cubit in breadth, and 365 cubits in circumference; each of which showed the rising and setting of the sun, moon, and the rest of the planets. For so early as this king's reign, the Egyptians divided the year into twelve months, each consisting of thirty days; to which they added every year five days and six hours.* The spectator did not know which to admire most in this stately monument, the richness of its materials, or the genius and industry of the artists and workmen. UCHOREUS, one of the successors of Osymandyas, built the city of Memphis. This city was 150 furlongs, or more than seven leagues in circumference, and stood at the point of the Delta, in that part where the Nile divides itself into several branches or streams. Southward from the city, he raised a lofty mole. On the right and left he dug very deep moats to receive the river. These were faced with stone; and raised, near the city, by strong causeys; the whole designed to secure the city from the inundations of the Nile, and the incursions of the enemy. A city so advantageously situated, and so strongly fortified, that it was almost the key of the Nile, and by this means commanded the whole country, became soon the usual residence of the Egyptian kings. It kept possession of this honour, till it was forced to resign it to Alexandria, built by Alexander the Great. MERIS. This king made the famous lake, which went by his name, and whereof mention has been already made. Egypt had long been governed by its native princes, when strangers, called Shepherd-kings, (Hycsos in the Egyptian language,) from Arabia or Phoenicia, invaded and seized a great part of lower Egypt, and Memphis itself; but Upper Egypt remained unconquered, and the kingdom of Thebes existed till the reign of Sesostris. These foreign princes governed about two hundred and sixty years. Under one of these princes called Pharaoh in Scripture, (a name common to all the kings of Egypt,) Abraham arrived there with his wife Sarah, who was exposed to great hazard, on account of her exquisite beauty, which reaching the prince's ear, she was by him taken from Abraham, upon the supposition that she was not a wife, but only his sister.§ THETHMOSIS, Or Amosis, having expelled the Shepherd kings, reigned in Lower Egypt. Long after his reign, Joseph was brought a slave into Egypt, by some Ishmaelitish merchants; sold to Potiphar, and, by a series of wonderful events, enjoyed the supreme authority, by his being raised to the chief employment of the kingdom. I shall pass over his history, as it is so universally known; but must take notice of a remark of Justin, the epitomiser of Trogus Pompeius,** an excellent historian of the Augustan age, viz. that Joseph the youngest of Jacob's children, whom his brethren, through envy, had sold to foreign merchants, being endowed from heaventt with the interpretation of dreams, and a knowledge of futurity, preserved by his uncommon prudence, Egypt from the famine with which it was menaced, and was extremely caressed by the king. Jacob also went into Egypt with his whole family, which met with the kindest treatment from the Egyptians, whilst Joseph's important services were fresh in their memories.‡‡ But after his death, say the Scriptues, there arose up a new king, which knew not Joseph.§§ RAMESES-MIAMUN, according to Archbishop Usher, was the name of this king, who is called Pharaoh in Scripture. He reigned sixty-six years, and A. M. 2084. Ant. J. C. 1920. † Diod. p. 46. * See Sir Isaac Newton's Cronology, p. 30. tA, M. 1920. Ant. J. C. 2084. A. M. 2179. Ant. J. C. 1825. Justin ascribes this gift of heaven to acil) soleru ingenio percepisset, &c. #A. M. 2298. Ant. J. C. 1706. Exod. i. 8. A. M. 2427, Ant. J. C. 1577 * 131 oppressed the Israelites in a most grievous manner. He set over them taskanasters, to afflict them with their burdens, and they built for Pharaoh treasurecities, Pithon and Raamses and the Egyptians made the children of Israel serve with rigour, and they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in mortar and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field; all their service wherein they made them serve, was with rigour. This king had two sons, Amenophis and Busiris. AMENOPHIS, the eldest, succeeded him. He was the Pharaoh under whose reign the Israelites departed out of Egypt, and who was drowned in his passage through the Red Sea. Father Tournemine makes Sesostris, of whom we shall speak immediately, the Pharaoh who raised the persecution against the Israelites, and oppressed them with the most painful toils.§ This is exactly agreeable to the account given by Diodorus of this prince, who employed in his Egyptian works only foreigners; so that we may place the memorable event of the passage of the Red Sea, under his son Pheron ; and the characteristic of impiety ascribed to him by Herodotus, greatly strengthens the probability of this conjecture. The plan I have proposed to follow in this history, excuses me from entering into chronological discussions. Diodorus, speaking of the Red Sea, has made one remark very worthy our observation: a tradition, says that historian, has been transmitted through the whole nation from father to son, for many ages, that once an extraordinary ebb dried the sea, so that its bottom was seen; and that a violent flow immediately after brought back the waters to their former channel. It is evident that the miraculous passage of Moses over the Red Sea is here hinted at ; and I make this remark, purposely to admonish young students, not to slip over, in their perusal of authors, these precious remains of antiquity; especially when they bear, like this passage, any relation to religion. Archbishop Usher says, that Amenophis left two sons, one called Sesothis, or Sesostris, and the other Armais. The Greeks call him Belus, and his two sons, Egyptus and Danaus. SESOSTRIS was not only one of the most powerful kings of Egypt, but one of the greatest conquerors that antiquity boasts of.** His father, whether by inspiration, caprice, or, as the Egyptians say, by the authority of an oracle, formed a design of making his son a conqueror. This he set about after the Egyptian manner, that is, in a great and noble way. All the male children born in the same day with Sesostris, were, by the king's order, brought to court. Here they were educated as if they had been his own children, with the same care bestowed on Sesostris, with whom they were brought up. He could not possibly have given him more faithful ministers, nor officers who more zealously desired the success of his arms. The chief part of their education was, the inuring them from their infancy to a hard and laborious life, in order that they might one day be capable of sustaining with ease the toils of war. They were never suffered to eat, till they had run, on foot or horseback, a considerable race. Hunting was their most common exercise. Elian remarks that Sesostris was taught by Mercury, who instructed him in politics, and arts of government.tt This Mercury is he whom the Greeks called Trismegistus, i. e. thrice great. Egypt, his native country, owes to him the invention of almost every art. The two books, which go under his name, bear such evident characters of novelty, that the forgery is no longer doubted. There was another Mercury, who also was very famous among the *Exod. i. 11, 13, 14. ↑ Heb. urbes thesaurorum. LXX. urbes munitas. These cities were appointed to preserve, as in a storehouse, the corn, oil, and other products of Egypt.-Vatab. A. M. 2494. Ant. J. C. 1510. A. M. 2513. Ant. J. C. 1491. This name bears a great resemblance to Pharaoh, so common to the Egyptian kings. Egyptians, for his rare knowledge; and of much greater antiquity than the former. Jamblicus, a priest of Egypt, affirms, that it was customary with the Egyptians, to publish all new books or inventions under the name of Hermes, or Mercury. When Sesostris was more advanced in years, his father sent him against the Arabians, in order that, by fighting with them, he might acquire military knowledge. Here the young prince learned to bear hunger and thirst, and subdued a nation which till then had never been conquered. The youth ́educated with him, attended him in all his campaigns. Accustomed by this conquest to martial toils, he was next sent by his father to try his fortune westward. He invaded Libya, and subdued the greatest part of that vast continent. SESOSTRIS.* In the course of this expedition, his father died, and left him capable of attempting the greatest enterprises. He formed no less a design than that of the conquest of the world. But before he left his kingdom, he had provided for his domestic security, in winning the hearts of his subjects by his generosity, justice, and a popular obliging behaviour. He was no less studious to gain the affection of his officers and soldiers, who were ever ready to shed the last drop of their blood in his service; persuaded that his enterprises would all be unsuccessful, unless his army should be attached to his person, by all the ties of esteem, affection, and interest. He divided the country into thirty-six governments, called Nomi, and bestowed them on persons of merit, and the most approved fidelity. In the mean time he made the requisite preparations, levied forces, and headed them with officers of the greatest bravery and reputation, and these were taken chiefly from among the youths who had been educated with him He had seventeen hundred of these officers, who were all capable of inspiring his troops with resolution, a love of discipline, and a zeal for the service of their prince. His army consisted of six hundred thousand foot, and twentyfour thousand horse, besides twenty-seven thousand armed chariots. He began his expedition by invading Ethiopia, situated to the south of Egypt. He made it tributary, and obliged the nations of it to furnish him annually with a certain quantity of ebony, ivory, and gold. He had fitted out a fleet of four hundred sail, and ordering it to sail to the Red Sea, made himself master of the isles and cities lying on the coasts of that sea. He himself heading his land-army, over-ran and subdued Asia with amazing rapidity, and advanced farther into India than Hercules, Bacchus, and, in after times, Alexander himself had ever done; for he subdued the countries beyond the Ganges, and advanced as far as the Ocean. One may judge from hence, how unable the more neighbouring countries were to resist him. The Scythians, as far as the river Tanais, Armenia, and Cappadocia, were conquered. He left a colony in the ancient kingdom of Colchos, situated to the east of the Black Sea, where the Egyptian customs and manners have been ever since retained. Herodotus saw in Asia Minor, from one sea to the other, monuments of his victories. In several countries was read the following inscription, engraven on pillars: Sesostris, king of kings, and lord of Lords, subdued this country by the power of his arms. Such pillars are found even in Thrace, and his empire extended from the Ganges to the Danube. In his expeditions, some nations bravely defended their liberties, and others yielded them up without making the least resistance. This disparity was denoted by him in hieroglyphical figures, on the monuments erected to perpetuate the remembrance of his victories, agreeably to the Egyptian practice. The scarcity of provisions in Thrace stopped the progress of his conquests, and prevented his advancing farther in Europe. One remarkable circumstance is observed in this conqueror, who never once thought, as others had done, of preserving his acquisitions; but contenting himself with the glory of A. M. 2513. Ant. J. C. 1491. |