66

change for horses, and for the FLOCKS, and for "the cattle of the herds and for the asses." To what purpose could they rear so many sheep, if they never fed upon them? Grotius supposes for their wool. But is it possible that the wool only, or the milk, would answer the trouble and expense of keeping such numerous flocks, that each year more than doubled their number? And can any account be given of what was done with the supernumeraries? For, without thinning them, the land, fruitful as it was and extensive, would not have sufficed for pasturage. The skins they could not have to make use of, till the animal died: and they then must have been of no service. Yet the Egyptians are supposed to have made use of their skins. Without all doubt they fed upon sheep, as all other nations did. It cannot be supposed, if the Egyptians disliked sheep and abhorred shepherds, that they would have been troubled with either of them. Diodorus, indeed, says that sheep were held sacred on account of their great utility: but it does not follow that the Egyptians never fed upon them. It is hard to pronounce what animals were not sacred among this people; and as difficult to determine what was the consequence of their being esteemed so. The words of Diodorus are as follow. 52 Τα δε προβατα δις μεν τίκτειν, και

52 Lib. 1. pag. 54.

56

τοις ερίοις την σκεπην άμα και την ευσχημοσύνην περιποιειν τῳ δε γαλακτι και τῳ τυρῳ τροφας παρέχεσθαι προσήνεις άμα και δαψιλεις. On these accounts they were held sacred. But this was common to animals that they fed upon ". Male cattle were sacred to Epaphus. 54 Βας τας έρσενας το Επαφε είναι νομίζεσι : yet they were universally eaten : 5 T&ς μεν νυν καθαρες βες της έρσενας, και τις μοσχας οι πάντες Αιγυπτιοι θυεσι. And, as it was an heartening food, the soldiers were allowed two pounds a day : 5 τετοισι δ' ων ταδε παρεξ των αρερέων αλλα εδίδοτο επ' ήμερη έκαςη οπτε σιτε ταθμος πεντε μνεαι έκαςῳ, κρεων βοέων δυο μνεαι, οιν8 τεστ σερες αρυτηρες. So that this antipathy could not proceed from any difference in diet; for no difference is discernable. Care must therefore be taken, that we do not confound what Herodotus says about things sacrificed by the Egyptians, with the things that were ordinarily eaten by them: for there were many species of food that they never offered to the gods, which they made no scruple to feed upon; otherwise they must have starved. We are told by Alexander Sardus 7 that they originally used no other offerings in their temples than frankincense

93 Τίνα μεν γαρ των ζωων άπαντες κοινῇ τιμωσιν Αιγυπτιοι, καθαπερ των πεζών μεν τρία, βεν, κυνα, αίλερον. Strab. vol. 2. pag. 1160. 94 Herodot. lib. 2. cap. 38.

ss Ibid. lib. 2. cap. 41.

56 Ibid. lib. 2. cap. 168.

57 Lib. 3. cap. 15.

58

and libations, attended with suitable thanks and praises: but no body can suppose that in these consisted their diet. The priests were particularly abstemious yet, from what they were allowed, we may form some judgment of what was permitted to the people, who were under less restraint. Charemo the stoic, as we learn from 5 Porphyry, gave this account of their food, that it was very simple and plain, διαιτα δε λίτη και αφελης ; that they tasted no wine, and abstained from all fish, xaι TEтgaπodwν, όσα μώνυχα η πολυσχιδή, η μη 59 (ει μη) κερασφορα· πτηνων δε όσα σαρκοφαγα. They abstained from all four"footed animals, that were either solid-hoofed, or "that divided the foot, unless they were of the "horned species:" that is, they abstained from all quadrupeds, but sheep and oxen; "and all carni"vorous birds." And even among these they had some exceptions: the flesh of a cow or heifer they never could be induced to taste: 6Пaga yer AiyuwΠαρα γεν Αιγυπτ τοις και Φοινιξι θαττον αν τις ανθρωπειων χρεων γευσαιτο,

66

бо

58 De Abstin. lib. 4.

" In the original it is thus: " They abstained from all quadrupeds, that were either of a solid hoof, or that divided the "foot, or that had not horns:" but this includes all fourfooted beasts. Here is a seeming exception made, and no allowance given a remainder supposed, where there is nothing left. It should therefore be ει μη, "unless they were horned." By this means hogs and camels were excluded.

69 Porphyr. de Abstin. lib. 2.

Οι

-n Onλeras Boos. Plutarch however does not allow the priests the latitude I have mentioned; but says that they lay under an interdict in respect to sheep: παραιτείσθαι και των κρεών τα μηλεια. Supposing this to be as Plutarch represents it; we plainly learn from it, that this practice of abstinence did not reach to the common people: for he would not have mentioned a circumstance as peculiar to the priesthood, if it had prevailed universally.

Μαθοι

We find then, that what the Egyptians abstained from in those early times, was not the eating sheep or oxen, but the using them for sacrifice. 62 Mados δ' αν τις επιβλέψας τες λογιωτατες παντων Αιγυπτιες δι τοσέτον απείχον τε φονεύειν τε των λοιπων ζωων, ώςε τας τ8 των εικονας μιμηματα των θεών εποιέντο απ' αρχης μεν γαρ αι των καρπων εγίνοντο τοις θεοις θυσιαι. 63 Ύτερα μεν τοινυν και νεώτατη ή δια των ζωων θυσια. In short, they shed no blood in their temples, nor brought victims to their altars. And, though Herodotus does make

61 De Isid, et Osir.

62 Porphyr. de Abstin. lib. 2.

<3 Ibid. Prisci homines soli et sideribus, quos existimabant Deos, herbam cum foliis et radice comburebant: mittebant etiam awapxas, frugum primitias; nam animalia occidere nefas arbitra bantur. Et dicebat Pythagoras se aliquando concilio Deorum interfuisse; eosque didicisse Ægyptiorum sacrificia probare, quæ libationibus constant, thure et laudibus: non placere animantium cædes. Alex. Sard. lib. 3. cap. 15. See Euseb. Præp. Evang. lib. 1. cap. 9.

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mention of bloody sacrifices in his time; yet it was not so of old. And, even when he wrote, they were not universal. For when, in the time of the Ptolemies, the Egyptians were in some parts obliged to admit Saturn and Serapis as gods; 64 Ita tamen imperio paruerunt, ut non omnino religionis sua observata confunderent. Nam quia nunquam fas fuit Ægyptiis pecudibus et sanguine, sed precibus et thure solo placare Deos, his autem duobus advenis hostiæ erant ex more mactandæ ; fana eorum extra pomarium locaverunt; ut et illi sacrificii solennis sibi cruore colerentur, nec tamen urbana templa pecudum morte polluerentur. The situation 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 sacrificed. ός Τιμαται δ' ενταυθα ὁ Σαραπις· και παρα μονοις τέτοις θύεται εν Αιγύπτῳ προβατον. When Pharaoh therefore, to prevent the children of Israel from going three days journey into the wilderness, tells Moses, that they may sacrifice to their God in Egypt; he is answered, 66" It is not meet so to do; for we shall sa"crifice the abomination of the Egyptians to the "Lord our God: lo, shall we sacrifice the abomi

64 Macrob. Saturnal. lib. 1. cap. 7.

cs Vol. 2. pag. 1155,

66 Exod. 8. v. 26.