them in great heaps, both the bones, and the scales, in quantity beyond conception. And this place, he tells us, where the scales lay in such abundance, was a narrow pass between two hills, that afforded an outlet into a great plain, which reached to the plain of Egypt; that is, to the top of Delta. And the history of it was this; that the winged serpents came early in the spring to this pass, in their flight from Arabia towards Egypt: but that the birds, called the Ibis, intercepted them at these streights, and prevented their proceeding any farther, by intirely destroying them. * Ετι δε χώρος της Αραβίης κατα Βετον πολιν μάλιςα κη κειμενος· και ες τετο το χωριού ήλθον πυνθανόμενος περι των πτερωτών οφιων απικόμενος δε είδον οξεα ορίων, και ακανθας, πληθεί μεν αδύνατα απηγησασθαι σωροι δε ησαν ακανθεων και μεγάλοι, και υποδεέσεροι, και ελάσσονες ετι τε των. Πολλοι δε ησαν ουτοι· εςι δε ὁ χωρος όντος, εν τῳ αι ακανθαι κατακεχυαται, τοιοσδε τις. Εσβολή εξ ουρέων δεινών ες πεδίον μεγα· το δε πεδίον τετο τῳ Αιγυπτιῳ πεδίῳ. Λογος δε εςι, ἅμα τῷ εαρι πτερωτους οφις εκ της Αραβίης πετεσθαι επ' Αιγυπτε. Τας δε Ιβις, τας ορνιθας, απαντώσας ες την εσβολην ταύτης της χώρης ου παριέναι τας οφις, αλλα κατακτείνειν. The spot here spoken of was the second place of encampment, when the Israelites departed from Egypt. It was the Etham of the Scripture, according to our version but seems by the Egyptians to have been

συνάπτει

* Herod. lib. 2. pag. 238. edit. Wesselin.

called Otham.

Hence in the translation of the Seventy it is so rendered: 3 Εξάραντες δε οι υιοι Ισραηλ εκ Σοκχώθ, ετρατοπεδευσαν εν Οθωμ. The city is mentioned by Herodotus to have been situated near a narrow pass; and like many other cities, which I have before treated of, was denominated from this circumstance, Be Otham, contracted Boutham : and so it is rendered in another part of the same translation ; 4 Και απάραντες εκ Σοκχωθ, παρενεβαλον εις Βαθαν, ὁ εςι μέρος τι της ερημε. This is the Boutous and Bouton (BTV) of Herodotus; situated in Arabia beneath the mountain, and in the sandy plain, which extended from thence to Egypt.

3 Exod. 13. v. 20.

4 Numb. 33. v. 6.

OF

OTHER CITIES IN EGYPT,

AND OF

THE SITUATION OF ZOAN,

I HAVE mentioned, that lower Egypt was called Delta; being similar to the Greek letter of that name. Each of its extremes was graced with a city, which in its time was of great repute. At the eastern angle stood 'Pelusium, 20 stadia from the

1 Pelusium was called Sin by the Hebrews, but by the natives both Sin and Tin. It signified the black sediment and soilage The city received its

of the river, as well as the mud of the sea. name from Peles, a chief of the Caphtorim, who settled in this part of Egypt; but migrated very early into Canaan. From Peles Sin was formed the Pelusium of the Greeks; and from Peles Tin was derived the Philistim of the Hebrews, and the Palestina of other nations. This people are alluded to Amos. 9. v. 7. and Jeremiah. 47. v. 4. It is observable, that the word Tin had in many languages the same signification, which it had in Egypt and most names, in whose composition it is found, have some relation to mud and moisture; and denote something foul and morassy. Hence among the Grecks, Tevayn, nadudpor vowor, n

sea, upon the brink of the Arabian desert: from whence it was separated by a stream, which it gave name to. Here was the general entrance into Egypt for those, who came from Syria and Palestine and it was particularly fortified, to prevent any irruption from that quarter. At the other extreme to the west was the famous city Alexandria, built by the son of Philip, after his conquest of this country. It was for many ages the great emporium of the world; carrying on a most extensive commerce, of which it was itself the center. During the reigns of the Ptolemies, it was the seat of royal residence; till that family became extinct, and Egypt was made tributary to the Romans. These two cities were at the extremes of the basis. At the top or vertical angle was the city Cercasora; of which I have treated at large. Between Alexandria and Pelusium lay many places of note; whose situation has been tolerably well defined yet, I know not how, very great mistakes have arisen, where they were least to be expected. The city Saïs, one of the most celebrated in Egypt, and particularly famous for the worship of the goddess Isis, has by writers been strangely misplaced,

ποτάμιος πηλος : Hesychius. Τεναγη, διαβροχοι, καθυγροί τόποι, και wnλwon weλayn: Suidas: it signified moist, and marshy places. One would almost imagine, that the name of the river Tine, and Tinedale were of the same etymology. See Cambden's Britan. vol. 2. pag. 1073.