selves by a grand confederacy, they knew how to obey, and were sensible of the advantages of being under one head. It is then no wonder, that a people well disciplined, and united, should at once get the sovereignty over a nation so rude and unexperienced as the Mizraïm. They took Memphis with ease, which was then the frontier town in Egypt. This they held solely to themselves; and afterwards overran the whole region above, and kept it in subjection. Manethon therefore might very truly say, ῥᾳδίως και αμαχητί την χωραν ἑιλον. They seized the country without the least opposition: not a single battle was hazarded. There are many fragments of antient history which mention the coming of the Cuthites from Babylonia into the land of Mizraim; and the country changing its An account of this sort is to be found in Suidas. He tells us, that Ramesses, the son of Belus (of Babylonia) who was the son of Zeuth, came into the region called Mestræa, and gained the sovereignty, over the people of the country. He was the person whom they afterwards called Egyptus; and the region was denominated from

name.

7

7 Αίγυπτος, ονομα κύριον και η χώρα των Αιγυπτίων· ὅτε αφίκετο Ραμεσσης, ὁ ὑιος Βηλέ, τε και Διος, εις Μετραίαν, εβασίλευσε των εκεί ὃν μετωνόμασαν Αιγυπτον αφ' ου Αιγυπτος ή χωρα. See also Eusebii Chron. p. 29. Ραμεσσης—ὁ Αιγυπτος καλέμενος---μετωνόμασεν την χώραν Αιγυπτον.

8

him. Others say, that it was Sethos; others that it was Belus, who was called Ægyptus; and that from him the country had its name.

Βηλος της Μελαμποδας χειρωσάμενος αφ' ἑαυτε την χώραν αυτών ωνόμασεν Αιγυπτον. Belus having conquered the Mizraim, styled Melampodes, called the country after one of his own titles, Ægyptus. In all these cases, I have shewn, that for a singular we must put a plural; and by Belus understand a people styled Beleida, who came from Babylonia. Manethon, who was an Egyptian, gives the most particular account of their inroad. We had once,

10

says he, a king named Timaüs, in whose reign, I know not why, it pleased God to visit us with a blast of his displeasure, when of a sudden there came upon this country, a large body of obscure people (TO Yεvos aonμor) from the east; who with great boldness invaded the land, and took it without opposition. The chief of our people they reduced to obedience, and then in a most cruel manner set fire to their towns, and overturned their temples. Their behaviour to the natives was very barbarous: for

8

Αιγυπτος δε ἡ χωρα εκλήθη απο τε βασιλεως Σεθως. Theoph. ad Autolycum. p. 392. There seems to be some mistake in this history; for Sethos was a king of later date.

9 Scholia in Esch. Prometh. p. 52.

they slaughtered the men, and made slaves of their wives and children. At length they constituted one of their body to be their king; whose name was Salatis. He resided at Memphis, holding all the Upper and Lower country tributary; and having garrisons in every place of consequence. He took particular care to secure every part to the east, as the Assyrians were then very powerful; and he foresaw, that they would one time or another make an attempt upon his kingdom. And having observed a city, which lay particularly commodious in the nome of Saïs, to the east of the Bubastite river, which was called Avaris (a name, that had some relation to the antient mythology of the country); he set about fortifying it in the strongest manner; placing in it a garrison of two hundred and forty thousand men. Hither he resorted in summer to receive the corn, which he exacted, and to pay his army; and at the same time to make a shew of exercising and disciplining his troops, by way of terror to other nations. He afterwards gives an account of six kings, who are represented as in a continual state of hostility with the natives; and who seemed to labour, if possible, to root out the very name of an Egyptian. The Shepherds are said to have maintained themselves in this situation for five hundred and eleven years. At last the natives of Upper Egypt rose in opposition to them, and defeated them under the conduct of king

Halisphragmuthosis. They afterwards beleagured them in their strong hold Avaris; which seems to have been a walled province, containing no less than ten thousand square "Arouræ. Arouræ. Here they maintained themselves for a long space: but at last under Thumosis, the son of the former king, they were reduced to such straits, as to be glad to leave the "country.

In the course of this history Manethon tells us, that the whole body of this people were called Ucsous, or as "Eusebius more truly expresses it, Txovows, Ucousos. This term is analogous to Usiris, Uchoreus, and many other titles in Egypt; and undoubtedly means the Noble Cusean. Manethon gives another interpretation; but owns, that Uc in the sacred language signified something

II

Κατακλεισθηναι δ' εις τόπον, αρθρων έχοντα μυρίων την περίμετρον Avapir ovoμα TO Tom. Joseph. cont. Ap. 1. 1. p. 445. Avaris was the city Aur, the Cercasora of Grecian writers, at the apex of Delta. Abaris was properly Abarim, the city of the passage near the mountain of Arabia. These two places are continually confounded. Avaris was from 1s, the city of Orus: Abaris from hay, so denominated from being situated in the passage into Upper Egypt, and guarding that pass. It was probably the same which was afterwards called Babylon. The two places were very

near, which makes the mistake of more consequence.

12 Manethon apud Josephum supra.

"Præp. Evang. 1. 10. p. 500.

14 See yol. 1. p. 95.

Royal. Υκ καθ ̓ ἱεραν γλώσσαν βασιλεα σημαίνει Hence we may learn for certain, what was meant by the sacred language; and consequently, what was also the sacred character in Egypt: and be assured, that they were the antient Ethiopic, or Chaldaic for the original Ethiopia was no other than Chaldea. This writer adds, τινες δε λέγεσιν autes Agabas eva: but some say, that they were Arabians. This is a title of the same purport; for the Arabians were originally Cuthites, or Ethiopians. Hence the province of Cushan in Egypt, the same as the land of Goshen, was called the Arabian nome; which was the best of the land of Egypt. They were also styled Hellenes, Phoenices, Auritæ; the last of which titles is of great consequence in the history and chronology of the country. The people so called were the first who reigned in Egypt: and with them the history of that people must commence. Syncellus, who follows the antient Chronicle, in speaking of the dynasties in the Egyptian chronology, mentions the Auritæ as the first who reigned. 15 Πρωτον των Αυριτων. They were the same as the 'HO, Semidei, who are placed in the same rank.

We are told by Manethon, that the whole

15 Syncellus. p. 51.