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These are the people, who are described as exiles and wanderers, and at the same time are called the Titans. This event seems to have been very happy in its consequences to those of the family of the Patriarch Abraham: as it must have facilitated their conversion; and given them an opening to retreat. They lived in the land of Ur of the Chaldees: which lay upon the Tigris, to the south of Babel and Babylonia. There was no passage for them to get away, but through the above country; which was then possessed by a people, who would not have suffered their desertion. Nor would they have thought of migrating, so long as they followed the religion of their fathers. But when Terah and his family had seen the tower shaken to its foundations, and the land made a desert, it was natural for them to obey the first call of Heaven; and to depart through the opening, which Providence had made. They therefore acceded to the advice of Abraham; and followed him to Haran in Mesopotamia, in his way to Canaan. The rout which the Patriarch took, was the true way to the country, whither he was going a circumstance which has been little considered.

Ur of the Chusdim: which could not have happened, if those Chusdim, or Cuthites, had been scattered abroad.

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After the Cuthite Shepherds had been in pos. session of Egypt about two hundred and sixty, or eighty years, they were obliged to retire. They had been defeated by Halisphragmuthosis; and were at last besieged in the district of Avaris, which they had previously fortified, by Amosis, the son of the former king. Wearied out by the length and straitness of the siege, they at last came to terms of composition; and agreed to leave the country, if they might do it unmolested. They were permitted to depart; and accordingly retired to the amount of two hundred and forty thousand persons. Amosis upon this destroyed their fortifications, and laid their city in ruins, Manethon, who has mixed their history with that of the Israelites, supposes, that they settled at Jerusalem, and in the region round about. This has led Josephus to think, that the first Shepherds were his ancestors: whereas their history is plainly alluded to in that part, which is styled the return of the Shepherds where Osarsiph is mentioned as their ruler; and Moses, as their conductor upon their retreat. Most of the fathers, who treat of this subject, have given into this mistake: and as the Cuthites were expelled by Amosis, they have

Josephus contra Ap. 1. 1. p. 446. 5 By some he is called Thummosis.

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supposed, that the Israelites departed in the reign of that king. This was the opinion of Tatianus, Clemens, Syncellus, and many others; but it is certainly a mistake for it was not till the time

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of Amenophis, successor to this prince, that they entered the country, which they did not quit till after two centuries. And however Manethon may have confounded the history, yet it is apparent from what he says, even as the Fathers quote him, For he tells us, that Amosis destroyed the seat of the former people; and Amenophis gave it to the latter; so that the history thus far is certainly very " plain. As they were

6 Κατα Αμωσιν Αιγυπτε βασιλεα γεγονεναι Ιεδαίοις την εξ Αιγύπτε πορείαν. Euseb. Præp. 1. 10. p. 493. See Tatianus. p. 273. Clemens. Strom. 1. 1. p. 379. Justin. Martyr. Cohort. p. 13. He calls the king, Amasis. They have certainly made some altera tions in the 18th dynasty, to make it accord to their notions.

7 He gave them the place called Avaris, which his grandfather had laid waste. Joseph. cont. Ap. 1. 1. p. 460.

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The list of the kings of this æra, as they give them, proves this,
Αμωσις, ὁ και Τιθμωσις

Χεβρων
Αμένωφις.

See Syncellus, Eusebius, &c.

9 Josephus cont. Ap. 1. 1. p. 460, 461.

10 Eusebius, whose evidence Syncellus without reason rejects, places the exit of the latter Shepherds in the reign of another king, whom he calls Cencheres. Chron. p. 16. Syncellus. p. 72.

each a very large body of people, and their history of great consequence in the annals of Egypt, their departure must have been faithfully recorded. But length of time has impaired the memorials, so that the history is of a mixed nature, and it is not easy to arrive at precision. And as many events were prior to the reigns of any of their kings, they generally refer those to the times of their Gods. Eusebius gives us a curious account of an event in the time of Apis; "when a large body of men deserted Egypt, and took up their abode in Palæstina, upon the confines of Arabia. The Israelites may possibly be here alluded to; but I should rather think, that the history relates to the Caphtorim, who seem to have resided between Mount Casius and Pelusium; but retired to Palæstina Propria, which was immediately upon the borders of Arabia. There are, however, other histories more precise, which manifestly allude to the departure of the Shepherds from Egypt; and point out the places to which they retired. There was a tradition of Casus and Belus leading one colony to " Syria, which settled upon the Orontes. By Casus and

** Επι Απιδος τ8 Φορωνέως μοιρα το Αιγυπτίων σρατε εξέπεσεν Αιγύπτε, δι εν τη Παλαισίνη καλεμενη Συρια ου πόρρω Αραβίας ᾤκηEuseb. Chron. p. 26.

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12 Eusebii Chron. p. 24. See Zonaras. p. 21.

Belus are undoubtedly meant the Cuthites and Beleide of Babylonia, who fled from Egypt, and are said by Manethon to have retired to those parts. Some are said to have gone to "Jerusalem; which history needs no explanation. Eusebius mentions, that 14 Cadmus and Phoenix resided in Egypt: but afterwards passed over to the region about Tyre and Sidon, and were for a time kings of that country. The most plain and satisfactory account is that which I have more than once mentioned from Diodorus. He tells us, that there were formerly in Egypt many 15 foreigners, whom the Egyptians expelled their country. One part of them went under the conduct of Danaus and Cadmus to Greece; and the others retired into the province called in aftertimes Judea. But it was not only to Syria, and to Greece, that people of this family betook themselves. I have shewn, that they were to be found in various parts, widely separated, as far as India and the Ganges in the east, and Mauritania westward. Diodorus mentions Am

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15 L. 40. apud Photium. p. 1151.

16 See vol. iii. of this work, and the treatise inscribed Cadmus; which is intimately connected with the whole of the present subject.

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