8 retrograde way of computation, the fifteenth dynasty was the first, were led to think that the converse also was true, and that the first was the fifteenth. And those who differ in the position of the Shepherd dynasty, yet count from the last. This may be seen in the Chronicle which I have exhibited above; where the first dynasty numbered is the Tanite, which is marked the sixteenth; and this is the sixteenth from the bottom, if we include the last of the Persians. In consequence of this, that of the Auritæ must have been the fourteenth downwards, which would naturally induce us to expect many prior kings. But it is manifest, from Egyptian evidence, from the Chronicle itself, that there were no preceding dynasties; for the list of the Deities was not taken into consideration. Manethon counted it the fifteenth, and it is accordingly so expressed by Africanus. Hence these writers, and their followers, have been led to suppose, that there were once fourteen dynasties antecedent. They accordingly prefixed them to the true list, and immediately set themselves to work, in order to • The reason of their stopping at this in their computation upwards, was, because this was looked upon as the first genuine Egyptian dynasty. This will be shewn hereafter. remedy an evil which did not exist. For when thirteen or fourteen dynasties had been thus imagined, it afforded matter of very much study to find out the persons of whom they were composed. There was a great vacuity, and the means were scanty towards supplying what was demanded. Menes was at hand to begin with, who is made the first king by all; and to him they subjoined a list of others, wherever they could obtain them. Africanus in his list mentions this person the first, and says, that he was a Thinite by birth, and destroyed by an hippopotamus. In this he is followed by others. But Menes I have shewn to have been the Lunar Deity, who was probably worshipped in some Thinite temple. The hippopotamus was represented as an emblem of his preservation; which they have perverted to an instrument of his destruction. Eusebius styles him a Thebinite, and Thebean. Πρωτος εβασίλευσεν Μηνης Θηβινίτης, Θησ βαιος· ὃς ἑρμηνευεται Διονιος. The first who reigned was Menes, the Thebinite, the Arkaan; which is, by interpretation, the Ionian. This Thebinite, and Arkæan, was, we find, the same person of 10 9 They amount to sixteen in Eusebius; and as many in Afri Canus. 10 Euseb. Chron. p. 18. 1. 13. whom the Iönah, or Dove, was an emblem; so that of his true history we cannot doubt. At the beginning, next after Menes, they have got together an assemblage of names and titles, some of which belong to the Deities, and others seem to be borrowed from Eratosthenes, and occur in later ages. Such is Sesostris, whom they repeatedly introduce. They represent him as a gigantic personage; and he is at times called Sesosis, Sethoosis, Sesonchosis, Geson, Goses; and otherwise diversified. Diodorus, and others, tell us how he conquered the whole earth; so that there was not a nation which did, not acknowledge his power. Upon his return, after his conquests, the first thing which he took in hand was the making of a long 12 ditch upon the eastern coast of Egypt, to secure himself from his next neighbours. Strange! that the monarch of the whole earth, whose army is said to have been above half a million, should be afraid of a few clans upon the desert. He is mentioned as the first of the line of " Ham, who reigned in Egypt, and he is placed immediately after 4 Orus. 13 14 Newton's Chron. p. 69. 12 Diodor. Sic. 1. 1. p. 52. According to some, he comes a degree lower after 15 Thules, in which situation he occurs in "Eusebius. Yet he is again introduced by this author in the second dynasty under the name "Sesocris; and the like history is given of his height and stature, as is to be found in Herodotus and Diodorus. Again, in the twelfth dynasty, we meet with 18 Geson Goses in our copies of Eusebius, styled9 Sesonchoris, but by Syncellus more truly rendered 20 Sesonchosis: and, what is strange, next but one in the same dynasty, we meet with 21 Sesostris. That we may not suppose him to have been a different person of the same name, a short history of his life and conquests is annexed. height too, and' stature, are described, just as we find them represented by other authors. From hence we may be assured of the identity of this person, who is thus repeatedly introduced to make up a supposed deficiency. In short they have adopted every variation of a name, and out of it formed a new king. His In this manner writers have tried to supply the vacancies in their imaginary dynasties of the kings of Egypt. But they soon begin to be tired and we have many dynasties without a single name. The duration also of the reigns is often too short to be credited. In the eighth dynasty, twentyseven Memphites reign but 146 years; which is little more than five years apiece. In the eleventh, sixteen Diospolites reign but 43 years; which amount not to three years apiece. In the thirteenth dynasty, sixty more Diospolites are found, and the ⚫ sum of their reigns is but 184 years; which are not more than three years and a few weeks apiece. But, what is of all the most incredible, in the seventh dynasty seventy kings reign just "seventy days. From the above we may perceive into what difficulties the chronologers were brought, who tried to supply these supernumerary dynasties by such wretched means. They searched into every old register; and laid their hands upon every list which occurred, in order to fill up these vacancies. Syncellus supposes 23 Menes to have been Mizraïm : but I have shewn, that he was another person; and the emblem of the hippopotamus proves it. 22 Quot dies, tot reges. Marsham's Chron. Sæc. 7. p. 90. Eusebius alters this to fifteen days apiece: upon which Sir John Marsham observes, Numerus dierum augetur, ut reges singuli xv. dies habeant. Ibid. 23 Syncellus. p. 91. VOL. IV. E e |