2568.TM The correction of the year was not until after the beginning of his reign; in what time of it, we are not told; he reigned forty years;" we may well place it towards his death, perhaps about A. M. 2600," which is about 47 years after the death of Moses; and 22 years after the death of Joshua.' The fable which is handed down to us, with the account of their correction of the year, very significantly points out that their mythology took its rise from this incident. They now found out, that there were five days in the year more than they had thought of; and they mythologized, that five gods The reign of Janias, the intermediate king between Apophis and Assis or Aseth, brings us to begin the reign of Assis at this year. n lbid. Connect, vol. ii. b. viii. Assis died 2603, vide quæ sup. ↑ Moses died 2553. Joshua died A. M. 2578. Connect. vol. iii. b. xii. The Egyptian year was now first computed to be 365 days, being reckoned 360 only before. Syncellus ubi sup. Connect. Pref. to vol, i. were now born, Osiris, Orus, Typho, Isis, and Nephe. They could not mean that these personages now first began to be; for they had been, ages before, mighty and renowned princes in their country; but they now first ascribed to them a rule and influence over all sublunary things, by supposing each to be the governing power in some star, thought to be animated by them. The dogstar was reputed the orb of Isis;" to the others were allotted, in like manner, their respective spheres ;* and the philosophy of the Egyptians, at this time, seems to have been exerted in such a lustration of their year, "Arigas εσκέψατο ως ενιαυτον ARATUS. as to assign ruling influences of the stars over the several parts of it; and to suppose their ruling stars were animated by those Connect. vol. ii. b. viii. " Upon the pillar of Isis was inscribed, 'Ef esper ἡ εν τῶ "Arga Tu Kuvì imitira. Diodor. Sic. lib. 1. * Connect. vol. ii. b. viii. who had been the early founders and supporters of their cities and states. What their former theories had been, shall be mentioned presently. What I would here hint is, that they now fell into a way of thinking, which the Roman poet took up afterwards, to make his court to Germanicus Cæsar, Cæsaris Arma canant alii, nos Cæsaris Aras, OVID, Fast. lib. 1. They consecrated, and placed over their times and seasons, the venerable the venerable personages of their most ancient ancestors, who had laid the early foundations of all the Egyptian glory and prosperity; and they hoped, that if they with proper rites worshipped gods so auspicious, d--acades felix totus ut annus eat. OVID, ubi sup. that ages of all national happiness might be renewed to them. What had been the more ancient Egyptian theology, the enquiries of Sanchoniatho declare to us. He having examined their ancient records, and set aside all the mytho logy that had been brought in, gave us their true ancient dogmata; and what he has left us, evinces, that their doctrines were, that the origin of things happened from principles of nature effecting, without choice or intelligence, what blindly by a mechanical event of things arose from them.' He talks indeed of a To VεUμα, what we might think to call a spirit; tells us that it was in love with its own principles; but his spirit was such an one, as a modern author exhibits to us: a spirit, “which, clothed with one set of material organs, is only capable of exerting its intelligence in the performance of attraction or repulsion; and, when jarring elements meet, breaks forth in thunder and lightning, and earthquakes, or any other mechanical operations; but may, when united to a different set * Ο δὲ συμβαλὼν τοῖς ἀπὸ τῶν αδύτων ευρεθεισιν ἀποκρύφοις Αμμουνίων γραμμασι συγκειμένοις, ἅ δὴ ἐκ ην πᾶσι γνώριμα, την μαθησιν ἀπαίων ἅυτὸς ?νησε· καὶ τέλος ἐπιθεις τῆ πραγματεία, του κατ' αρχὰς μῦθον καὶ τὸ αλληγορίας ἐκποδὼν ποιησάμενος, ἐξηνύσατο b. Euseb. Præp. Evang. lib. 1. c. 9. " Id. ibid. c. 10. Zigasdn rò anữμa tür idwr àgxür. Id. ib. of organs of a more exquisite and delicate contexture, be capable of exercising voluntary motion, may be enabled to think and to reason, to operate in love or hatred, and, when provoked by opposition, may be agitated with anger and resentment, and break forth in quarrels, contention, and war. The Egyptian TO TUμα, which generated all things, was an original, like this author's spirit; unto which, though Sanchoniatho ascribes operating principles, yet he expressly tells us, they were insensate," and sometimes caused jarring elements, and broke forth in lightning and thunders; and what is very wonderful, he also supposed that these unintelligent operating powers produced some animal beings, which being Essay on Spirit, p. 24, 25. Ο έγενετο σύγκρισις ή πλοκή ἐκείνη ἐκληθη ΠΟΘΟΣ ἂντη δε ἀρχὴ κλίσεως απαντων αυτὸ δὲ ἐκ ἐγίνωσκε τὴν αὐτῷ κλίσιν. If the reader consult the place, he will see that aurò refers to rò sữμa preceding. Euseb. Præp. Evang. c. 10. in principio. < ἐπειδὰν διεκρίθη, καὶ του ιδία τόπε διεχωρίσθη διὰ τὴν τὸ ἡλιο πύρωσιν, και πάντα συνήντησε πάλιν εν ἀέρι τάδε τοις δε καὶ συνέρ ραξαν, βρονταί τι απετελέσθησαν και αγραπαί. Euseb. ibid. |