This judgment so precisely foretold, and so early carried into execution, must have had a great effect upon the minds of the Egyptians. And when they found, that the cattle of the Israelites were exempted from this evil, they `could not but perceive the hand of God. manifest throughout the whole operation. In consequence of which they must have been more ready to let the Israelites go, and to assist them at their departure, as soon as the obdurate heart of their prince was finally softened. It must likewise have rendered the Israelites more willing to depart, and to leave the gods of the country; to which they undoubtedly had before an attachment. And here we may observe a particular scope and meaning in this calamity, if we consider it in regard to the Egyptians, which would not have existed in respect to any other people. It is well known, that they held in idolatrous reverence the lion, wolf, dog, cat, ape, and goat. As they bordered upon Lybia they must have been visited by wild beasts, all * See Ezekiel xx. 8. • The tiger, dubber, or ahena, are still to be found but not common. Pocock. Egypt. p. 207. Probably since the use of fire-arms they have been kept at a distance. which they esteemed sacred. Eσσα δε Αιγυπτος όμερος τη Λιβύη " εν μαλα θηριώδης εστι, ταδε εοντα σφι άπαντα ἱρα νενόμισται. Herod. 1. 2. c. 64. p. 134. Porphyry likewise tells us--εις θεοποιιαν παρελαβον παν ζωον. p. 372. ὅθεν καὶ ὁ λεων ὡς Θεός θρησκευεται. ib. p. 373. -μετα ταυτα και παντα τα ζωα--σεβεσιν. Ρ. 374. They admitted every animal as a representative of their gods: -Hence the lion is by them worshipped as a deity--and together with these specified they worship every living creature. Hence Virgil very truly mentions -Latrator Anubis Omnigenûmque deûm monstra. Lucian, accordingly, with much wit ridicules → the inconsistency of their worship, by shewing how little any temple among them corresponded with the object which it contained.--Κακει γαρ αυτος μεν ὁ νεως, καλλιστος τε και μεγιστος, λίθοις τοις πολυτελεσιν ησκημένος, και χρησῳ και γραφαις διηνθισμένος, ενδον δε ην ζητης τον θεον, η πιθηκος εστιν, η Ιβις, η τραγος, η αίλερος. In Egypt the temple itself is found to be beautiful, and ample in its dimensions: built with choice 1 So I should read, as the context seems to require, instead of ov. 12. See also Θεων Εκκλησία, Ν. 2. stones: and ornamented with gilding and hieroglyphics. But if you pry within to find out the god, you meet with a monkey, or a crane or else a goat, or a cat. But they had gods, which were held in still greater reverence than these. Such were the ox or steer: the cow and heifer: and the ram. Among these the Apis and Mnevis are well known: the former of which was a sacred bull adored at Memphis; as the latter was at Heliopolis. There was also a cow or heifer, which had the like honours at Momemphis. Nor were these only the places, where this custom prevailed: it seems to have been adopted in some degree in most of the Egyptian nomes. Εν δε τῷ Δελτα, και έξω αυτέ, τοις μεν άρσην, τοις δε θήλεια βες τρεφεται. They are the words of Strabo, who tells us that both in the region of Delta and in the country above, steers and heifers were maintained in the temples: and he adds, that these were only held sacred, and not adored: whereas the Apis and Mnevis were really esteemed gods, and had divine honours paid to them. The like were shewn to the cow or heifer at • Momemphis; and to the ram at Thebes, and ! L. 17. p. 1155. 1 1 Onλua buç iega. ibid. The cow and the heifer were universally esteemed sacred and though the males were look in the temple of Ammon. To these may be added the goat at Mendes; though perhaps not so celebrated as the others. This judgment therefore displayed upon the kine of Egypt was very significant in its execution and purport. For when the distemper spread irresistibly over the country, the Egyptians not only suffered a severe loss; but what was of far greater consequence, they saw the representative of their deities; and their deities themselves sink before the God of the Hebrews. They thought, that the soul of Osiris was uniformly resident in the body of the bull Apis.- Τελευτήσαντος Οσίριδος εις τετον 4 (ταυρον) ἡ ψυχη μετεστη, και ed upon females. a with reverence, yet not in the same degree as the Τις δε 6ες τις ερσίνας τε Επαφε είναι νομίζεσιν. Herod. 1. 2. c. 38. p. 121.- -Τις μεν ουν καθαρους δες τις ερσίνας, και της μόσχος οι παντες Αιγυπτιοι θυεσι. τας δε θηλείας ου εφι έξεσι θυειν. 210 THE 10105. Ibid. 1. 2. c. 41. p. 123. άλλα έραι Of Apis see Herod. 1. 2. c. 131. p. 166. l. 3. c. 27, 28. p. 208. 'Diodorus, 1. 1. p. 76. 3. Ως ευμορφον εικονα χρη νομίζειν της Οσίριδος ψυχής τον Απιν. Plut. de Is. et Osir. p. 362. D. Sometimes he is stiled pros. So Herodotus speaks of him—ό μοσχος Sometimes Bas. Βες Απις, ός εσιν autos Origs. Strabo, l. 17. p. 1160. See P. Mela, 1. 1. c. 9. p. 59. concerning this deity. δια ταυτα διατελει μέχρι OL 78 VUV Cεl. n. T. λ. A notion, not unlike that concerning the Deli ' Lama in Eluth, Tangut, and Thebet. But Osiris had no power to save his brute representatives. Both the Apis and Mnevis were carried off by the same malady, which swept away all the herds of deities, those Dii stercorei, who lived on grass and hay. There is reason to think, that both the camel, and * ass, were held in some degree sacred; who were involved in the same calamity. Hence it is said by the sacred writer---upon their 3 gods also the Lord executed judgment. Numb. xxxiii. 4. See Exod. xii. 12. These events, we may well imagine, had a happy influence upon the minds of the Israelites to whom the worship of the Egyptians must at this time have appeared in a most contemptible light, and their gods des • Some say, that this very custom of worshipping a deified man, prevailed in Egypt.--Ανθρωπον σεβασιν, κατα Ανέβιν κώμην, εν ἡ και τέτω θυεται, και επί των βωμών τα ἱερεια καιεται. Porphyry περι αποχ 1. 4. p. 374. * The Aselli made a part of the ancient sphere. 3 In consequence of this, when the history is told to Jethro, he very truly says: Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods: for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly, he was above them. Exod. xviii. 11. |