Part 15

In the time of the revolt of the lower _Egypt_ under _Osarsiphus_, and the retirement of _Amenophis_ into _Ethiopia_, _Egypt_ being then in the greatest distraction, the _Greeks_ built the ship _Argo_, and sent in it the flower of _Greece_ to _Æetes_ in _Colchis_, and to many other Princes on the coasts of the _Euxine_ and _Mediterranean_ seas; and this ship was built after the pattern of an _Egyptian_ ship with fifty oars, in which _Danaus_ with his fifty daughters a few years before fled from _Egypt_ into _Greece_, and was the first long ship with sails built by the _Greeks_: and such an improvement of navigation, with a design to send the flower of _Greece_ to many Princes upon the sea-coasts of the _Euxine_ and _Mediterranean_ seas, was too great an undertaking to be set on foot, without the concurrence of the Princes and States of _Greece_, and perhaps the approbation of the _Amphictyonic_ Council; for it was done by the dictate of the Oracle. This Council met every half year upon state-affairs for the welfare of _Greece_, and therefore knew of this expedition, and might send the _Argonauts_ upon an embassy to the said Princes; and for concealing their design might make the fable of the golden fleece, in relation to the ship of _Phrixus_ whose ensign was a golden ram: and probably their design was to notify the distraction of _Egypt_, and the invasion thereof by the _Ethiopians_ and _Israelites_, to the said Princes, and to persuade them to take that opportunity to revolt from _Egypt_, and set up for themselves, and make a league with the _Greeks_: for the _Argonauts_ went through [326] the Kingdom of _Colchis_ by land to the _Armenians_, and through _Armenia_ to the _Medes_; which could not have been done if they had not made friendship with the nations through which they passed: they visited also _Laomedon_ King of the _Trojans_, _Phineus_ King of the _Thracians_, _Cyzicus_ King of the _Doliones_, _Lycus_ King of the _Mariandyni_, the coasts of _Mysia_ and _Taurica Chersonesus_, the nations upon the _Tanais_, the people about _Byzantium_, and the coasts of _Epirus_, _Corsica_, _Melita_, _Italy_, _Sicily_, _Sardinia_, and _Gallia_ upon the _Mediterranean_; and from thence they [327] crossed the sea to _Afric_, and there conferred with _Euripylus_ King of _Cyrene_: and [328] _Strabo_ tells us that _in _Armenia_ and _Media_, and the neighbouring places, there were frequent monuments of the expedition of _Jason_; as also about _Sinope_, and its sea-coasts, the _Propontis_ and the _Hellespont_, and in the _Mediterranean__: and a message by the flower of _Greece_ to so many nations could be on no other account than state-policy; these nations had been invaded by the _Egyptians_, but after this expedition we hear no more of their continuing in subjection to _Egypt_.

The [329] _Egyptians_ originally lived on the fruits of the earth, and fared hardly, and abstained from animals, and therefore abominated Shepherds: _Menes_ taught them to adorn their beds and tables with rich furniture and carpets, and brought in amongst them a sumptuous, delicious and voluptuous way of life: and about a hundred years after his death, _Gnephacthus_ one of his successors cursed him for it, and to reduce the luxury of _Egypt_, caused the curse to be entered in the Temple of _Jupiter_ at _Thebes_; and by this curse the honour of _Menes_ was diminished among the _Egyptians_.

The Kings of _Egypt_ who expelled the Shepherds and Succeeded them, Reigned I think first at _Coptos_, and then at _Thebes_, and then at _Memphis_. At _Coptos_ I place _Misphragmuthosis_ and _Amosis_ or _Thomosis_ who expelled the Shepherds, and abolished their custom of sacrificing men, and extended the _Coptic_ language, and the name of Αια Κοπτου, _Aegyptus_, to the conquest. Then _Thebes_ became the Royal City of _Ammon_, and from him was called _No-Ammon,_ and his conquest on the west of _Egypt_ was called _Ammonia._ After him, in the same city of _Thebes_, Reigned _Osiris_, _Orus_, _Menes_ or _Amenophis_, and _Ramesses_: but _Memphis_ and her miracles were not yet celebrated in _Greece_; for _Homer_ celebrates _Thebes_ as in its glory in his days, and makes no mention of _Memphis_. After _Menes_ had built _Memphis, Mœris_ the successor of _Ramesses_ adorned it, and made it the seat of the Kingdom, and this was almost two Generations after the _Trojan_ war. _Cinyras_, the _Vulcan_ who married _Venus_, and under the Kings of _Egypt_ Reigned over _Cyprus_ and part of _Phœnicia_, and made armour for those Kings, lived 'till the times of the _Trojan_ war: and upon his death _Menes_ or _Memnon_ might Deify him, and found the famous Temple of _Vulcan_ in that city for his worship, but not live to finish it. In a plain [330] not far from _Memphis_ are many small Pyramids, said to be built by _Venephes_ or _Enephes_; and I suspect that _Venephes_ and _Enephes_ have been corruptly written for _Menephes_ or _Amenophis_, the letters _AM_ being almost worn out in some old manuscript: for after the example of these Pyramids, the following Kings, _Mœris_ and his successors, built others much larger. The plain in which they were built was the burying-place of that city, as appears by the Mummies there found; and therefore the Pyramids were the sepulchral monuments of the Kings and Princes of that city: and by these and such like works the city grew famous soon after the days of _Homer_; who therefore flourished in the Reign of _Ramesses_.

_Herodotus_ [331] is the oldest historian now extant who wrote of the antiquities of _Egypt_, and had what he wrote from the Priests of that country: and _Diodorus_, who wrote almost 400 years after him, and had his relations also from the Priests of _Egypt_, placed many nameless Kings between those whom _Herodotus_ placed in continual succession. The Priests of _Egypt_ had therefore, between the days of _Herodotus_ and _Diodorus_, out of vanity, very much increased the number of their Kings: and what they did after the days of _Herodotus_, they began to do before his days; for he tells us that they recited to him out of their books, the names of 330 Kings who Reigned after _Menes_, but did nothing memorable, except _Nitocris_ and _Mœris_ the last of them: all these Reigned at _Thebes_, 'till _Mœris_ translated the seat of the Empire from _Thebes_ to _Memphis_. After _Mœris_ he reckons _Sesostris_, _Pheron_, _Proteus_, _Rhampsinitus_, _Cheops_, _Cephren_, _Mycerinus_, _Asychis_, _Anysis_, _Sabacon_, _Anysis_ again, _Sethon_, twelve contemporary Kings, _Psammitichus_, _Nechus_, _Psammis_, _Apries_, _Amasis_, and _Psammenitus_. The _Egyptians_ had before the days of _Solon_ made their monarchy 9000 years old, and now they reckon'd to _Herodotus_ a succession of 330 Kings Reigning so many Generations, that is about 11000 years, before _Sesostris_: but the Kings who Reigned long before _Sesostris_ might Reign over several little Kingdoms in several parts of _Egypt_, before the rise of their Monarchy; and by consequence before the days of _Eli_ and _Samuel_, and so are not under our consideration: and these names may have been multiplied by corruption; and some of them, as _Athothes_ or _Thoth_, the secretary of _Osiris_; _Tosorthrus_ or _Æsculapius_ a Physician who invented building with square stones; and _Thuor_ or _Polybus_ the husband of _Alcandra_, were only Princes of _Egypt_. If with _Herodotus_ we omit the names of those Kings who did nothing memorable, and consider only those whose

## actions are recorded, and who left splendid monuments of their having

Reigned over _Egypt_, such as were Temples, Statues, Pyramids, Obelisks, and Palaces dedicated or ascribed to them, these Kings reduced into good order will give us all or almost all the Kings of _Egypt_, from the days of the expulsion of the Shepherds and founding of the Monarchy, downwards to the conquest of _Egypt_ by _Cambyses_: for _Sesostris_ Reigned in the Age of the Gods of _Egypt_: being Deified by the names of _Osiris_, _Hercules_ and _Bacchus_, as above; and therefore _Menes_, _Nitocris_, and _Mœris_ are to be placed after him; _Menes_ and his son _Ramesses_ Reigned next after the Gods, and therefore _Nitocris_ and _Mœris_ Reigned after _Ramesses_: _Mœris_ is set down immediately before _Cheops_, three times in the Dynastys of the Kings of _Egypt_ composed by _Eratosthenes_, and once in the Dynasties of _Manetho_; and in the same Dynasties _Nitocris_ is set after the builders of the three great Pyramids, and according to _Herodotus_ her brother Reigned before her, and was slain, and she revenged his death; and according to _Syncellus_ she built the third great Pyramid; and the builders of the Pyramids Reigned at _Memphis_, and by consequence after _Mœris_. Now from these things I gather that the Kings of _Egypt_ mentioned by _Herodotus_ ought to be placed in this order; _Sesostris_, _Pheron_, _Proteus_, _Menes_, _Rhampsinitus_, _Mœris_, _Cheops_, _Cephren_, _Mycerinus_, _Nitocris_, _Asychis_, _Anysis_, _Sabacon_, _Anysis_ again, _Sethon_, twelve contemporary Kings, _Psammitichus_, _Nechus_, _Psammis_, _Apries_, _Amasis_, _Psammenitus_.

_Pheron_ is by _Herodotus_ said to be the son and successor of _Sesostris_. He was Deified by the name of _Orus_.

_Proteus_ Reigned in the lower _Egypt_ when _Paris_ sailed thither; that is at the end of the _Trojan_ war, according to [332] _Herodotus_: and at that time _Amenophis_ was King of _Egypt_ and _Ethiopia_: but in his absence _Proteus_ might be governor of some part of the lower _Egypt_ under him; for _Homer_ places _Proteus_ upon the sea-coasts, and makes him a sea God, and calls him the servant of _Neptune_; and _Herodotus_ saith that he rose up from among the common people, and that _Proteus_ was his name translated into _Greek_, and this name in _Greek_ signifies only a Prince or President. He succeeded _Pheron_, and was succeeded by _Rhampsinitus_ according to _Herodotus_; and so was contemporary to _Amenophis_.

_Amenophis_ Reigned next after _Orus_ and _Isis_ the last of the Gods; he Reigned at first over all _Egypt_, and then over _Memphis_ and the upper parts of _Egypt_; and by conquering _Osarsiphus_, who had revolted from him, became King of all _Egypt_ again, about 51 years after the death of _Solomon_. He built _Memphis_ and ordered the worship of the Gods of _Egypt_, and built a Palace at _Abydus_, and the _Memnonia_ at _This_ and _Susa_, and the magnificent Temple of _Vulcan_ in _Memphis_; the building with square stones being found out before by _Tosorthrus_, the _Æsculapius_ of _Egypt_: he is by corruption of his name called _Menes_, _Mines_, _Minæus_, _Mineus_, _Minies_, _Mnevis_, _Enephes_, _Venephes_, _Phamenophis_, _Osymanthyas_, _Osimandes_, _Ismandes_, _Imandes_, _Memnon_, _Arminon._

_Amenophis_ was succeeded by his son, called by _Herodotus_, _Rhampsinitus_, and by others _Ramses_, _Ramises_, _Rameses_, _Ramesses_, [333] _Ramestes_, _Rhampses_, _Remphis_. Upon an Obelisk erected by this King in _Heliopolis_, and sent to _Rome_ by the Emperor _Constantius_, was an inscription, interpreted by _Hermapion_ an _Egyptian_ Priest, expressing that the King was long lived, and Reigned over a great part of the earth: and _Strabo_, [334] an eye-witness, tells us, that in the monuments of the Kings of _Egypt_, above the _Memnonium_ were inscriptions upon Obelisks, expressing the riches of the Kings, and their Reigning as far as _Scythia_, _Bactria_, _India_ and _Ionia_: and _Tacitus_ [335] tells us from an inscription seen at _Thebes_ by _Cæsar Germanicus,_ and interpreted to him by the _Egyptian_ Priests, that this King _Ramesses_ had an army of 700000 men, and Reigned over _Libya_, _Ethiopia_, _Media_, _Persia_, _Bactria_, _Scythia_, _Armenia_, _Cappadocia_, _Bithynia_, and _Lycia_; whence the Monarchy of _Assyria_ was not yet risen. This King was very covetous, and a great collector of taxes, and one of the richest of all the Kings of _Egypt_, and built the western portico of the Temple of _Vulcan_.

_Mœris_ inheriting the riches of _Ramesses_, built the northern portico of that Temple more sumptuously, and made the Lake of _Mœris,_ with two great Pyramids of brick in the midst of it: and for preserving the division of _Egypt_ into equal shares amongst the soldiers, this King wrote a book of surveying, which gave a beginning to Geometry. He is called also _Maris_, _Myris_, _Meres_, _Marres_, _Smarres_; and more corruptly, by changing Μ into Α, Τ, Β, Σ, YΧ, Λ, &c. _Ayres_, _Tyris_, _Byires_, _Soris_, _Uchoreus_, _Lachares_, _Labaris_, &c.

_Diodorus_ [336] places _Uchoreus_ between _Osymanduas_ and _Myris_, that is between _Amenophis_ and _Mœris_, and saith that he built _Memphis_, and fortified it to admiration with a mighty rampart of earth, and a broad and deep trench, which was filled with the water of the _Nile_, and made there a vast and deep Lake for receiving the water of the _Nile_ in the time of its overflowing, and built palaces in the city; and that this place was so commodiously seated that most of the Kings who Reigned after him preferred it before _Thebes_, and removed the Court from thence to this place, so that the magnificence of _Thebes_ from that time began to decrease, and that of _Memphis_ to increase, 'till _Alexander_ King of _Macedon_ built _Alexandria_. These great works of _Uchoreus_ and those of _Mœris_ savour of one and the same genius, and were certainly done by one and the same King, distinguished into two by a corruption of the name as above; for this Lake of _Uchoreus_ was certainly the same with that of _Mœris_.

After the example of the two brick Pyramids made by _Mœris_, the three next Kings, _Cheops_, _Cephren_ and _Mycerinus_ built the three great Pyramids at _Memphis_; and therefore Reigned in that city. _Cheops_ shut up the Temples of the _Nomes_, and prohibited the worship of the Gods of _Egypt_, designing no doubt to have been worshipped himself after death: he is called also _Chembis_, _Chemmis_, _Chemnis_, _Phiops_, _Apathus_, _Apappus_, _Suphis_, _Saophis_, _Syphoas_, _Syphaosis_, _Soiphis_, _Syphuris_, _Anoiphis_, _Anoisis_: he built the biggest of the three great Pyramids which stand together; and his brother _Cephren_ or _Cerpheres_ built the second, and his son _Mycerinus_ founded the third: this last King was celebrated for clemency and justice; he shut up the dead body of his daughter in a hollow ox, and caused her to be worshipped daily with odours: he is called also _Cheres_, _Cherinus_, _Bicheres_, _Moscheres_, _Mencheres_. He died before the third Pyramid was finished, and his sister and successor _Nitocris_ finished it.

Then Reigned _Asychis_, who built the eastern portico of the Temple of _Vulcan_ very splendidly, and among the small Pyramids a large Pyramid of brick, made of mud dug out of the Lake of _Mœris_: and these are the Kings who Reigned at _Memphis_, and spent their time in adorning that city, until the _Ethiopians_ and the _Assyrians_ and others revolted, and _Egypt_ lost all her dominion abroad, and became again divided into several small Kingdoms.

One of those Kingdoms was I think at _Memphis_, under _Gnephactus_, and his son and successor _Bocchoris_. _Africanus_ calls _Bocchoris_ a _Saite_; but _Sais_ at this time had other Kings: _Gnephactus_, otherwise called _Neochabis_ and _Technatis_, cursed _Menes_ for his luxury, and caused the curse to be entered in the Temple of _Jupiter_ at _Thebes_; and therefore Reigned over _Thebais_: and _Bocchoris_ sent in a wild bull upon the God _Mnevis_ which was worshipped at _Heliopolis_. Another of those Kingdoms was at _Anysis_, or _Hanes_, _Isa._ xxx. 4. under its King _Anysis_ or _Amosis_; a third was at _Sais_, under _Stephanathis_, _Nechepsos_, and _Nechus_; and a fourth was at _Tanis_ or _Zoan_, under _Petubastes_, _Osorchon_ and _Psammis_: and _Egypt_ being weakened by this division, was invaded and conquered by the _Ethiopians_ under _Sabacon_, who slew _Bocchoris_ and _Nechus_, and made _Anysis_ fly. The Olympiads began in the Reign of _Petubastes_, and the _Æra_ of _Nabonassar_ in the 22d year of the Reign of _Bocchoris_, according to _Africanus_; and therefore the division, of _Egypt_ into many Kingdoms began before the Olympiads, but not above the length of two Kings Reigns before them.

After the study of Astronomy was set on foot for the use of navigation, and the _Egyptians_ by the Heliacal Risings and Settings of the Stars had determined the length of the Solar year of 365 days, and by other observations had fixed the Solstices, and formed the fixt Stars into Asterisms, all which was done in the Reign of _Ammon_, _Sesac_, _Orus_, and _Memnon_; it may be presumed that they continued to observe the motions of the Planets; for they called them after the names of their Gods; and _Nechepsos_ or _Nicepsos_ King of _Sais_, by the assistance of _Petosiris_ a Priest of _Egypt_, invented Astrology, grounding it upon the aspects of the Planets, and the qualities of the men and women to whom they were dedicated: and in the beginning of the Reign of _Nabonassar_ King of _Babylon_, about which time the _Ethiopians_ under _Sabacon_ invaded _Egypt_, those _Egyptians_ who fled from him to _Babylon_, carried thither the _Egyptian_ year of 365 days, and the study of Astronomy and Astrology, and founded the _Æra_ of _Nabonassar_; dating it from the first year of that King's Reign, which was the 22d year _of Bocchoris_ as above, and beginning the year on the same day with the _Egyptians_ for the sake of their calculations. So _Diodorus_ [337]: _they say that the _Chaldæans_ in _Babylon_, being Colonies of the _Egyptians_, became famous for Astrology, having learnt it from the Priests of _Egypt__: and _Hestiæus_, who wrote an history of _Egypt_, speaking of a disaster of the invaded _Egyptians_, saith [338] that _the Priests who survived this disaster, taking with them the _Sacra_ of _Jupiter Enyalius_, came to _Sennaar_ in _Babylonia__. From the 15th year of _Asa_, in which _Zerah_ was beaten, and _Menes_ or _Amenophis_ began his Reign, to the beginning of the _Æra_ of _Nabonassar_, were 200 years; and this interval of time allows room for about nine or ten Reigns of Kings, at about twenty years to a Reign one with another; and so many Reigns there were, according to the account set down above out of _Herodotus_; and therefore that account, as it is the oldest, and was received by _Herodotus_ from the Priests of _Thebes_, _Memphis_, and _Heliopolis_, three principal cities of _Egypt_, agrees also with the course of nature, and leaves no room for the Reigns of the many nameless Kings which we have omitted. These omitted Kings Reigned before _Mœris_, and by consequence at _Thebes_; for _Mœris_ translated the seat of the Empire from _Thebes_ to _Memphis_: they Reigned after _Ramesses_; for _Ramesses_ was the son and successor of _Menes_, who Reigned next after the Gods. Now _Menes_ built the body of the Temple of _Vulcan_, _Ramesses_ the first portico, and _Mœris_ the second portico thereof; but the _Egyptians_, for making their Gods and Kingdom look ancient, have inserted between the builders of the first and second portico of this Temple, three hundred and thirty Kings of _Thebes_, and supposed that these Kings Reigned eleven thousand years; as if any Temple could stand so long. This being a manifest fiction, we have corrected it, by omitting those interposed Kings, who did nothing, and placing _Mœris_ the builder of the second portico, next after _Ramesses_ the builder of the first.

In the Dynasties of _Manetho_; _Sevechus_ is made the successor of _Sabacon_, being his son; and perhaps he is the _Sethon_ of _Herodotus_, who became Priest of _Vulcan_, and neglected military discipline: for _Sabacon_ is that _So_ or _Sua_ with whom _Hoshea_ King of _Israel_ conspired against the _Assyrians_, in the fourth year of _Hezekiah_, _Anno Nabonass._ 24. _Herodotus_ tells us twice or thrice, that _Sabacon_ after a long Reign of fifty years relinquished _Egypt_ voluntarily, and that _Anysis_ who fled from him, returned and Reigned again in the lower _Egypt_ after him, or rather with him: and that _Sethon_ Reigned after _Sabacon_, and went to _Pelusium_ against the army of _Sennacherib_, and was relieved with a great multitude of mice, which eat the bow-strings of the _Assyrians_; in memory of which the statue of _Sethon_, seen by _Herodotus_, [339] was made with a Mouse in its hand. A Mouse was the _Egyptian_ symbol of destruction, and the Mouse in the hand of _Sethon_ signifies only that he overcame the _Assyrians_ with a great destruction. The Scriptures inform us, that when _Sennacherib_ invaded _Judæa_ and besieged _Lachish_ and _Libnah_, which was in the 14th year of _Hezekiah_, _Anno Nabonass._ 34. the King of _Judah_ trusted upon _Pharaoh_ King of _Egypt_, that is upon _Sethon_, and that _Tirhakah_ King of _Ethiopia_ came out also to fight against _Sennacherib_, 2 _King._ xviii. 21. & xix. 9. which makes it probable, that when _Sennacherib_ heard of the Kings of _Egypt_ and _Ethiopia_ coming against him, he went from _Libnah_ towards _Pelusium_ to oppose them, and was there surprized and set upon in the night by them both, and routed with as great a slaughter as if the bow-strings of the _Assyrians_ had been eaten by mice. Some think that the _Assyrians_ were smitten by lightning, or by a fiery wind which sometimes comes from the southern parts of _Chaldæa_. After this victory _Tirhakah_ succeeding _Sethon_, carried his arms westward through _Libya_ and _Afric_ to the mouth of the _Straits_: but _Herodotus_ tells us, that the Priests of _Egypt_ reckoned _Sethon_ the last King of _Egypt_, who Reigned before the division of _Egypt_ into twelve contemporary Kingdoms, and by consequence before the invasion of _Egypt_ by the _Assyrians_.

For _Asserhadon_ King of _Assyria_, in the 68th year of _Nabonassar_, after he had Reigned about thirty years over _Assyria_, invaded the Kingdom of _Babylon_, and then carried into captivity many people from _Babylon_, and _Cuthah_, and _Ava_, and _Hamath_, and _Sepharvaim_, placing them in the Regions of _Samaria_ and _Damascus_: and from thence they carried into _Babylonia_ and _Assyria_ the remainder of the people of _Israel_ and _Syria_, which had been left there by _Tiglath-pileser_. This captivity was 65 years after the first year of _Ahaz_, _Isa_. vii. 1, 8. & 2. _King._ xv. 37. & xvi. 5. and by consequence in the twentieth year of _Manasseh_, _Anno Nabonass._ 69. and then _Tartan_ was sent by _Asserhadon_ with an army against _Ashdod_ or _Azoth_, a town at that time subject to _Judæa_, 2 _Chron._ xxvi. 6. and took it, _Isa._ xx. 1: and this post being secured, the _Assyrians_ beat the _Jews_, and captivated _Manasseh_, and subdued _Judæa_: and in these wars, _Isaiah_ was saw'd asunder by the command of _Manasseh_, for prophesying against him. Then the _Assyrians_ invaded and subdued _Egypt_ and _Ethiopia_, and carried the _Egyptians_ and _Ethiopians_ into captivity, and thereby put an end to the Reign of the _Ethiopians_ over _Egypt_, _Isa._ vii. 18. & viii. 7. & x. 11, 12, & xix. 23. & xx. 4. In this war the city _No-Ammon_ or _Thebes_, which had hitherto continued in a flourishing condition, was miserably wasted and led into captivity, as is described by _Nahum_, chap. iii. ver. 8, 9, 10; for _Nahum_ wrote after the last invasion of _Judæa_ by the _Assyrians_, chap. i. ver. 15; and therefore describes this captivity as fresh in memory: and this and other following invasions of _Egypt_ under _Nebuchadnezzar_ and _Cambyses_, put an end to the glory of that city. _Asserhadon_ Reigned over the _Egyptians_ and _Ethiopians_ three years, _Isa._ xx. 3, 4. that is until his death, which was in the year of _Nabonassar_ 81, and therefore invaded _Egypt_, and put an end to the Reign of the _Ethiopians_ over the _Egyptians_, in the year of _Nabonassar_ 78; so that the _Ethiopians_ under _Sabacon_, and his successors _Sethon_ and _Tirhakah_, Reigned over _Egypt_ about 80 years: _Herodotus_ allots 50 years to _Sabacon_, and _Africanus_ fourteen years to _Sethon_, and eighteen to _Tirhakah_.