The country, of which they were seized, was that, which in aftertimes had the name of Upper Egypt. They called it the land of Mezor, and the land of Cham, from their two chief ancestors: which the Greeks rendered 'Mesora, and Chamia. The lower region was at that time in great measure a morass, and little occupied. The Caphtorim had made some settlements between Mount Casius and Pelusium; but were obliged to quit them, and return to 'Palestina. In process of time, the Mizraim were divided into several great families, such as the Napthuhim, Lehabim, Ludim, Pathrusim, and others. They lived chiefly upon the lotos of the Nile, and the herb agrostis: and sheltered themselves under sheds of mean workmanship, which they

The land of Egypt is called Mestre, Merpn, by Josephus. Ant. 1. 1. c. 7. also Merpaia. Stephanus styles Egypt Muara, which is certainly a mistake for Musara, Mucapa, the land of Mysor. Cairo by the Arabs is now called Meser, and Mesre. See Leo Africanus, 1. 8.

2 The land of Ham by the Ionians, and later writers, was expressed Chemia. Αίγυπτον Σημίαν καλεσι. Plutarch. Is. et Osir. p. 364. By Stephanus it is compounded, and rendered HermoChumius, Equo-Xupos, in the masculine. The Copti call it Chemi at this day.

3 Amos, c. 9. v. 7. Jeremiah, c. 47. v. 4.

thatched with the flags of the river. In process of time, they began to feed upon fish, which the same stream afforded; and were clothed with the skins of beasts. They held the river in high reverence; and supposed, that man had somehow a relation to 5 water. It is probable that some centuries lapsed, while they proceeded in this simple way of life, separated in a manner from the world, and unmolested by any foreign power. At last the Titanic brood, the Cuthites, being driven from Babylonia, fled to different parts: and one very large body of them betook themselves to Egypt. Eupolemus speaks of their dissipation, and calls them giants. "MeGovTos de Tuty (τε Πυργκ) ύπο της τε Θες ενεργειας, τους Γίγαντας διασπαρηναι καθ' όλην την γην. When the tower of Babel was by the hand of Heaven overthrown, the Giants were scattered over the face of the earth. We may perceive, from what has preceded, that they were a knowing and experienced people; of a family, which had been long engaged in opposition, and tried in some severe conflicts. As they had maintained them

4 Diodorus Sic. l. 1. p. 41. Οικήσεις εκ των καλαμων.

5 Ibid.

6

Apud Euseb. Præp. Evang. 1. 9. p. 418. Diodorus mentions that there was a gigantic brood in the time of Isis. 1. 1. p. 23.

selves by a grand confederacy, they knew how to obey, and were sensible of the advantages of being under one head. It is then no wonder, that a people well disciplined, and united, should at once get the sovereignty over a nation so rude and unexperienced as the Mizraim. They took Memphis with ease, which was then the frontier town in Egypt. This they held solely to themselves; and afterwards overran the whole region above, and kept it in subjection. Manethon therefore might very truly say, ῥᾳδίως και αμαχητί την χώραν είλον. They seized the country without the least opposition: not a single battle was hazarded. There are many fragments of antient history which mention the coming of the Cuthites from Babylonia into the land of Mizraim; and the country changing its name. An account of this sort is to be found in Suidas. He tells us, that 7 Ramesses, the son of Belus (of Babylonia) who was the son of Zeuth, came into the region called Mestræa, and gained the sovereignty, over the people of the country. He was the person whom they afterwards called Egyptus; and the region was denominated from

7 Αίγυπτος, ονομα κυριον και χώρα των Αιγυπτίων ότε αφίκετο Ραμεσσης, ὁ υἱὸς Βηλό, τε και Διος, εις Μετραίαν, εβασίλευσε των εκεί ὃν μετωνόμασαν Αιγυπτον αφ' όν Αίγυπτος ή χώρα. See also Eusebii Chron. p. 29. Ραμερσης το Αιγυπτος καλεμενος μετωνομάσει την χώραν Αίγυπτον..

him. Others say, 8 that it was Sethos; others that it was Belus, who was called Egyptus; and

that from him: the country had its name. 9 Βήλος της Μελάμποδας χειρωσάμενος, αφ' ἑαυτε την χώραν αυτήν ωνόμασεν. Αιγύπτου... Belus having conquered the Mizraim, styled Melampodes, called the country after one of his own titles, Egyptus. In all these cases, I have shewn, that for a singular we must put a plural; and by Belus understand a people styled Beleida, who came from Babylonia. Manethon, who was an Egyptian, gives the most particular account of their inroad. We had once,

10

says he, a king named Timais, in whose reign, I know not why, it pleased God to visit us with a blast. of his displeasure, when of a sudden there came upon this country, a large body of obscure people (TO Yevos aompar) from the east; who with great boldness invaded the land, and took it without opposition. The chief of our people they reduced to obedience, and then in a most cruel manner set fire to their towns, and overturned their temples. Their behaviour to the natives was very barbarous: for

8

Αίγυπτος δε ή χωρα εκλήθη απο τα βασιλεως Σεθως. Theoph. ad Autolycum. p. 392. There seems to be some mistake in this history; for Sethos was a king of later date.

they slaughtered the men, and made slaves of their wives and children. At length they constituted one of their body to be their king; whose name was Salatis. He resided at Memphis, holding all the Upper and Lower country tributary; and having garrisons in every place of consequence. He took particular care to secure every part to the east, as the Assyrians were then very powerful; and he foresaw, that they would one time or another make an attempt upon his kingdom. And having observed a city, which lay particularly commodious in the nome of Saïs, to the east of the Bubastite river, which was called Avaris (a name, that had some relation to the antient mythology of the country); he set about fortifying it in the strongest manner; placing in it a garrison of two hundred and forty thousand men. Hither he resorted in summer to receive the corn, which he exacted, and to pay his army; and at the same time to make a shew of exercising and disciplining his troops, by way of terror to other nations. He afterwards gives an account of six kings, who are represented as in a continual state of hostility with the natives; and, who seemed to labour, if possible, to root out the very name of an Egyptian. The Shepherds are said to have maintained themselves in this situation for five hundred and eleven years. At last the natives of Upper Egypt rose in opposition to them, and defeated them under the conduct of king