listim; who, when the ark of God was to be restored to the Israelites, put the presents of atonement, which were to accompany it, into

an

15

Argus,, or sacred receptacle. And as they were the Caphtorim, who made use of this term, to signify an holy vessel; we may presume that it was not unknown in Egypt, the region from whence they came. For this people were the children of "Mizraim, as well as the native Egyptians, and their language must necessarily have been a dialect of that country. I have mentioned that many colonies went abroad under the title of Thebeans, or Arkites; and in consequence of this built cities called Theba. In like manner there were many cities built of the name of " Argos; particularly in Thessaly, Bootia, Epirus, and "Sicily: whence it is that in all

15 1 Samuel. c. 6. v. 8, 11, 15. The word occurs only in the history of this Philistine transaction; and in the Alexand. MSS. is rendered Agyos.

16 Genesis. c. 10. v. 13. And Mizraim begat Ludim—and Pathrusim, and Casluhim (out of whom came Philistim), and Caphtorim. Deuteron. c. 2. v. 23. The Caphtorim, which came forth out of Caphtor. Jerem. c. 47. v. 4. The Philistines, the remnant of the Country of Caphtor. Amos. c. 9. v. 7. Have not I brought the Philistines from Caphtor?

17 Αργος" Πελοποννησος. Αργείοι· οι Ελληνες. Hesych. 18 Cluverii Sicilia. p. 394.

these places there is some tradition of Deucalion, and the ark; however it may have been misapplied. The whole Peloponnesus was once called. both Apia, and Argos. As there were many temples called both Theba and Argus in memory of the ark, they had priests, which were denominated. accordingly. Those who officiated at the shrines termed Argus, were called Argeiphontai, from the Egyptian phont, which signified a priest. But the Greeks, interpreting this term by words in their own language, supposed what was a priest, to have been a slayer, or murderer. They accordingly turned the Argo into a man, whom, from a confused notion of the starry system, they supposed to abound with eyes, and made Hermes cut off his head. People styled Argeiphontes, Cresphontes, Hierophantes, Leucophontes, Citharaphontes, Deiphontes, were all originally priests. The Scholiast upon Sophocles calls Argus, 20 To Κυνα, τον Αργον, τον πανοπτην, Argus, Ku, or Canis, is precisely of the same purport, as Argeiphontes : a priest of the ark.

The constellation of the Argo, as it is delineated, represents the hinder part only of a ship; the forepart being hid in clouds. It was supposed to

See Jablonsky Pantheon Egypt. Pars prima. p. 139.

Schol. in Sophocl. Elect. v. 5.

have been oracular, and conducted at the will of the Deity. Upon the temo or rudder is a very bright star, the chief in the asterism, which was called Canopus. It lies too low in the southern hemisphere to be easily seen in Greece. It was placed on the rudder of the ark, to shew by whose influence it was directed. Yet in doing this they lost sight of the great Director, by whose guidance it had been really conducted; and gave the honour For under the character of Canopus, as well as Canobus, is veiled the history of the patriarch Noah. There was a city, or rather a temple, towards the most western outlet of the Nile, which was denominated in the same manner, and gave name to the stream. It was expressed Canopus, Canobus, Canoubis; and is mentioned by Dionysius, who speaks of it as a place of great fame:

to a man.

21 Ενθα βορειοτατος πέλεται μυχος Αιγύπτοιο,

Και τεμενος περιπυςον Αμυκλαίοιο Κανωβε.

21

Dionys. Perieg. v. 12.

Of the idle pretensions of the Greeks, and their giving the honour of this place to a pilot of Menelaus, I have spoken before : and of the story being confuted by a priest of Egypt. See Aristid. Orat. Ægyptiaca. The story of Menelaus and Proteus was borrowed from that of Hercules and Nereus; as may be seen in Schol.

As the Patriarch was esteemed the author of the first ship, which was navigated, he was in consequence of it made the god of seamen; and his temple was termed 22 ἱερον Ποσειδωνος Κανωβε. He was esteemed the same as Serapis and inscriptions have been found dedicated to him under the title of tos Ewing. In this temple, or rather college, was a seminary for astronomy, and other marine sciences. Ptolemy, the great Geographer, to whom the world is so much indebted, was a member of this society, and studied here "forty years. The name of the temple was properly Ca Noubi: the latter part, Noubi, is the oracle of Noah.

Niobe was the same name, and person; though by the Greeks mentioned as a woman. She is represented as one, who was given up to grief, having been witness to the death of all her children. Her tears flowed day and night; till she at last stiffened with woe; and was turned into a stone, which was to be seen on mount Sipylus in Magnesia.

in Apollon. Rhod. 1. 4. v. 1397. The account is taken from the 3d book of the Libyca of Agrætas.

2 Stephanus Byzantin.

23 Olympiodorus. See Jablonsky. 1. 5. c. 4. p. 136.

Pausanias had the curiosity to ascend mount Sipylus, in order to take a view of this venerable

25

* figure. He says, that he beheld an abrupt rocky clift; which at a near view had no appearance of a person grieving, or of a human likeness; but at a distance had some resemblance of a woman shedding tears. Niobe is often mentioned as a person concerned in the deluge: at least is introduced with persons, who had an immediate relation · to it. 26 Πλατων εν Τιμαίῳ τῳ διαλογῳ τα Φορωνέως επιμεμνηται χρονων, ὡς πανυ παλαιων, και Νιοβης, και κατ' Ωγυγον αρχαιότερα κατακλυσμό. Plato in his Timæus speaking of the most antient times, mentions the age of Phoroneus, and Niobe, as such; and the ara of the first deluge under Ogyges. In the passage alluded to she is joined with Phoroneus

24 Sophocles Electra. v. 150.

25

Ταυτην την Νιόβην και αυτος ειδον ανελθών ες τον Σίπυλον το ορος, κ. τ. λ. Pausan. 1. 1. Ρ. 49.

Ωσαύτως δε και Νιοβην λεγεσιν εν Σιπελῳ τῷ ὄρει θερες ώρᾳ κλαίειν. Pausan. 1. 8. p. 601.