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“ 606 B. C. = 1st year of Ting-wang, of the Tcheou ” or Fifth dynasty (Chinese chron. table).
The same year ( = 608 y. 322|fJ- d. — “ 4th year ” of twelve lunations, Jerem. xlvi. 2), defeat of
the Egyptian army under Nekau II. described in burning words by Jeremiah xlvi. Before the close
of the"year (Herodot. i. 106, and Clint.), capture and destruction of Nineveh by the Medes under
Cyaxares and their Babylonian allies.
The Sfo "MS shmyr of Jeremiah xvii. i, may be compared with “ smiris” the Greek name of emery;
which when pulverized is used in gem-engraving. — The “ shmyr ” is also mentioned in Ezech.
iii. 9, Zach. vii. 12 ; and the “ smiris ” or “ smuris,” b y The mineral is procured from . . . . , one
of the Greek islands ; and this locality continued the chief or only source of commercial supply
until the recent discovery of a locality in New England.
Juniperus drupácea of Syria. The imported berries of a species of juniper are called m Egypt
“ arar” (Forsk. mat. med.), in which we recognize the “ a ra r ” of Ebn Baitar, and SO SO oror growing
in the wilderness according to Jeremiah xvii. 6 and xlviii. 6 : — “ arkëuthithôn mëizona are
aniong the ingredients of “ kuphi” incense enumerated by Manetho (Plut. is. and osir. 80): two
kinds"of “ arkëuthôs ” are also mentioned by Dioscorides i. 103 to 105, one having berries as large
as a “ karuou : ” J. drupácea was found by Labillardiere ii. pl. 8 on mount Casius in Syria, its fruit
tubercular and subrotund, three times longer than the leaves ; and Robinson journeying from Hebron
among Desert mountains to Petra met with a species of juniper “ ten or fifteen feet ” high abounding
in rocky situations, but in the valleys becoming a larger tree, its berries having something of “ the
aroma of the pine.” (See J. macrocarpa, and J. excelsa). , j- ,
Sapindus emarginaivs of Tropical Hindustan. A kind of soapnut imported “ from India
was found by Forskal, and Delile, employed in Egypt to wash the finer woollens, and called “ r y t « ;
in which we recognize the tM S 9 bryd used in washing according to Jeremiah ii. 22,— and Malacht
iii. 2. Eastward, S. emarginatus, a tree of medium size,, is called in the environs of Bombay “ rhete ”
(Graham), in Bengalee “ buro-reetha,” in Cañara “ aratavala,” in Telinga “ konkoodoo,” m Tamil
“ poovandie ” or “ ponnanga ” (Drury) ; was observed by Gibson, and Graham, about villages from
Guzerat to Bombay and the Deccan, the nuts “ used medicinally ” and “ for washing the finer kinds
of silk ; ” is known to occur also in Mysore, the Northern Circars, and Bengal (Roxb., AmsL, Wight,
and Drury). By European colonists, or at least recently, was carried to Burmah, where according to
Mason v. p. 517 it “ appears to flourish.”
Cyanella Capensis of Austral Africa. Eaten by the Hottentots — (Thunb.). Transported to
Europe, described by the younger Linnæus, Andrews pl. 191, and Jacquin hort. 111. pl. 35.
Vieusseuxia edulis of Austral Africa. An Iris-like plant, the bulbous root eaten by the Hottentots
— and when cooked having the taste of potatoes (Burm., and Thunb. iii. i). Transported to
Eur’ope V edulis is described by Delarbre, Linnæus, Andrews pl. 83, and Jacquin hort. 111. pl. 20.
Gladiolusplicatus of Austral Africa. Eaten there, — according to Thunberg. Transported to
Europe, described by Jacquin rar. ii. pl. 237, and Gawler. , , , , z-n 1
Aéonooeíon distachyon of Austral Africa. Its tuberous root broiled and eaten there — (Thunb
iii. I , and Pers.). Transported to Europe, A. distachyon is described by the younger Linnæus, and
Alton p. 495 ; and has become naturalized in a stream near Montpellier (Godron, and A. Dec.).
Lobelia of Austral Africa. The root eaten by the Hottentots — (Thunb ). , „
Mesembryanthemum edule of Austral Africa. Growing in the sand of the seashore, the fruit
eaten, and the juice employed medicinally - (Herm. lugd. pl. 24s, Thunb. iii. 2, and Pers.). Transp
o r te d to Europe, described by Dillenius pl. 212. 1 *1, tJ ) r ro
Mesembryanihemum emarcidum of Austral Africa. The flowers eaten by the Hottentots to
quench thirst— (Thunb.). Transported to Europe, described by Haworth.
Albuca major of Austral Africa. The stem chewed by the Hottentots to quench thirst - (Thunb.).
Transported to Europe, flowered in 1633 at Paris and was termed “ o rn ith o g a l^ luteovirens by
Cornuli pl. 161 ; and as cultivated elsewhere, is described by Morison iv. pl. 24, Dryander act. holm.
1784, and Jacquin rar. pl. 36. , „ • , 1
Hernias gigantea of Austral Africa. A large Umbelliferous plant used for tinder by the Hottento
t s— (Thunb.) : corresponding therefore to the Ferula communis emifioyed i i0 h e Mediterranean
countries by Prometheus. From transported specimens, PI. gigantea is described by the younger
Linnæus suppl. p. 435- and Lamarck enc. iii. p. 121.
Anthyllis of Austral Africa. Cords made of the bark by the Hottentots — (Thunb.).
Fuctls buccinalis of the sea-margin of Austral Africa. A gigantic seaweed, furnishing the Hottentots
with trumpets. , .
Rhus of Austral Africa. The wood employed for bows by the Hottentots — (Thunb,).
Aloe dichotonia of Austral Africa. Furnishing the Hottentots with quivers for their arrows —
(Patters, iter. pl. 3 to 5, and Thunb.).
“ 604, Jan. 2 i s t ” (Astronom. can., and Clint.), Nabopolassar succeeded by Nebuchadnezzar, as
king at Babylon. He built the celebrated wall around the city (Abyden., and others, see also Dan.
iv. 30) ; was the first Babylonian king who “ acquired extensive dominion ; ” and reigned “ forty-
three ” years (according to Alex. Polyhistor, and the Astronom. can.).
“ The same year,” on the “ fourteenth day of the Ninth month ” (Pauth. p. i n ) , “ in the kingdom
of Thsou ” (now the provinces of Hou-pe and Hou-nan), birth of Lao-tseu, founder of the doc- ,
trine of Tao. — The Tao-te-king, written by him and containing his doctrines, has been translated by
Pauthier. t t j 1 ■
In this year ( = 552 + “ 52 years reign ” of the Mahavamsi i. p. 28), accession of the Hindu king
Bimsara.
603 B. C. = “ Sth year of Necho,” in tablets at Hammamat — (Birch).
“ May 17th ” (Bayer, Hales, and Clint, i. p. 419), eclipse o f the sun. Probably the one interrupting
a battle on the Halys between the Medes under Cyaxares and Lydians under Alyattes, and terminating
the war. The eclipse had been predicted by Thales (Herodot. i. 74).
Thales learned geometry and astronomy in Egypt, at this time considered the school of philosophy
and source of all learning and science (Plut. is. x., and Leps. eg. and sin. p. 384) ; he first
among the Greeks “ found out the passage of the sun fromTropick to Tropick,” and divided the year
into “ fou r” seasons (Eudem., and D. Laert. i. 23). He also thought the gods omnipresent, That
all things are filled with them (Aristot. psych, i. 5). . . .
601 B. C. ( = 598 — “ 3 years ” of 2 K. xxiv. i, see also Ezek. xxi. 21), the Babylonian king
Nebuchadnezzar having arrived “ at the parting of the way,” used divination by means of arrows, he
also “ consulted with images, he looked in the liver ” (haruspicium of the Romans), and was directed
to Jerusalem. — Divination with arrows is practised among the Arabians to the present day, and foe
arrows “ acdah ” are described by D ’Herbelot as “ without head or wing, they took three on which
they wrote is t ‘ command me Lord,’ on foe 2d ‘ forbid me lord,’ the 3d blank ” (J. Roberts introd. Sakaa
Thevan in Orient, transl. lond.).
Erinna about fois time composing poetry. She was known to Sappho, but “ died at the age of
nineteen” — (Sm. b. d.). , 1 i
Carthamus lanatus of foe Mediterranean countries. A thistle-like plant called m Italy ‘ scardic-
c ion e ” or “ ceceprete ” (Lenz), in Greece “ atraxule” (Sibth.), or “ tes gunaikas t’atrahti ” (Fraas),
by the prophets “ aphSthros,” in Egyptian “ hen6 ” (Syn. Diosc.) ; and doubtless known to Erinna
when she entitled one of her poems HVAKATH distaff the term “ atraktos ” is used for distaff
by Herodotus iv. 162: the “ knekou agrias ” according to Theophrastus vi. 4. 5 more upright than
the “ emSrb” kind and used by the women of antiquity for a distaff, is identified through Syn. Diosc.
with the “ atraktulis ” of Dioscorides, resembling “ knikb ” though much smaller, leafy at foe summit
but the greater part naked and rough, used for an “ atraktou ” by women : C. lanatus was observed
by Sibthorp, Chaubard, and Fraas, frequent from Crete and the Peloponnesus to Cyprus : Westward,
the “ knikos a g r ia ” or “ atraktulis” or “ anuiron” or “ aspithion’Ms further identified in Syn. Diosc.
with the “ pi-gsSpibum ” or “ phoiis6ugr6ttis ” or “ klonouka roustika” of the Romans ; but the
account by Pliny xxi. 53 to 107 of the “ cnicon silvestris ” with rigid stem employed in ancient times
for a distaff and therefore by some called atractylida,” seems taken from the Greek : C. lanatus is
described by Matthioli p. 593 (Spreng.), and Lobel pl. 13 ; is termed “ cnicus atractylis lutea dictus ”
by Tournefort inst. 451 ; was observed by Lenz frequent in Italy, by Forskal near Marseilles, and
is known to occur in waste places in other parts of Southern France (Dec. fi. fr., and Pers.).
Carlina corymbosa of the Mediterranean countries. Having general resemblance to the preceding,
and also called in Greece “ atraxule,” but sometimes “ atraklutha ” or “ sumlaga” (Sibth.) ; and
p'o"ssibly a distaff-thistle, — the “ knekou agrias ” having according to Theophrastus black “ karpon ”
seeds : C. corymbosa was observed by Sibthorp, Chaubard, and Fraas, abounding from foe Peloponnesus
throughout the Greek islands to mount Athos. Westward, is termed “ c. umbellata apula ” by
Tournefort hist. 500; and is known to grow in Carniolia, Italy, Barbary, and as far as France (Pers.).
“ Sept. 20th.” On the “ first day of foe Seventh month in the 6th year of Ting-wang ” (Khoung-
tseu, Gaubil, and Pauth. 108), eclipse o f ihe sun.
One hundred and eleventh generation. Jan. ist, 600, mostly beyond youth : the Chinese philos-
opher Lie-tseu (Pauth. p. 96) : foe prophet Obadiah : the Greek poets, Damophyle, Stesichorus,
Chersias of Orchomenos, and Sacadas.
4. 2)
“ The same year ” ( = 480 + “ 120 years ” of Scymn. and Clint., see also Herodot., and Strab. iii.
Massalia or Marseilles founded by colonists from Phocaea in Asia Minor. The Phocaeans
according to Herodotus, were the first Greeks who made long sea-voyages, as far as “ Spain and Tar-
tessus ; ” and according to Strabo, Maenaca near Malaga was their most Western settlement. — Their
colonial descendants of Massalia soon became powerful enough to defeat the Carthaginians in a naval
combat, mentioned by Thucydides i. 13.