Thót’s invention may have been at first communicated to but few individuals, serving as a means
of gaining a living, — like the profession of a writer in Eastern countries to the present day.
3811 B. C. ( = 3649 -|- “ 162 years ” of Gen. v. i8, Sept. vers., Jos., Theoph,, and Afr.), Jared.
The writings called the “ Books of Th6t ” were composed before the reign of Menes (Diodor.,
and Clem. Ale.x.). The inventor of writing may not have been himself an author, but the work named
after him probably included some prshistoric literature:— ior various nations unacquainted with the
art of writing are found to possess annals, legends, and poetry, orally transmitted ; in some instances
by regularly appointed guardians.
Fifteenth generation. Jan. 1st, 3S00, among living men :
The same year ( = 3802 in calendar years = 3055 J - “ 19S -)- 297 + 252 ” in the Euseb.-Maneth.
table), a date possibly marking some event.
In Upper Egypt, the city of This already in existence, for Menes was born there. — Abydos, by
some writers regarded identical, is mentioned as a distinct city on a coin of Hadrian, and by Stepha-
nus Byzantinus ; situated however in the same neighbourhood.
Potamoqeton crispus of the Temperate portions of the Eastern continent. Called in Italy “ pota-
mogeto” (Targ., and Lenz), in rvhich we recognize the “ potamogetón” used in Egypt for protection
in hunting crocodiles (Plin. xxvi. 33 and xxxii. 19) as early perhaps as this date : — P. crispus was
observed by Delile in Lower Egypt, from Cairo to Rosetta. Farther North, was observed by Sibthorp,
and Fraas, from Thessaly to Constantinople ; is known to grow also along the Taurian mountains
and as far in Siberia as the Angara (Bieb., and Gmel.). Westward, is termed “ p. foliis crispis
sive lactuca ranarum ” by Tournefort inst. 233 ; is known to grow in Italy and throughout middle and
Northern Europe as far as Sweden and Iceland (fl. Dan. pl. 927, Curt. Lond. v. pl. 15, and Hook.).
Is known to grow also in the Southern Hemisphere, in Australia (Wats., and A. Dec.).
Potamoqeton natans of Temperate climates. Called in Britain with other species waier-spike
(Prior), in Italy “ verniera ” (Lenz), in Greece “ nérSphulli ” (Fraas) ; and possibly the “ potamogetón
” in question and Egyptian “ é th é g is ” — of Syn. D ios c.: P. natans has not been found in
Egypt, but was received by Fresenius from Abyssinia, was observed by Forskal in watery places
among the mountains of Yemen, and is known to grow in Hindustan (A. Dec.). Farther North, the
“ potamogéiton ” growing according to Dioscorides in pools and watery places, the leaf beet-like and
incumbent or slightly eminent upon the water, is referred here by writers : P. natans is known to
grow in Siberia (Wats.), and was observed by Sibthorp, Chaubard, and Fraas, in the rivers of Crete
and the Peloponnesus. Westward, the “ potamógéitón ” or “ stahuiten ” is identified in Syn. Diosc.
witli the “ phontilis ” or “ phlourainalis ” of the Romans, and Pliny’s description of the “ potamogetón
” seems chiefly taken from Dioscorides: P. natans is described by Fuchsius p. 651 ; is termed
“ p. rotundifolium” by Tournefort inst. 233 ; is known to grow in Italy, Barbary, Madeira, the Azores-,
and throughout Europe as far as Lapland and Iceland (fl. Dan. pl. 1025, Hook., Desk, Lemann, and
Wats.). Farther West, is known to grow from the Atlantic coast of North America to Arkansas (A.
Gray, and Nutt ), and to Norfolk Sound on the Pacific (Mert.). And in the Southern Hemisphere,
in Chili, New Zealand, Tasmania, Australia, and Austral Africa (Gay, and A. Dec.),
S a lix subserrata of tlie Upper Nile. A willow called in Egypt “ safsaf baelledi ” (Forsk.), in
Egyptian “ thór ” or “ thSri ” (transl. Sept., and Kirch.) and its timber “ v6 thSri ” or “ vó ntóré ” —
(ms. Borg.) : clustering young shoots to all appearance indigenous wére observed by myself on the
river-brink near Shekh Said, in about Lat. 26° 20', and the species was recognized by my attendant
as frequent in Dongola, his native country. Was observed by Forskal to be sensitive to cold “ impa-
tiens frigoris ” no farther North than the gardens of Lower Egypt ; where also it was seen by Delile.
I II. TH E K IN G S OF TH E E A R TH , OR E A R L Y K IN G S OF E G Y P T .
3769 B. C. ( = 3770 in calendar years =; 2953 30 -j- “ 66 -|- 63 -j- 29 -)- 214 302 -f- 26
18 -|- 26 -j- 20 -(- 23 ” years in the Afr.-Maneth. table = 2498 -j- “ 203 -)- 448 -|- 198 -[- 297
252 — 60 — 27 — 39 ” years in the Euseb.-Maneth. table), the date assigned to the fourtli
king of Egypt, but probably marking the accession of the first king Menés. — “ Sixty-two”
years are assigned to his reign in tlie Afr.-Maneth. table, and by Eratosthenes ; “ s ix t y ” in
the Euseb.-Maneth. table ; and he is mentioned by Plerodotus, Josephus, and other Greek writers.
No contemporaneous monuments are known: but his name occurs in genealogical tablets of later
times, at Sakkarah, Thebes, and in the Turin papyrus ; also on amulets.
■ The canal Bahr Yusuf (according to Wilkinson Theb. and Eg. p, 341) is also called “ EI Menhi ”
or “ Menhee,” apparently from Mènes : an instance of permanence in a proper name altogether unexampled.
(Compare Herodot. ii. 99).
Menés led an army beyond the frontier of Egypt, and “ acquired renown: ” — confirmation is
..... I
found in the hieroglyphic oval of his successor; one of the characters being clearly a national emblem
or standard. It does not seem probable, that the first military campaigns extended any great
distance beyond the Sinai peninsula.
Sixteenth generation. May ist, 3767, among living men : j
The founding of the city of Memphis is also attributed to Menes — (Herodot. 1. 105) . and some
confirmatory evidence will be remarked under the succeeding reign.
“ 2761 vernal equinox ” (Nicolas, one mode of reckoning the birth of Jared corresponding ^ r y
nearly 2348 -4- “ 187 + 65 -4- 162 years ” of Gen. v. i8 to 25 and Josephus = 3762), the Mundane
! ! N f ’ the Jews : t h e i / w T r « beginning in the following October. - The Mundane era (according
to Steinschneider ii. 10) is first mentioned by Sabbatai Donolo. The current reckomng coreespondy
the “ Feast of the Passover ” being celebrated in A. D. 1857 “ on the evening of the 8th of April,
“ which is the 15th day of the Jewish month Nisan, of their year 5617 ” (Boston newspapei), -|- i
i8i;7 = 3761 B. C. (See Hillel Hanassi). . . . , »
3741 B. C. ( = 3742 in calendar years = 3715 + “ 27 ” = 3055 + “ 198 4 - 297 + 252 - 60 1 of the Euseb*-Maneth. table), Menes succeeded by his son Athòthis, second king of Egypt :
- t o whose reign “ fifty-nine” years are assigned by Eratosthenes. No contemporaneous
I monuments are known : - but tlie hieroglyphic oval of king Athot occurs in the genealogical
table in the Turin papyrus (Leps. k. pl. 5 and 9).
Seventeenth generation. Sept. ist, 3734, among living men : , , , «
■ Athòthis built a “ royal mansion ” at Memphis (Maneth.) ; whether of wood, fooken stone, or of
dobi (sun-dried brick), we are not informed; probably, of the last-named material. The change m
rottao-e-architecture to windowless dome-shaped mud huts, took place prior to the invention of the
Phoenician alphabet (compare the letter “ thld ” or “ daleth ” ). A possible conneMon may be found
in the Hebrew name of Memphis “ mph ” (Hos. ix. 6), which seems the origin of mapMia (Lucan
iv. 684, and Hieronym. prolog. at Amos.) the Roman name of these dome-shaped mud huts, bu.lt to
the present day by the general population of Egypt.
Kiniz Athothis was of the medical profession, and wrote on anatomy — (Maneth.). Ot the Sa--
cred Books ” of the Egyptians known to Clemens Alexandrinus, “ s i x ” treated o i medicine. And
the Eowptian physicians continued in high repute in the time of Herodotus.
The healiim art being practised, traffic by land was in existence for procuring the drugs
or medicines of Egypt, a f pointedly alluded to by Homer; and to the present day, Egypt continues
in a eood measure the centre of the drug trade.
The procuring of perfumes and valuable gums, would naturally fall into the hands of the same
traders : — direct evidence of the importation of gums under the Tenth dynasty, is found m the
linincr of a mummy-case described by Birch (in Glidd. ot. Ægypt. Lond. i 849)- ^ .
The procurine of gems, may also have been included; though these were derived m some instances
from more distant countries : - different kinds of gems or precious stones are figured (according
to Champollion-Figeac anc. Eg. 208) in Tribute-processions under the Eighteenth
dynasty; are also mentioned in the Hebrew Scriptures.
3714 B C ( = 3715 in calendar years = 36S4 + “ 31 ” of the TiTr.-Maneth. talile = 3055 +
« iqs 4 - 297 + 252 — 60 — 27 ” of the Euseb.-Maneth. table), Athôtliis succeeded by his son
Kënkënës, third king of Egypt, In Eratosthenes’ List, he is called “ Athòthis II. ” with -
“ thirty-two ” years assigned to his reign.
Eighteenth generation. Jan. ist, 3700, among living men : , , ^
3683 B. C. ( = 3684 in calendar years = 3661 + “ 23 ” of the Afr.-Maneth. table), Ken-
kënës succeeded by his son Ouënëphës, fourth king of Egypt.
“ In the reign of Ouënëphës ” (Maneth.), a famine.
OugnSphes built pyramids at K6h6men — (Maneth.) : and these pyramids appear to have continued
a chronological landmark in after times. (The village of Lahoum, not far from the Labyrinth,
presents at least some similarity in name). , x x , -
According however to Mariette 76, the terraced pyramid at Sakkarah was built by Ougitophes.
It is nearly 394 feet square at base, by 196 feet liigh, has seven steps (like the Babylonian torvers), is
“ constructed of calcareous stone and granite ” without “ the minute care and finish of the p^amids
of the later dynasties,” and “ a sarcophagus and some other remains were discovered m it when
The htoroglyphic sign of the pyramid A probably not earlier than die reign of OuSniphes : - -
____________ rltTncict\it occurs under the Fourth dynasty, and rn nH i/_Jn
17, and k. pl. 5 to 12).
continues in-use under the Twelfth (Leps. d. ii. pi.
[ 1 i