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1^ 8 CH R O N O LO G IC A L A R R A N G EM E N T
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end “ tumido cucurbita ventre,” by Pliny xix. 24 as used to hold water as well as wine and sometimes
‘ ‘ novem pedum longitudinis ” nine feet long : “ calabazas ” are enumerated by Herrara in 1513 as cultivated
in Spain ; L. vulgaris is described by Ruellius, Brunfels iii. 189, and Lobel ; was observed by
I-'orskal in gardens at Constantinople, by Bory under cultivation in several varieties in the Peloponnesus,
and by myself its cooked fruit in Mediterranean steamships. Southward from Egypt, was
observed by Forskal under' cultivation in Yemen ; by myself, at Muscat, and ascertained at Zanzibar
to be cultivated by Negro tribes as far inland as N ’Yasa lake. Eastward, is mentioned in the Institutes
of Manu (transl. Deslongch.) ; is called in Sanscrit ‘iu la v a ” or “ ulavoo ” (Roxb., and Pidd.),
in Bengalee “ lau ” or “ kadu,” in Hindustanee “ petha ” or “ kumdha ” or “ lauki ” or “ kadu ” (D'roz.),
in the environs of Bombay “ hurrea kuddoo ” the fruit “ of great importance to^ the natives as an
article of food ” (Graham) ; was observed by Rheede viii. pl. i in Malabar, cultivated and growing
spontaneously; and a bitter kind called in Sanscrit “ kutoo-toombee,” growing in the humid forest
near Deyra Doon in Eastern Hindustan, is regarded as indigenous by Roxburgh, and Royle him. p.
218. Farther East, was observed by Mason “ e xo tic ” in Burmah and called “ boo-hsen-sway ; ” by
Loureiro p. 728 in Cochinchina ; by Van Braam in China (A. Dec.) ; by Kaempfer, and Thunberg,
in Japan and called “ fe o ” or usually “ nari finan go;” by Blanco on the Philippines, and called m
Tagalo “ tabayag” and one variety “ o p o ; ” by Rumphius v. pl. 144 under cultivation on the Moluccas
; by myself, from the Malayan archipelago to New Zealand and throughout the Feejeean, Tongan,
Taheitian, and Plawaiian islands, aboriginally introduced and cultivated ; but the variety with giant
fruit, the shell substituted for casks and trunks, confined to the last-named locality. Eastward from
the Polynesian Groups, a peculiar variety with small yellow depressed fruit was observed by myself
in debris of the Ancient Peruvian cemetery at Pachicamac, also recent in the Lima market ; L. vulgaris
was already in the West Indies when first visited by Columbus (F. Columb. 24), and “ cala-
b a ças ” of all the forms known in Spain were cultivated in the West Indies and Nicaragua in the days
of Oviedo nat. hyst. 80 and gen. hist. vii. 8. . u
1248 B. C. ( = 1281 — “ 33 yrs.” of Diodorus i. 58), end of the reign of Ramessu I I I . He
appeals to have been the “ king of E g y p t” who “ sought to slay Moses” - ( e x . ii. 15 and 23 to iv. 19).
Armais the expelled brother was called by the Greeks Danaus, and Egypt derived its name from
Ramëssës (Manetho in Jos. c. A. i. 15, meaning of course its Oriental name “ Musserà” ). Confirmation
is found in Gen. xlvii. 11, and in the Greek traditionary account of the hero Aiguptos
Ramëssës therefore limits the antiquity of the Mizraim of the Hebrews, and Ermes or Hermes of
the Greeks. , . , „
A llium Dioscoridis of the East Mediterranean countries. The “ môlu with milk-white flowers
and black root indicated by Ermes for protection against enchantments — (Horn. od. x. 305, and Phn.
XXV 8) described by Theophrastus ix. 15. 7 as growing about Pheneum and Cyllene with scilla-hke
leaves and a round onion-like root, by Dioscorides as having grass-like leaves spreading on the
vround from a small bulbous root and a slender stem four cubits high and garhc-like at the summit,
Ts referred here by Sibthorp : A. Dioscoridis was observed by him in shaded bushy places from Mysia
in Asia Minor to Cyprus, its stem sometimes three to four cubits high, flowers white somewhat resembling
those of Peganum harmala, in accordance with the statement of Dioscorides 111. 46, but
there are no specimens for verification. ^ ,
Peoanum harmala of the Desert and its Northern border from the' Atlantic to Hindustan.
C a lle d ln Greece “ vrômôsëuërkôs ” (Fraas) or “ vromôhôrtarô,” or by the Turks “ yserlich,” in
Evypt “ Mialget ed dib ” or “ harmal ” (Forsk.), in which we recognize the “ armala ” identified in
Syn Diosc with the “ ëpnôuvôu ” of the Egyptians, “ vesasa ” of the Syrians, “ móki ” of the Cap-
padocians and Galatians, - and “ pëganôn agrión ” having according to Dioscorides many stems from
one root, strong-scented leaves, and white flowers : the “ v ësasa” according to Galen comp. med. loc.
ix p 257 is seed of the “ agriou pëganôu ” growing in Syria and called there “ armala:” P. harmala
was observed by Forskal, and Delile, in the Desert from Alexandria as far as Cairo, and Belon
found its seeds used continually by the Arabs as a safeguard against evil Spirits ; was observed by
P'orskal, Sibthorp, Chaubard, and Fraas, from Crete and the Peloponnesus as far as Tenedos.
We.suvard, the “ pëganôn agrión” is identified in Syn. Diosc. with the “ hóurma” of the Numidians;
P. harmala is termed “ harmala” by Tournefort inst. 257; is known to grow in Italy, Sardinia,
Alo-eria, and Spain (Pers., and A. Dec.). Eastward from Syria, is known to grow around the
Caspian, and from the Crimea to the Ural mountains near Lat. 51°, and the Alatau mount»ins in
Tartary (Ledeb.); to Northern Hindustan (Royle), and within the Tropics “ in considerable
abundance on the ruins of Beejapoor,” regarded by Graham as possibly “ introduced by the
JVIuselmen ? ” r-
Mercurialis annua of the Mediterranean countries. Called in Britain drench mercury, in Germany
“ bingelkraut” or “ kuwartz,” in Old French “ cagarelle” (A. Dec.), in Italy “ mercorella” or
“ mercuriale” (Lenz), in Greece “ skarôlahanôn ” or “ skullolahanon ” (Sibth.), in which we re co p iz e
the “ ërva mërkôurialis ” identified in Syn. Diosc. with the “ aphlôphô ” of the Egyptians, said to
have been discovered by Mercury or Ermes — and hence sometimes called “ hermupoan ” by the
Greeks (Plin. xxv. 18) ; the “ linözöstis ” is mentioned by Euryphon 2 morb. 12 to 77; by Dioscorides
as a span or more high with twin rounded fruit and laxative when eaten as a potherb ; is identified
in the added Synonyms with the “ ërmôu vötaniön ” or “ parthëniôn ; ” and by Ebn Baitar with
the “ h a lb u b :” M. annua is mentioned also by Averrhoes, and Moses Charras (F. Adams) ; was
observed by Delile at Alexandria on the Mediterranean border of Eg yp t; by Hasselquist in Palestine;
and by Forskal, Sibthorp, Chaubard, and Fraas, in waste places and cultivated ground from
Cyprus and the Peloponnesus to Marmora. Westward, the “ linözöstis ” is identified in Syn. Diosc.
with the “ asôumës ” of the Numidians ; and the “ herba mercurialis ” is enumerated by Cato as both
medicinal and esculent: M. annua is mentioned by Turner as seen by him in Germany and beginning
to be cultivated in Britain, where it has since become naturalized (Plill, and Bromfield phytol. for
1850) ; is described also by Valerius Cordus, Dalechamp (Spreng.), Bauhin hist., and Tournefort
inst 534; was observed by Lenz frequent in Italy; and is'known to occur in waste places and cultivated
ground throughout middle Europe (Pers.).
In this year therefore Ramessu I II. succeeded by his son Ramessu IV. Hikma. A
portrait of Ramessu IV. is sculptured on the walls of Karnak. His name occurs also
on other temples at Medinet Abu and Elephantine, and on moveable articles — now
in the museums of Europe.
____ 1247 B. C. = “ 2d year of Ramessu IV .,” at Hammamat— (Birch).
In this year ( = 1 197 + “ 50 years ” of Castor in Euseb. i. p. 134, the three displaced or duplicated
reigns “ 40 + 50 -j- 40 ” being omitted, see also Isocr. panath. p. 258 d., and Apollod. iii.
14. i), Amphictyon succeeded Iry Erichthonius, fifth Attic king. The Panathenæa were instituted by
Erichthonius (Hellan., and Androt.).
1244 B. C. = “ 5th year of Ramessu IV.,” on the monuments — (Leps. k. tab. p. 19).
1243 B. C. ( = “ 240 years before the building of Solomon’s temple ” of Josephus a. J. viii. 3. i),
the city of Tsor or Tyre founded. Being a seaport, merchant ships sailing thence and commerce
upon the Mediterranean are implied. — The city of Tyre inexistence at the time of the Lsraelitish
conquest of Palestine, and mentioned in Josh. xix. 29. Tyre is also mentioned by Ezekiel, and
Herodotus ii. 43 ; was captured by Alexander, an event followed by the establishment of a rival emporium
Alexandria, yet continued “ the first commercial city of the E a s t ” in the time of Hieronymus,
and in a flourishing condition until the discovery of America and of the route around Africa
into the Indian Ocean. A town continues in existence on the site ; but there is shelter for small vessels
only (see Sm. geogr. diet.).
Cassia senna of the Tropical portion of the Desert from the Atlantic to Hindustan. Called in
Egypt “ sena gebely ” of the Desert, or “ s. be led y ” o r “ s. baharaouy ” (Del.) or “ s. Hedjazi ” or
“ s. M e ck i” (Forsk.), in which we recognize the burning “ snë ” seen on mount Horeb by Moses —
(ex. iii. 2, and deut. xxxiii. 6) : C. senna was observed by Forskal in the Desert Eastward from
Cairo ; by myself, just beyond the tide-flow at the Northern extreme of the Red Sea. Southward
and Westward, by Delile in Upper Eg yp t; by Oudney in Central A fr ica ; and is known to grow from
Nubia to the Cape Verd Islands (Lindl). Eastward from Sinai, was observed by Burn growing
“ abundantly in various localities in Goozerat” and called “ mendie aw l” (Graham) ; is known to
grow also as far as the “ high dry uncultivated lands of Mysore ” (Roxb., W a ll, and Wight). The
dried leaves are imported into France under the names of “ sénë de T r ip o li” or “ s. de Barbarie”
(D e l ) ; are “ the inferior senna known by the name of Aleppo and Italian,” and Lindley further
states that the living plant has been introduced into the West Indies.
In reference to tlie account in ex. ix. 23 to 34, it may be observed, that thunder and hail are not
entirely unknown in E g y p t .— A “ hailstorm” was experienced by Lepsius (eg. and sin. p. 53 and
119) in Lower Egypt, at the pyramids at Gizeh ; and a “ violent thunder-storm,” even at the Southern
extreme of Egypt “ at Assuan ” (see Ai 11.).
A t this time, “ rh ë ” hand-mills in use for grinding corn: mentioned by Moses ex. xi. 5 — and
num. xi. 8 ; also by Isaiah xlvii. 2, and Matthew xxiv. 41, and to the present day 1 found them in use
in Yemen and farther East.
Capparis spinosa of Tropical and Subtropical Arabia. The caper bush is called in Italy “ cap-
pero ” (Lenz), in Greece “ kapparia ” (Sibth.) or “ rimoniaria,” in Egypt “ kabbar,” in Yemen “ lasaf ”
(Forsk.), around mount Sinai “ alsef ” (Burkhardt) ; and the “ azwb ” for striking blood on the door
posts in the night appointed for the Passover, — further met with by Moses lev. xiv. 4 to 52 and num.
xix. 6 to 18 in the Sinai peninsula, and of which Solomon spoke as springing “ out of the w a ll” at
Jerusalem ( i K. iv. 33), also the “ ussöpös ” that furnished a stick at the Crucifixion (John xix. 29),
are referred here by Royle (Kitt. bibl. cycl. ii. p. 976) : C. spinosa was observed by Forskal p. 99 on
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