and to have their habitation among them. Literally, the "satyrs" are "hairy ones,”—a descriptive epithet, which is applicable to beasts of the field generally. The "dragons" of Isaiah (ch. xiii. 22) and Jeremiah (ch. li. 37) should be serpents, which have not been noted recently as lurking among the "heaps." Sir J. Maundeville, however, tells us that in his day-the early part of the fourteenth century-the site of Babylon was "fulle of dragons and grete serpentes," as well as of" dyverse other veneymouse bestes alle abouten." It is possible that the breed of serpents has died out in Lower Mesopotamia; it is equally possible that it exists, but has been hitherto overlooked by travellers.3

On the whole, it is submitted to the reader's judgment whether the prophetic announcements of Holy Scripture, as to what was to befall Babylon, are not almost as important evidence of the truth of the Scripture record as the historical descriptions. The historical descriptions have to be compared with the statements of profane writers, which may or may not be true statements. The prophetical declarations can be placed side by side with actual tangible facts-facts which it is impossible to gainsay, facts whereto each fresh observer who penetrates into Lower Mesopotamia is an additional witness. Travellers to the site

2 Quoted by Ker Porter ("Travels," vol. ii., p. 336).

3 If the true interpretation of the word used be (as some think) "jackals," the statement made would be one of those fulfilled most clearly.

of Babylon, even when in no respect religious men, are, if they have the most moderate acquaintance with Scripture, penetrated with a deep feeling of astonishment at the exactness of the agreement between the announcements made two thousand five hundred years ago and the actual state of things which they see with their eyes. The fate denounced against Babylon has been accomplished, not only in all essential points, but even in various minute particulars. The facts cannot be disputed-there they are. While historical evidence loses force the further we are removed from the events recorded, the evidence of fulfilled prophecy continually gains in strength as the ages roll on in their unceasing course; and the modern searcher after truth possesses proofs of the trustworthiness of the Word of God which were denied to those who lived at an earlier period.

CHAPTER XIII.

NOTICES OF EGYPT IN GENESIS.

"The sons of Ham: Cush, and Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan " (Gen. x. 6). "And Mizraim begat Ludim, and Ananim, and Lehabim, and Naphtuhim, and Pathrusim, and Casluhim (out of whom came Philistim), and Caphtorim.”—Vers. 13, 14.

THESE are the first notices of Egypt which occur in Holy Scripture. The word Mizraim, which is here simply transliterated from the Hebrew (), is elsewhere, except in 1 Chron. i. 8, uniformly translated by "Egypt," or "the Egyptians." It undoubtedly designates the country still known to us as Egypt; but the origin of the name is obscure. There is no term corresponding to it in the hieroglyphical inscriptions, where Egypt is called "Kam," or "Khem," "the Black (land)," or "Ta Mera," "the inundation country." The Assyrians, however, are found to have denominated the region "Muzur," or "Musr," and the Persians "Mudr," or "Mudraya," a manifest corruption. The present Arabic name is "Misr"; and it is quite possible that these various forms represent some ancient Egyptian word, which was in use among the people, though not found in the hieroglyphics. The

Hebrew "Mizraim" is a dual word, and signifies "the two Mizrs," or "the two Egypts," an expression readily intelligible from the physical conformation of the country, which naturally divides itself into "Upper" and “Lower Egypt," the long narrow valley of the Nile, and the broad tract, known as the Delta, on the Mediterranean.

We learn from the former of the two passages quoted above that the Egyptian people was closely allied to three others, viz., the Cushite or Ethiopian race, the people known to the Hebrews as " Phut," and the primitive inhabitants of Canaan. The ethnic connection of ancient races is a matter rarely touched on by profane writers; but the connection of the Egyptians with the Canaanites was asserted by Eupolemus,' and a large body of classical tradition tends to unite them with the Ethiopians. The readiness with which Ethiopia received Egyptian civilization2 lends support to the theory of a primitive identity of race; and linguistic research, so far as it has been pursued hitherto, is in harmony with the supposed close connection.

From the other passage (Gen. x. 13, 14) we learn that the Egyptians themselves were ethnically separated into a number of distinct tribes, or subordinate races, of whom the writer enumerates no fewer than

seven.

The names point to a geographic separation

1 See a fragment of Eupolemus quoted by Polyhistor in C. Müller's "Fr. Hist. Græc.," vol. iii., p. 212, Fr. 3.

2 Herod. ii. 30.

of the races, since they have their representatives in different portions of the Egyptian territory. Now this separation accords with, and explains, the strongly marked division of Egypt into "nomes," having conflicting usages and competing religious systems. It suggests the idea that the "nome" was the original territory of a tribe, and that the Egyptian monarchy grew up by an aggregation of nomes, which were not originally divisions of a kingdom, like counties, but distinct states, like the kingdoms of the Heptarchy. This is a view taken by many of the historians of ancient Egypt, derived from the facts as they existed in later times. It receives confirmation and explanation from the enumeration of Egyptian races-not a complete one, probably-which is made in this passage.

"Abram went down into Egypt, to sojourn there . And it came to pass that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman (Sarai) that she was very fair. The princes also of Pharaoh saw her and commended her before Pharaoh; and the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house. And he entreated Abram well for her sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and he-asses, and men-servants, and maid-servants, and she-asses, and camels. And the LORD plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues, because of Sarai, Abram's wife. And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, What is this that thou hast done unto me? Why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife? Why saidst thou, She is my sister? So I might have taken her to me to wife: now therefore behold thy wife, take her, and go thy way. And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him: and they sent him away, and his wife, and all that he had."—GEN. xii. 10–20.

The early date of this notice makes it peculiarly interesting. Whether we take the date of Abraham's