A second series of the Manners and customs of the ancient Egyptians, including their religion, agriculture, &c Volume 2 - Softcover

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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1841 Excerpt: ...of the priests themselves, and constituted one of the principal articles of food throughout the country. The pelican is sometimes eaten by the modern Egyptians; but it is very coarse and strong, and requires much cooking, to overcome the greasy properties of its flesh, and we cannot be surprised at the ordinance which forbade it to the Israelites. Its Hebrew name is Kath; and it is now commonly known in Egypt as the Gemmal el Bahr, or "camel of the river." FABULOUS BIRDS. Among fabulous birds, the Phoenix holds the first place; but this I have already mentioned t, as well as the Baietht, and the vulture with a snake's head.§ In confirmation of what I have before observed of the Phoenix representing a periodical revolution, I may state, that the Egyptian name seems to be III-ENEg, or £ENE?, signifying "sceculum," or a "period of years." Hawks were often represented with the heads of rams and men. Levit. xi. 18. Deut. xiv. 17. Pliny also tells a strange tale about the pelican, which he calls Platea. (x. 40.; and Aristot. viii. 12.) + Vide supra. Vol. I. (2d Series) p. 303. 307. J Vide supra, p. 209.; and Vol. I. (2d Series) p. 242. j Vide supra, p. 45. REPTILES. Tortoise. A tortoise-headed God occurs as one of the Genii, in the tombs; but it does not appear that the tortoise held a rank among the sacred animals of Egypt. The Crocodile. The crocodile, as has been already shown t, was peculiarly sacred to the God Savak. Its worship did not extend to every part of Egypt; some places considering it the representative of the Evil Being, and bearing the most deadly animosity to it, which led to serious feuds between neighbouring towns. Such was the cause of the quarrel of the Ombites and Tentyrites described by Juvenal t; and...