470 Professor Renwick on 



The former determination, of 2998 B.C., is, however, suffi- 

 cient for our purpose. The family of Noah was speedily dis- 

 united, in consequence of the filial irreverence of Ham, and 

 a curse was pronounced by the indignant parent on the end 

 of the latter. Hence it requires no effort of reason to believe 

 that Ham speedily sought the country that became his apanage. 

 This is perfectly consistent with scripture, for Egypt took its 

 name from Misraim, who was three generations prior to Peleg, 

 in whose days the confusion of tongues took place. In this 

 branch of the family, too, life was more speedily reduced to 

 the present standard than in that of Shem, as is evident, from 

 the astonishment with which the longevity of Jacob was re- 

 garded in Egypt. 



If seventy years be allowed to a generation among the de- 

 scendants of Ham, the third, whom we have held to be Athothes, 

 would have been of the age of seventy-four in the year 2782, 

 B.C., or 216 years after the flood ; and of course competent to 

 the highest exertion of his mental energies. This rapid de- 

 crease in longevity in Egypt is evident, from the dynasties of 

 Manetho, the first king, having a reign of sixty-two years ; 

 the second Athothes, of fifty-seven ; while the third falls off to 

 thirty-one : this, if we allow one hundred to Misraim, or thirty 

 less than to his cotemporary, Arphaxad, will correspond with 

 seventy years to a generation, at a mean rate. Thus, then, 

 the origin of the Egyptian year, in 2782 B.C., is fully consistent 

 with the best supported text of scripture, and even agrees in a 

 most remarkable, and I believe hitherto unnoticed, manner 

 with its genealogies. 



III. The third mode of determining the epoch of Egyptian 

 chronology, is derived from a passage of Biot, in relation to the 

 groupe of zodiacal stars, in which the sun is situated at the 

 time of the heliacal rising of Sirius. This it may be as well 

 to cite, particularly as it contains quotations that bear upon 

 other parts of my argument. 



Speaking of the work in the Greek language, which bears 

 the name of Horus Apollo, he says *, * The low antiquity of this 



* Recherches sur plusieurs points tie 1' Astronomic Egyptienne, Paris, 1823, 

 p, 203. 



