350 Mr. Beke on the Complexion of the Ancient Egyptians. 



neighbour, Egypt. That Herodotus and other writers should 

 not in any manner allude to the separate existence of Mitzraim, 

 is, in reality, not more remarkable than that they should omit 

 all mention of either of the neighbouring kingdoms of Judah 

 and Israel ; whilst the corrections which have been made in 

 the early history of most nations, when they have been sub- 

 jected to the test of extensive research and severe criticism, 

 plainly show how little dependence is to be placed upon the 

 unsupported traditions and fables of native writers, who are 

 but too often found to be willing to enhance the antiquity and 

 glory of their country at the total sacrifice of the truth. 



The natural result of the union between the Egyptians and 

 Mitzrites would have been an amalgamation, to a certain ex- 

 tent, between the two races, and (as we see continually in- 

 stanced in the present day) the offspring of connexions be- 

 tween them would, in complexion and other physical charac- 

 ters, have been intermediate between the two parent stocks. 

 It may be added, that besides the partial change of colour 

 which would hence have ensued, many important alterations 

 in the customs of the Egyptians must necessarily have been 

 consequent upon their original subjection by the Mitzrites. 

 Among these is particularly to be mentioned the introduction 

 of the practice of embalming the dead ; a custom, which we 

 are expressly told was not of Ethiopian origin, (see Herod. 

 Thalia 24-. Diod. ii. 14. Strabo xviii. 23.) but which we know 

 to have been common among the Mitzrites as early as the 

 time of the patriarch Joseph. (See Gen, 1. 3. 26. 30.) A 

 corollary upon this will be, that no Egyptian mummies can be 

 of a date anterior to the Mitzritish invasion of Egypt, (circa 

 1000 b. c.) : many, nay, most, of those which have, up to 

 the present time, been brought to Europe, are manifestly of 

 the period of the Ptolemies only. 



But, in addition to the cause of variation in the colour of 

 the Egyptians which has already been mentioned, another 

 cause, and one of which the results would have been yet more 

 perceptible, had, about two centuries previously to the time 

 of Herodotus, begun to operate: this was the introduction of 

 Greek settlers by Psammeticus, and the encouragement which 

 was given to the immigration of that people during three 

 whole centuries previous to the accession of a Greek dynasty 

 to the throne. Subsequently to this latter event, and whilst, 

 during three centuries longer, the Ptolemies continued sove- 

 reigns of Egypt, the inducement to Greek settlers became still 

 greater; and thus, during the long period of six centuries 

 next preceding the commencement of the Christian a?ra, con- 

 tinual additions of European blood would have been made to 



