SEYFFARTH EGYPTIAN THEOLOGY. 55 



Egyptian Theology, according to a Paris Mu^mny -coffin. 

 By Prof. G. Seyffarth, D.D. 



The question concerning the signification of the deities of all 

 Pagan religions, especially those of the ancient Egyptians, has, 

 during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, been ventilated 

 in numberless works ; the results, however, are so different that 

 it would be impossible to answer the question decidedly had not 

 Providence spared the aforesaid inscription. 



In the first place, we have to specify the different sentiments of 

 modern Mythologists ; then we shall see what ancient authors 

 report in reference to Egyptian and other deities, and finally the 

 conclusive contents of our mummy-coffin may be brought to light. 



The oldest theory for explaining the nature of heathen gods is 

 termed fetishism. Its author presumed that the ancient gentiles, 

 not very different from brutes, worshipped, as the Hottentots are 

 still doing, vile objects of nature, because the latter were believed 

 to be invested with magic powers, either propitious or unpro- 

 pitious to the living. Hence the opinion originated that the 

 Egyptians took their sacred animals — e.g. Apis, Mnevis, Onu- 

 phis, crocodiles, cats, ibises, hawks, serpents — and other beasts, 

 of which mummies have been found in the catacombs, for their 

 deities. 



The adherents of natural philosophy guessed the pagan gods 

 to have represented in general different physical objects, e.g. the 

 starry heavens, the earth, air, tempests, winds, fire, water, rivers, 

 fountains, rain, lakes, ponds, woods, trees, day, night, lightning, 

 and the like ; to which Prof. Movers of Breslau added the unpa- 

 ralleled deities, Lingam, Phallus, and Pudendum muliebre. 



According to the chemical principle the ancient deities were 

 chemical potencies, and hence, e.g., Peleus signified alkali, and 

 Thetis was an acid. 



The historians brought out that the ancient gods must have 

 been meritorious men of old, and even that the same were per- 

 sonified periods of different times ; hence Saturn was the first 

 "world-period." 



In reference to the political theory, it was taught that the 



