I 



15 



2, § 49, because its light is milder ; whereas that of the sun 

 is in Egypt so intense as to be offensive. Hence, also, their 

 respect for cows, ibid. § 41, having been chiefly nourished by 

 their milk in the early ages, before Egypt, which was 

 originally a morass, was sufficiently drained for the cultiva- 

 tion of grain, and after it was so improved, for their useful- 

 ness in agriculture ; for in Egypt they were employed in 

 ploughing ;* probably, also, in memory of their utility in 

 affording nourishment to mankind, when shut up in the 

 ark. Hence the bull ^/?/s was worshipped, as the represen- 

 tative of the vaccine species ;-f and, also, the Nile, as the 

 dispenser of fertility to Egypt. Afterwards they venerated 

 power, even when destructively employed, and then croco- 

 diles and woh'^es were worshipped;! I say, afterwards, because 

 at first crocodiles were hunted. || These senseless super- 

 stitions can be accounted for on no other principle but that 

 here stated. 



It appears that polytheism wa^ introduced into Egypt 

 long after its introduction into Chaldea, for in Chaldca it 

 commenced 2239 years before Christ ; whereas in Egypt it 

 commenced only after Abraham's return from it, that is, after 

 the year 2021 B. C. ; consequently the Chaldean apostacy 

 preceded the Egyptian 218 years at least : I say at least, 

 for it is uncertain hov.' soon after Abraham's departure it 

 commenced. It is certain it did not prevail there when 

 Abraham arrived, for he and his flocks were kindly received: 



but 



*Diodor. p. 97. t Jl>id.25, 93. |Ibid.91,93. j|Ibid.41. 



