215 



tlie vine was known in Egypt at a very early time is 

 manifest from Niimbers xx. 5. And also the dream of 

 the chief butler, in Genesis xl. 9-11. Dried grapes were 

 also placed on the body of the bullock, (cp. II. 40.) and 

 Osiris is identified by Herodotus, with Bacchus, the known 

 inventor of wine. 



In addition to these authorities, quoted by Mr. Turner, 

 I may add that of Lucan, Lib. I. 8. 



"Gemmseque capaccs 

 Excessere merum sed non Mareotidis uvse 

 Nobilc, sed paucis senium ciii contulit annis," 



and that of Pliny, Book x. iv, ch. 9., who mentions as grow- 

 ing in Egypt " Three varieties of grape, of the very highest 

 quality known as the thasian, the asthalus, and the pence. 



Whilst, indeed, the traveller in Egypt now never 

 meets with vines, except in the Fyoom, for they have 

 ceased to exist since its conquest by the Mahomedans, 

 who are by their law forbidden to use wine, yet he 

 constantly finds in the temples and tombs ample evi- 

 dence in their paintings and sculptures, that the ancient 

 Egyptians were well acquainted, from the very earliest 

 periods, with the culture and use of the vine. At 

 Thebes and Beni Hassan, may be seen, on their walls, 

 the vineyard, the vines trained in bowers, the plucking 

 of the grapes, the baskets containing them, young kids 

 browsing on the vines, the wine-press and wine making, 

 and the amphorae containing the wine. Besides grape 

 wine, and wine made from barley or beer, the Egyptians, 

 as well as the Babylonians, drank palm wine. On 

 this subject, as indeed on all others connected with 

 ancient Egypt, I Avould refer the reader to the valuable 

 works of Sir Gardner Wilkinson. His " Handbook for 

 Egypt,'' published by Murray, is indispensable to travellers, 

 and far surpasses all its rivals and imitators. 



To return from this digression, it would clearly appear, 

 from the inscriptions on the tombs, and similar sources of 



