Ohfervatlons on the Zodiac at Dendera. II j 



for fixty-four days twelve hours and four days twelve hours 

 making fixty-niiie days, and exceeding the fixty-feven days 

 of Julius by two, Aucultus intercalated between the year 709 

 of Rome, when Julius's reform was completed, and his own, 

 fixteen years after, one day every third year indead of every 

 fourth ; and fo, inftead of four biffextile days, fix were in- 

 ferted. Between three in the morning, when the dog-ftar 

 rofe, and twelve at noon, when the fun was on the meridian, 

 were nine hours to complete the canonical day ; thefe are 

 accordingly exprefled by as many lines on the lalt fold of the 

 bandage winding round the forehead of the Pan. 



Having then found, by thefe difcriminations on the zodiac, 

 the opening of the year, from the rife of Taurus, at the fel- 

 ting of the dog-ftar, which is exemplified by the folar circle 

 in a crefcent on the bull's neck, it will be ^t&w that the Thoth 

 thence proceeding is reprefented as a bull in a boat (for the 

 heavenly bodies, which were the Egyptian divinities, were 

 held to perform their revolutions in this manner), and as it 

 has been feen from the ftar deprived of two rays on the 

 fhoulder of the upper Ifis, as well as from the two months 

 difference between the year of Romulus and Numa's, that 

 the fun's place had been altered two figns, the third boat or 

 month proceeds from Gemini to Cancer : accordingly, the 

 foremofl figure in it reprefents a prit-ft taking auguries from 

 the rife of the ftar, whilft the other is evidently Aquarius, or 

 the overpowering of the Nile, at the apparent new moon of 

 Cancer. But Cancer withdrawing from the zodiac, the over- 

 flow falls in with Leo; and here, accordingly, Harpocrates 

 appears as on the day anfwering to biflextile, which is alfo 

 intimated to belong to that year by the fix leaves on the head 

 of Aquarius, or the Nile. This being fuppreflTed in the Egyp- 

 tian kalendar, makes Cancer and Leo run into each other, 

 or confounds the lall day of one with the other's firft. The 

 figure preceding Leo has the flar of five rays, which, indi- 

 cating five months, marks Leo as the fifth fign, whilft the 

 ferpent, rifing from under his feet, exhil)its the Nilotic year 

 thence beginning, as does the ferpent behind the liarpo- 

 crates, with his head ereAed from the fourth fold, a qua- 

 drennium. The rifing and Idling dog-ftar follow, as thus 

 corrcfponding in refpeft to fixed and moveable time. From 

 the overflow of the Nile, in the fign Leo, we are brought on 

 to the commencement of the year in Virao. This is ex- 

 prefll-d by the torch with iwo flames, followed bv a pricft 

 taking auguries at the year's beginning, which the bull's 

 head, whole horns fvnibolize the apparent new moon, and 

 Aar of five rays above them, fufliciently evince. This Aio 



Vol. XIV. No. 54. 11 doc» 



