EGYPT. 



403 



Matistin. 



Religion. 



Osiris was said to represent the sun, and Isis the 

 moon. If the cow and the bull were sacred to Isis and 

 Osiris, the ram was worshipped at Thebes in honour 

 of Jupiter Ammon ; and the sheep were considered as 

 sacred animals. Pan was venerated at Mendis by the 

 symbol of a goat. Anubis was painted with a dog's 

 head, and accounted the divinity of sagacity and watch- 

 fulness. In short, there were a diversity of divinities 

 under different appearances, and honoured with diffe- 

 rent sacrifices, but all of them alluding to the bounty 

 and productive qualities of nature. To these we must 

 oppose the worship of Typhon, who was considered as 

 the author of evils and misfortunes. Like the foun- 

 tain of good, the source of evil was described by diffe- 

 rent names ; and to these beings the crocodile, and 

 other forbidding animals, were devoted. Different ci- 

 ties had peculiar divinities, who were worshipped there, 

 and under whose protection the people were supposed 

 to be placed. 



The public festivals were celebrated with exceeding 

 splendour, and vast multitudes assembled to solemnize 

 the rites. The scenes at Juggernaut may give you an 

 idea of some of those Egyptian revels ; and there, too, 

 indecent rites were allowed. But the most afflicting 

 scenes which have ever degraded the ceremonies of 

 idol worship, were the human sacrifices, which were 

 frequently offered to appease the wrath of offended di- 

 vinities. To Typhon were such sacrifices presented; 

 and as the red-haired were chosen for this purpose, 

 and the Egyptians being of a dark complexion, Greeks 

 or strangers were frequently obtained. Perhaps this 

 distinction of colour was made on purpose to save the 

 natives from such a fate. This barbarous custom was 

 continued in Egypt till the reign of Amasis ; and it 

 was not till the time of the caliphs, that the peculiar 

 practice was laid aside of sacrificing annually a virgin 

 to the Nile, when a mock ceremony was substituted. 

 Heliopolis and Thebes were peculiarly marked for this 

 dark superstition. Every ancient nation, excepting 

 the Jews, were guilty of such horrors ; and still pri- 

 soners of war are sacrificed in the South Sea islands, 

 and in some parts of Africa. Asia, and America. 



Heroes were worshipped in Egypt, and eminent per- 

 sons were raised to the rank of gods. At first it was 

 merely veneration for great characters after their death ; 

 but it was an easy and natural transition, in a country 

 where the objects of worship were so multifarious, to 

 suffer great respect and high veneration to pas* into 

 prescribed forms of divine worship. When the Ro- 

 mans took possession of Egypt, they did not change its 

 religious rites ; but Christianity obtained its votaries 

 there, as well as in other parts of the Roman dominions ; 

 and when the Saracens subdued it, they imposed upon 

 the inhabitants, as far as possible, the religion of Ma- 

 hommed. Both Jews and Christians are allowed to re- 

 side in Egypt ; but the only authorised religion of the 

 country is still the religion of Mahommed. 



The ancient temples were large and costly buildings, 

 and in point of splendour, outshone every other edifice. 

 Various circumstances contributed to give them this 

 pre-eminence. The priests of Egypt were the princes 

 of the land, and had great influence over the national 

 revenues. The whole national feeling was favourable 

 to the dignity of" the public worship; and the temples, 

 it-T with the tombs of the illustrious (lend, were 

 the principal works upon which they bestowed much 

 r or expence. To this assertion we must not be 

 understood as making an exception in favour of royal 

 palaces, for it does not appear that any fabric of this 



nature could bear a comparison, either in point of dig- Statistic*, 

 nity or extent, to the temples which were erected in ( ^y--~' 

 honour of the gods. The holy place, where the sacred 

 animal, the representation, or the statue of their divi- 

 nity was placed, was comparatively of small extent. 

 At Butas, at Suis, &c. the sanctum sanctorum was of 

 one large stone, brought from the granite quarries of 

 Elephantina. The vast compass of the temple build- 

 ings was employed in porticos and vestibles, open 

 courts, curious windings, and private abodes. In con- 

 nection with the temple itself, were the lo.-lgings, or 

 sumptuous dwellings of the sacred order ; and the 

 whole constituted a grand assemblage of various apart- 

 ments and expensive buildings. 



In this respect, an important difference subsisted be- 

 tween the temples of the Greeks and Romans, and 

 those of the Egyptian people. The views and consti- 

 tutions of Greece and Rome admitted an increasing se- 

 ries of divinities, and a vast profusion of temples was 

 scattered through the various cities and towns of their 

 respective dominions ; whereas, in Egypt, though the 

 god? were various, yet their M'orship appears to have 

 been consistent with each other, excepting the offerings 

 and sacrifices which were presented to the hateful be- 

 ings who were supposed to be the authors of evil. Sel- 

 dom, if ever, was there more than one temple in a city 

 of Egypt; because these buildings were erected by the 

 state, and not by the people, who were neither permit- 

 ted to deliberate nor Rave a choice in sacred tilings; 

 and while this appears to intimate, that their divinities 

 were more diversified by names than in reality, it en- 

 abled them to render their religious fabrics more spa- 

 cious and .splendid. Through the whole Egyptian con- 

 stitution of sacred things, there were doctrines and rites 

 which were concealed from the vulgar eye, and held 

 back from uncultivated minds; and, while the multi- 

 tude were invited to join in the public festivals and 

 duties of religion, certain orders and individuals were 

 only initiated into the mysteries, which it was then 

 thought wise and prudent to conceal from the vulgar: 

 And hence those interior and subterraneous apart- 

 ments, where the.-e instructions were given, and the 

 set ret ceremonies observed. These mysterious places 

 were kept secret, and not exposed to the public eye. 



Among the things of a serious and important nature 

 which claim our notice, and mark the character of na- 

 tions, is the care which is shewn toward the dead, and 

 the reverence maintained for the tombs of their friends. 

 In this respect the Egyptians were conspicuous for at- 

 tention and reverence. We cannot enter upon the con- 

 sideration of the various methods by which, in different 

 ages of their country, they manifested their attention 

 to the dead ; for though the number of bodies preser- 

 ved in a peculiar manner, and denominated mummies, 

 have led us to suppose, that this was the general mode 

 of disposing of then dead, yet we can scarcely imagine, 

 that through such a length of time as the ancient i'.gyp- 

 tiun kingdom subsisted, the manner of treating their 

 departed friends was uniformly the same. Other na- 

 tions have pursued various methods ; and, though the 

 ancient Egyptian manners were not given to change, 

 but, by national prejudices, were peculiarly permanent, 

 yet in a long lapse of time, different methods must 

 have been adopted for disposing of their dead. The 

 operations necessary for the formation of mummies, 

 are not consistent with a very rude state of society. 

 They require preparations, and a degree of knowledge, 

 which imply improvements in the arts of life. 



Having taken out the brains and bowels, the body 



