33 



Thus we are led back from Egypt to Assyria, and then to Bactria and the 

 Pamir, or the Eoof of the world, and Tibet, where we find " Am," the 

 Invisible God, is still worshipped. 



Passing to page 5, we are told that "Barzillai" is from " Barzil." This 

 word stands for "iron" in Hebrew; but as " Bar " is a common word for 

 son, and the other syllable is connected with a root signifying " to pour -out," 

 besides contributing to a word indicative of " violent heat," perhaps Barzil 

 came to be applied to iron, because it is poured out with violent heat from a 

 furnace. In the case of Barzillai, who was one of David's friends, the word 

 is supposed to be expressive of a hard or austere character when applied to 

 a man ; but as applied to the Assyrian God, it seems to receive greater force 

 from the suggested analysis. 



My next reference is to " Baal Shalisha." The latter word is said to 

 mean " three." Baal Shalisha is connected with another name, which has 

 been extremely puzzling to me, and that is the " Land of Shalisha." I should 

 be glad if the learned lecturer would only help me to understand why Baal 

 has the attribute of trinity attached to him, or why that particular land 

 should have been the land of the three, and what three. Perhaps we 

 might then understand where the Land of Shalisha is, but up to this time 

 we only know that it is one of the parts visited in the search of Saul for 

 his father's asses. 



My next reference is to the word " Maharai," the name of one of David's 

 valiant men. The Hindus have a ready translation for it. Its Hindu 

 equivalent is " Maha-raj," also the identical word " Maha-Kai," both signi- 

 fying a great king. Further, " Maharai " may be traced through various 

 other forms, as " Major," " Mayor/' and " More," expressive of the com- 

 parative degree. 



I now come to " Pi-nehas," only to say that there is another use for the 

 word " nehas," which I cannot just at this moment recall. 



The Rev. H. G. TOMKINS. You do not mean "nachash," the serpent, do 

 you? 



Mr. TRELAWNEY SAUNBERS. I am not sure about it. (My desire was to 

 refer to the repeated use of " Nahash," or " Nachash," in connexion with the 

 Ammonites, in the Bible, where the word means, besides a serpent, also an 

 enchanter and a seer. But it is a different word from that which forms part 

 of " Phinehas.") I would, however, in the presence of Mr. Eassam and 

 Dr. Stern, put forward with great diffidence the suggestion I am about to 

 make, that the word does not suggest the meaning of the "negro," as 

 Brugsch has it, but its probable identification is with a term applied to 

 princes in Abyssinia that of " negus." Thus " Pi-nehas " would mean 

 " mouth of a prince." The accepted interpretation is " mouth of brass." 



Here is another curious thing. I do not wish to make you laugh by any 

 reference I may make, so I beg you will be serious. I allude to the word 

 "khafni" ("hophni"), a pugilist. You all know that aleph, the first 

 letter in the alphabet, may be pronounced in various ways. Well, then, I 

 would ask why should not " khaf," which means a pugilist, be " khuf," and 

 F 



