Ohfervations in Egypt. 4.09 



thers', Palm-Leaves" &c. that are fet above them, have each 

 their fymboHcal Meaning and Defign ; being, in general, fo 

 many Types of the Power, Nature and A::tributes of that Deity 

 or Genius y upon which they are placed ^ . The Beard, that is OMis 

 fometimes given to Ofirk\ hath likewife it's Meaning, being 

 lymbolical of the Summer Solftice, at which Time the Sun, 

 having afcended to it's greateft Height, is, as it were, ar- 

 rived at a State of Puberty. But S'lknus"?» buihy Beard ^ was 

 the fame Symbol with the TreiTes oF ///i'sHair. Nay, the^^i^^^ of 



- • Black Mar- 



very black Marble, out of which fome of thefe Figures are bic. 



made \ typified, by it's Colour, the Invifibility of their Eflence ; 



as in others, the Head and Feet being black and the Body of 



a lighter Colour, might probably be fymbolical of the Deity's 



lying concealed to us in his Dcfigns and Adlions, though he is 



apparent in his general Providence and Care of the Univerfe. 



Thus have I siven a fliort Sketch, and That chiefly from the Kiicher /:αώ 



*-" _ _ ■' attempted to 



Antients, of the fymbolical and hieroglyphical Learning of the '"^"i'^^ M^ 

 Egyptians ; a fmall Portion, no Doubt, of what ftill remains to 

 be difcovered. Kircher indeed, an Author of extraordinary- 

 Learning, indefatigable Diligence, and furprizing Invention, 

 hath attempted, in his OEdipus and Obelifcus Tamphjlius^ to 

 interpret ^ all the Sacred Chara6lers and Figures that came to 

 his Hands. But as it cannot certainly be known, whether He 

 might not take the outward Figures themfelves, for fuch Things 

 as they were not intended, by the Sacred Scribes, to reprefent, 

 miftaking, for Inftance, one Animal, Plant, Inftrument, Uten- 

 fil &c. for another; all Reafonings and Inferences, drawn from 

 thence, can be little more than mere Conjeolures, and therefore 

 the remarkable Boaft of T/^j, will ftill hold true, thzt no morial 

 hath hitherto taken off her Veil. 



077 ζωατοιοί, it) 077 ErtiJAtJs•, i^ o77 coipaif KtviTtu. Ettfi'b. Fixp.KvzD^. I.3. γ. 69. Penna, quod coelefte 

 eft, declarat * propterea quod furfum feratur. Dionyf. Areop. Ιίζβ^αμμαΊίύΐ ιατζβοί^χίτια, "iyay 

 ^ifo, Ιτι -ί Κίφ!<λ1!?, βιζλίον τί Ιϋ χί^ιτϊ ^ tMv'ova. Clem. Strom• I. 6. p. 269. Κ^^ι-ω 7ϊ 7τύκΐ]ΐ ^ •} Λίφαλϊίί 

 ^epst Λ'ο; ϊν 154 τί ίΐ'μμονικοτά'η yii, i^ If ^ w cu&l^mx. Eufeb. Praep. Evang. 1. i. cap. 7. circa 

 finem. 2 Caput decora corona cinxerat, Palmx Candidas folijs in modum radiorum profi- 

 ftentibus. Jpul.Metam. I. 11. p. 269. fie ad inftar folis exornato & in vicem fimulachri 

 conftituto &c. 3 Vid.Not.io. p.408. 4Statuitur Soils f. Bacchi xtas pleniffimaeffigie barbx 

 folftitio sftivo, quo tempore fummum fui confequitur argumentum. Macrob. Sat. l.i. cap. 18. 

 y Τοτί Λ Tw iwtt Toy Λίρα τΛ-^τατα. 3^ '? Mmof κόμνίί TO yiVfiti, [^ίΉχίυμίνΜγ.) Eufeb. Pricp. Evang. 

 p. 67. 6 Πολλοί JV iu, j^ μίλανικί^ψ, τό ίφΛΗί twn 'f luinai ΙΜλασαν. Porplm. apud Eufeb. Praep. 

 Evang. p. <io. 7 To i' b "Ziti f AS-xfecf (w )i) \aiv νο^/ίζοι/^/ν) ίί'@' Sh')^a'p»v «χί roiiUTHV, ΕΓίΙ ΕΙΜΙ 

 ΠΑΝ ΤΟ ΓΕΓΟΝΟΣ, ΚΑΙ ON, ΚΑΙ ΕΣΟΜΕΝΟΝ" ΚΑΙ ΤΟΝ ΕΜΟΝ ΠΕΠΛΟΝ ΟΤΔΕΙΣ ΠΛ ΘΝΗΤΟΣ 

 ΑΠΕΚΑΛΪΨΕΝ. ?/«r. de Jfid. & Ofir. p..?f4. Ed. Par. 



Liin If 



