Epidemics. 213 



to use for a scaly and whitish eruption, of a somewhat 

 intractable, but by no means dangerous nature, the title of 

 leprosy, or lepra ? as leper zeber, or lepra zebra, are words, 

 no doubt, of ancient Coptic origin ; and whoever used these 

 names, lepra zebra, etc., identifies the people as being inti- 

 mate with an ancient race which, through every change of 

 dynasty, has retained its place as the poor bondsmen, 

 amongst whom one general complaint has adhered from 

 century to century through a long series of ages, and among 

 whom the original name has also retained its place ; and all 

 who have lived there long have become familiar with the 

 endemic antiquarian lepra, from contact with the old 

 Coptic or Egyptian race. 



In the book of Maccabees or, according to the Douay 

 version, Machabees (I. Machabees xii. I 23) we find an 

 account of the Jews under Jonathan writing both to the 

 Romans and the Spartans, the latter of whom they claim 

 as " their brethren." It is, therefore, evident that the 

 Lacedaemonians had in them Jewish blood, and both recog- 

 nized the other as brethren, which is here quoted in full for 

 the sake of confirmation : 



I. MACHABEES xn. i 23 (DOUAY VERSION). 



" Jonathan renews his league with the Romans and Lacede- 

 monians. The forces of Demetrius flee away from him* 

 He is deceived, and made prisoner by Tryphon. 



i And Jonathan saw that the time served him, and he 

 chose certain men, and sent them to Rome, to confirm and 

 to renew the amity with them : 2 And he sent letters to the 

 Spartans, and to other places, according to the same form. 

 3 And they went to Rome, and entered into the senate- 

 house, and said : Jonathan, the high priest, and the nation 

 of the Jews, have sent us to renew the amity and alliance, 

 as it was before. 4 And they gave them letters to their 

 governors in every place, to conduct them into the land of 

 Juda with peace. 5 And this is a copy of the letters which 

 Jonathan wrote to the Spartans : 6 Jonathan, the high 

 priest, and the ancients of the nation, and the priests, and 



