CHAP. XIII. IBIS SACRED TO TIIOTH. 7 



some have thought that a species of Scarabaeus was 

 sacred to*Thoth or the Moon.* 



The Ibis-headed Deity was called " Lord of 

 the eight regions of the land of Not," which may 

 imply the South, or the Thebaidt, and be a part of 

 the wordNo-Amun, or Diospolis; or be related to 

 the name of the city where he was particularly 

 worshipped, which is now called Oshmoonein, the 

 cijjLa.on E. of the Copts. There is, indeed, an evi- 

 dent connection between his title '' Lord of the eight 

 regions," and Oshmoonein, the modern name of 

 Hermopolis, which, derived from Shmen or Slwion, 

 signifying eight, implies the "two eights ;" and if 

 some have been disposed to think it refers to the 

 eight books of law, which Menes§ pretended to have 

 received from the Egyptian Mercury, the demon- 

 strative sign of " land," foUow^ing this group, suffi- 

 ciently refutes this opinion. His title " twice great " 

 frequently occurs on the monuments, as in the in- 

 scription of the Rosetta Stone, where the Greek 

 styles him " the great and great," or twice great. 



The Ibis was particularly sacred to him, and 

 standing on a perch, followed by a half circle and 

 two lines ll, indicated the name of the God. It was 

 thought to bear some relation to the Moon, "from 

 its feathers being so mixed and blended together, 



* Vide Horapollo, i. 10. ; and iiifra, on the Scarabaeus. 



•j- Unless this word " No" be a sign, which, as ChaiTij)ollion thinks, 

 was merely put after words ending in " n," and which, forming no part of 

 it, was not pronounced. r/</£- Gram. ChampoU. vol.i. ch. iv. p. 107. 



J Vide infrfi, on Savak. 



^ Diodor. i. 94. He calls the King Mnevis. ' 



II The half circle had the force of T, which was doubled by these 

 lines, reading Tot or Taut. 



B 4 



