CHAP. XIV. RAM. OX. COW. 19^ 



Numerous mummies of sheep are found at 

 Thebes ; and, as I have ah'eady observed, large 

 flocks were kept there.* For though it was neither 

 required for sacrifice, nor for the table, the wool 

 was of the highest importance to them ; and much 

 care seems to have been bestowed upon this useful 

 animal, whose benefits to mankind Diodorust sup- 

 poses to have been the cause of its holding so high 

 a post among the sacred animals of Egypt. 



The ram was chosen to represent the sign Aries, 

 in the zodiacs of Egypt ; but these partake too 

 little of the mythology of the country to be of any 

 authority respecting the characters of the animals 

 they contain. 



Of the Kebsh, or wild sheep of the desert, I 

 have already spoken, in treating of the animals 

 chased by the Egyptians, t 



Ox, Cow. 



The Ox and Cow were both admitted among 

 the sacred animals of Egypt. All, however, were 

 not equally sacred ; and it was lawful to sacrifice 

 the former, and to kill them for the table, provided 

 they were free from certain marks, which the 

 priests were careful to ascertain before they per- 

 mitted them to be slaughtered. When this had 

 been done, the priest marked the animal by tying 

 a cord of the papyrus stalk round its horns, fastened 

 by a piece of clay, on which he impressed his seal. 

 It was then pronounced clean, and taken to the 



* ride supra. Vol. I. (2d Series) p. 20. 



f Diodor. i. 87. J Fide supra. Vol IIL p. 226. 



VOL. II. — Second Series. O 



