280 THE ANCIENT EGYPTIANS. CHAP. XV. 



vestiture to any sacred office, as that of king or 

 priest, was confirmed by this external sign ; and as 

 the Jewish lawgiver mentions* the ceremony of 

 pouring oil upon the head of the high priest after 

 he had put on his entire dress, with the mitre and 

 crown, the Egyptians represent the anointing of 

 their priests and kings after they were attired in their 

 full robes, with the cap and crown upon their head. 

 Some of the sculptures introduce a priest pouring 

 oil over the monarch t, in the presence of Thoth, 

 Hor-Hat, Ombte, or Nilus ; which may be con- 

 sidered a representation of the ceremony, before 

 the statues of those Gods. The functionary who 

 officiated was the high priest of the king. He 

 was clad in a leopard skin, and was the same who 

 attended on all occasions which required him to 

 assist, or assume the duties of, the monarch in the 

 temple. This leopard- skin dress was worn by the 

 high priests on all the most important solemnitiest, 

 and the king himself adopted it when engaged in 

 the same duties. 



Theyalsoanointed the statuesof the Gods; which 

 was done with the little finger of the right hand.§ 



The ceremony of pouring from two vases, alter- 

 nate emblems of Life and Purity, over the king, in 

 token of purification, previous to his admittance 



* " Tliou slialt take tlie garnientK, and put upon Aaron tlic coat, and 

 the robe of the ej)liod, and the cphod, and the breastplate, and gird him 

 with the cnrioiis [girdle of the epliod ; and tliou shalt put file mitre upon 

 his head, and put tlie holy crown upon tlie mitre. Thoi shalt tliou 

 take the anointing oil and pour it upon his head." Exod. xxix. 5. 7. 



!Conf. 2 Kings, ix. 3. 

 VUIcsi(])ra, p,274. ; /'«/;y/, beginning of Chap. IG.; and VoL I. p. 279. 

 I shall have occasion to mention this presentl3 . Vide Plate 77. 

 Tart IT. ; imd iiijWt, Woodcut, No. 4 80. 



