338 THE ANCIENT EGYPTIANS. CHAP. XV. 



worship ; and some festivals required an observance 

 on this head, which differed greatly from ordinary 

 custom, as the burning of the body of the victim 

 at the fete of Isis * and the offering of a pig at the 

 festivals of Bacchus t and the Moon. For though 

 many ceremonies, as the libations of wine, and 

 certain formulas, were common to all or most of 

 the Egyptian sacrifices, the inspection of entrails, 

 and the manner of burning the victims, required 

 a particular method in the rites of some Deities t ; 

 and peculiar offerings were reserved for remarkable 

 occasions. 



INCENSE. 



Incense was offered to all the Gods, and intro- 

 duced on every grand occasion whenever a com- 

 plete offering was made. For the Egyptians, like 

 the Jews and other people, frequently presented a 

 simple oblation of wine, oil, or other liquid, or any 

 single gift, as a necklace, a bouquet of flowers, oint- 

 ment, or whatever they had vowed, or the occasion 

 required. 



Incense was sometimes presented alone, though 

 more usually accompanied by a libation of wine. It 

 consisted of various qualities or ingredients, ac- 

 cording to circumstances, as I have stated in the 

 offerings made' to the Sun §, when resin, myrrh, 

 and kuphi were adapted to different times of the 

 day. Myrrh, says Plutarch, is supposed to be 



* Ilerodot. ii. 40. i Ilerodot. ii, 48. Vide stiprd, p. 300. 



X Herodot. ii. 39. § Supra, p. 315. Plut. s. 52, 80. 



