34)6 THE ANCIENT EGYPTIANS. CHAP. XV. 



generally given to men and monsters on our old 

 cluirches. The idea of *' making his enemies his 

 footstool/* is also shown from the sculptures to 

 have been common in Egypt, as in other Eastern 

 countries. 



The sacrifice of red oxen cannot fail to call to 

 mind the law of the Israelites, which commanded 

 them to "bring a red heifer without spot, wherein 

 was no blemish, and upon which never came 

 yoke." * According to Maimonides, they were so 

 particular in the choice of it, that "if only two white 

 or black hairs were found lying upon each other, 

 the animal was considered unfit for sacrificet;" 

 and Herodotus t says, that if the Egyptians 

 " found a single black hair upon the ox they 

 were examining for that purpose, they imme- 

 diately rejected it as unclean." " They believe," 

 says the historian, "that all clean oxen belong to 

 Epaphus, and this is the reason they examine them 

 with so much care. There is a particular priest 

 for that office; who, when the animal is brought, ex- 

 amines it in every position, standing, and lying on 

 its back ; and having drawn out its tongue, he ascer- 

 tains if it is free from certain marks, described in 

 the sacred books, which I shall mention elsewhere. § 

 He even looks if the hairs of its tail are such as 

 they oui^ht to be naturally : and when all the re- 

 quisite signs are found for pronouncing it clean, 

 the priest marks it with his seal, after which it is 



* Numb. xix. 2. f Maiiiionid. in lil). do Vacc;\ rutTi, c. i. 



f Ilcrodot. ii. 38. 



§ In lib. iii. 28. Vide swprd, Vol. I. (2d Scricb) p. 350. ct seq. 



