CHAP. XV. HEIFERS HELD SACRED. 34-7 



taken to the altar; but it is forbidden, under pain of 

 death, to slay a victim which has not this mark." 



His statement differs in some respects from that 

 of Plutarch, nor does the historian consider the red 

 colour necessary to render it fit for sacrifice. The 

 principal point seems to be the absence of those 

 marks which characterise Apis, or Epaphus, the 

 sacred bull of Memphis ; and the sculptures, as I 

 shall presently show, abundantly prove that oxen 

 with black and red spots were usually killed in 

 Egypt, both for the altar and the table. 



It was lawful to slay all oxen answering to a 

 particular description in the sacred books ; but the 

 sacrifice of heifers was strictly forbidden, and in 

 order to enforce this prohibition, they were held 

 sacred.* So great was their respect for this law, 

 that the " cow was esteemed more highly among 

 the Egyptians than any other animalt;" and their 

 consequent horror of those persons whose religion 

 permitted them to slay and eat it, was carried so 

 far '' that no Egyptian of either sex could be in- 

 duced to kiss a Greek on the mouth, to make use 

 of his knife, his spit, or his cooking utensils, nor 

 even to taste the meat of a clean beast, which had 

 been slaughtered by his hand." 



Aware of this prejudice, and of the consequent 

 displeasure of the Egyptians in the event of their 

 sacrificing a heifer t, the Israelites proposed to 

 withdraw into the desert a distance of three days 



* To Isis, or rather to Athor. Vide supra, Vol. I. (2d Series) p. 381. 

 389. 394. 



f Herodot. ii. 41 f Exod. viii. 26. 



