CHAP. XIII. OSIRIS OF EARLY DATE. 323 



duced into their religious system subsequently to 

 the systematic arrangement of the other members 

 of their Pantheon. The sculptures, however, of 

 the oldest monuments abundantly prove that, if it 

 were of more recent introduction, the change must 

 have occurred at a very remote period, before the 

 erection of any building now extant in Egypt; as 

 the tombs in the vicinity of the Pyramids, belong- 

 ing to individuals who were cotemporary with 

 their founders, show that Osiris had at that time 

 the same offices as in the age of the Ptolemies and 

 Caesars. 



In an ancient inscription, this Deity is made 

 to say, " Saturn, the youngest of all the Gods, 

 was my father ; I am Osiris : " and in another, 

 " I am the eldest son of Saturn, of an illustrious 

 branch, and of noble blood ; cousin of the day ; 

 there is no place where I have not been, and 

 I have liberally distributed my benefits to all man- 

 kind." But the character of Osiris given by 

 Tibullus*, — 



" Priimis aratra roanu solerti fecit Osiris, 

 Et tenerem ferro solicitavit hiinmni ; 

 Primus inexpertis commisit semina terrae, 

 Pomaque non notis legit v.b arboribus," — 



as the teacher of agriculture, seems to refer to 

 Khem rather than to the son of Seb; and the at- 

 tributes of the Egyptian Pan have, in moi-e than 

 one instance, been given to Osiris. The notion, 

 that the Gods imparted to men the arts of ci- 

 vilisation, was common to the Egyptians as to 

 the Greeks. Ombte is represented teaching the 



* Tibiill. i. Elcg. 7. 



y '2 



