CHAP. II. 



EGYPT AND NUBIA. 45 



profitable and so highly hazardous as that of 

 searching for the precious metals. 



The civil dissensions began soon after the re- 

 pulse of the Ethiopians, which has been already 

 noticed. The causes of these may be traced to 

 their theocratic constitution, under which the 

 kings received from the priests the supposed 

 commands of the Divinity. The people were di- 

 vided into hereditary castes. Next to the priest- 

 hood the warriors were the most powerful ; but 

 these latter, being discontented with the conduct 

 of Sethon, who had united in himself the royal and 

 sacerdotal character, refused their services, when 

 Sennacherib, king of Assyria, invaded the country. 

 The confusion which prevailed in Egypt at this 

 invasion is thus described by Isaiah, chap. xix. : 

 " I will set the Egyptians against the Egyptians : 

 and they shall fight every one against his brother, 

 and every one against his neighbour ; city against 

 city, and kingdom against kingdom. And the spirit 

 of Egypt shall fail in the midst thereof, and I will 

 destroy the counsel thereof; and they shall seek 

 to the idols, and to the charmers, and to them 

 that have familiar spirits, and to the wizards. 

 And I will give the Egyptians over to the hand 

 of a cruel lord ; and a fierce king shall rule over 

 them," v. 2 5. This confusion caused the de- 

 position of Manetho, and the establishment of 

 twelve princes as chiefs, till Psammetichus, one of 



