OF THK UNIVERSE. THE ARABIANS. 209 



put an end to the "ancient kingdom" of Egypt, is now 

 received by almost all historic investigators. Maiietho even 

 had said,, "some maintain that these shepherds were 

 Arabians/' In other sources of historical knowledge they 

 are called Phoenicians a name which in antiquity was 

 extended to the inhabitants of the valley of the Jordan, and 

 to all the Arabian tribes. The acute Ewald refers particu- 

 larly to the Amalekites (Amalekalians), who originally dwelt 

 in Yemen, and then spread themselves by Mecca and Medina 

 to Canaan and Syria, and are said, in early Arabian historical 

 works, to have had power over Egypt in the time of 

 Joseph. ( 322 ) It still must appear remarkable how the noma- 

 dic tribes of theHyksos should have been able to overthrow the 

 powerful and well-established " ancient kingdom" of Egypt. 

 Men accustomed to freedom fought with success against men 

 habituated to a long course of servitude, even though at that 

 period the victorious Arabian invaders were not, as they sub- 

 sequently were, animated by religious enthusiasm. From fear 

 of the Assyrians (races of Arpachsad), the Hyksos established 

 the fortress of Avaris as a place of arms on the eastern branch 

 of the Nile. Perhaps this circumstance may indicate a suc- 

 cession of advancing warlike masses, or a movement of nations 

 directed towards the west. A second event, which occurred 

 fully 1000 years afterwards, is that which Diodorus ( 323 ) 

 relates from Ctesias. Ariseus, a powerful Himyarite prince, 

 entered into alliance with Ninus on the Tigris, and with 

 him, defeated the Babylonians, and returned to his home in 

 southern Arabia laden with rich spoils. ( 324 ) 



Although, on the whole, the prevailing mode of life in 

 Hedjaz, and that followed by a large and powerful portion 

 of the people, was a free and pastoral one, yet even then 



