ABYSSINIA. 247 



of Cecrops in Greece in the year 1490 B.C. At this 

 period the Israelites, leaving Arabia, entered the pro- 

 mised land under Caleb and Joshua. We cannot 

 wonder at the terrible impression which this invasion 

 made upon the minds of the dwellers in Palestine. 

 Thus, when Joshua had crossed the Jordan and caused 

 the walls of Jericho to fall, a panic seized all the 

 peoples of Syria and Palestine. (See Joshua vi. 21.) 



These peoples, each of whom spoke a different lan- 

 guage, hearing that the conqueror, followed by a 

 numerous army and already master of a portion of the 

 country, was putting the vanquished to death beneath 

 harrows of iron, did not wait to face so formidable a 

 foe, and sought safety in flight, their most natural 

 refuge being the pastors of Abyssinia and the Atbara. 

 Procopius mentions two columns which in his day were 

 still standing upon the coast of Mauritania, opposite 

 Gibraltar, and upon which was inscribed in Phoenician, 

 " We are Phoenicians, and we are flying before the 

 face of the son of Nun " (Joshua). 



Thus, among the various inhabitants of Abyssinia, 

 from the southernmost limits to the frontiers of Egypt, 

 there were to be found descendants of Chus, who, 

 after having been troglodytes and lived in caves, and 

 then pastors, became partially civilised and resided 

 in cities. After them came the nations which left 

 Palestine the Amharas, the Agows of Damot, the 

 Agows of Tohue, and the Gafats. 



