94 



store-chambers given by Wilkinson and Rosellini. While this was 

 a store-city, it was a sanctuary as well, according to the custom of the 

 Egyptians. Like other towns, it had a two-fold name, a religious and a 

 civil name, as, for instance, our own Verulam is called St. Alban's. The 

 secular name of this place was Seku, i.e., Succoth, of the Bible. Let me 

 remark that Brugsch has vindicated the sibilant pronunciation of the first 

 Egyptian consonant, the well-known lasso-shaped hieroglyjA, in Lepsius's 

 Zeitachrift, 1875, p. 8. It is, then, a most interesting fact that the secular 

 name of this place was Succoth. I take this as proved, for it is established 

 by the mention of Seku or Sekut twenty-two times in the inscriptions found 

 there. There are the priests of the well-known setting-sun-god, Tum, of 

 Sekut. And the sanctuary is called, fifteen times over, Pi-tuni — the 

 abode of Tum. If any one should question this, I will gladly give the 

 references by Avhich I think it is clearly established. Thus it was the first 

 halting-place of the Israelites in their exodus. And that is the first nail yet 

 driven hard and fast in their route. AVe have had many theories and con- 

 tests, and an agreeable diversity of opinion, but from henceforth I believe 

 that the theory of Brugsch, that Pharaoh's host was swamped by the setting 

 in of the waters of the Mediterranean in the Serbonian marsh, must be given 

 up, and the old theory that the escaping tribes went along the valley of the 

 Sweetwater canal must be regarded as firmly established. 



And now we are passing out of the region of vain conjectures into the 

 region of historical realities. 



There is another point. Tell el-Maskhuta is not only the Pithom and the 

 Succoth of the Bible, but a very interesting place, of which we read in the 

 Septuagint version. When Joseph went to meet Jacob, and Judah was sent 

 to meet Joseph on behalf of his father, the meeting-place was Heroiipolis. 

 The identity of the spot is pointed out by Roman insci'iptions there with 

 the name ERO, ERO CASTRA. The derivation of the name given by M. 

 Naville is very interesting, namely, the Egyptian word " Ar," a storehouse, 

 of which the plural is " Aru," identical with the Greek HPOY found on the 

 spot. Thus the name is found, and the road is found, by which Jacob came 

 ;ind Judah went on before him. I may say besides that there is a curious 

 confirmation of the Biblical account of the work of bondage. The walls are 

 very well built. The bricks are of Nile mud, and embedded in mortar, 

 which reminds us that the Egyptians " made the children of Israel to serve 

 Avith rigour, and made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in mortar and 

 in brick" (Ex. i. 14). There are three kinds of brick used, the first made 

 Avith straw properly provided ; the next are made with rccd (the " stubble" 

 of our Bible, and the word used is pure Egyptian, Kaxh; ariindo, cuhDmix) ; 

 and the third kind are made of sheer Nile niud, when even the reeds were 

 exhausted. All these M. Naville has found at Pithom. 



I will only add a few words more in following the illustrious engineer 

 officer. Sir Charles Wilson, whom I am happy to see here in the interest of 

 the Palestine Exploration Fund, and that is, that I am a humble niember of 

 the committee of the Egypt Exploration Fund, not by way of rivalry, for I 

 have been a local secretary of the Palestine Fund for many years. The one 

 is the complement of the other. Sir Charles Wilson is himself on the com- 

 mittee of the Egypt Fund. I will therefore only make the shortest possible 

 appeal, and ask, Is it not Avorth while to pny for pickaxes to get at the 

 wisdom of the Egyptians ? 



