3 90 A DISSERTATION ON SEMIRAMIS, 



An ancient author * thus relates her origin: c< di- 

 Cf citur et Euphratis fluvio ovum piscis Columba adse- 

 <c disse dies plurimos, et exclusisse Deam benignant et 

 ct misericordem hominibus ad bonam vitam." "It 

 " is related that a Dove hatched the egg of a fish, 

 " near the Euphrates, and that after many days of in- 

 <f cubation came forth the Goddess, merciful and pro- 

 * f pit ious to men, on whom she bestows eternal bliss. 1 * 

 Others say that fishes rolled an egg upon dry land, 

 where it was hatched by a Dove, after which appear- 

 ed the Syrian Goddess. 



Her origin is thus related in the Purdnds : The 

 Tavanas having for a long time vexed the inhabitants 

 of Cujha-duip, they at last applied for protection to 

 Ma'ha'-bha'ga'-de'vi, who had already appeared 

 in that country in the characters of Sami-Ra'ma' 

 and Capote's i', or I si', in the shape of a Dove ; they 

 requested also that she would vouchsafe to reside a- 

 mono-st them. The merciful Goddess granted their 

 request ; and the place where she made her abode 

 was called the st'-han, or place of Mdhd-bhdgd." 



The Syrian name of Mabog is obviously derived 

 from Maiia'-bha'ga'. This contraction is not un- 

 common in the western dialects, derived from the 

 Sanscrit ; and Hesychius informs us that the Greeks 

 pronounced the Hindu word Mahd great, Mai. Mabog 

 is mentioned by Pliny, where we read Magog ; but 

 Mr. Dan vi li. e shews that it should be Mabog : 1 

 conclude from some manuscript copies. This is also 



* Lucius Ampelius ad Macrin. 



confirmed 



