396 PRIMITIVE HISTORY OP THE lONIANS. 



of Abraham, passed much beyond the bounds of the Tigris and 

 Euphrates until many centuries after the dispersion. But the tribes 

 that in Abraham's time dwelt in Palestine to the east of the Jordan, 

 including the Kephaim, Zuzim, Emim, Horim, Avim, etc.,^ were 

 the major part of the great Japhetic wave, that, following close upon 

 the footsteps of the sons of Ham, soon engulphed, equally in Palestine, 

 Arabia and Egypt, these heirs of the curse, and either drove them to 

 more remote settlements or made them, from the beginning, a race 

 of servants. Neither in Arabia, nor in Palestine, nor in Egypt, 

 have we any record of Hamitic supremacy, or even of local rule 

 and authority. Menes, the first Egyptian ruler, with all the solar 

 line of Seb and Ra with which he connects, was a Japhetic Horite.2 

 To the same distinguished family, Hamor and his son Shechem in the 

 time of Jacob^, and Aholibam.ah, the wife of Esau, belonged.* The 

 Philistines, who dwelt in G-erar when Abraham sojourned there, 

 have been proved beyond all doubt by Hitzig and myself to be a 

 Japhetic tribe. 5 I have also shewn their affinity with the Cherethites 

 •or Cretans of the sea^coast,® and with the so-called Hittites, over 

 whom Ephron, the son of Zohar, exercised authority in Hebron.'^ 

 Undisguisable traces of Aner, Eshcol and Mamre, the Amorites, 

 may be found by any one with sufficient knowledge who cares to 

 look for them in the geography and traditions of Sicily and Southern 

 Italy.8 Palestine was the centre of a more important seat of empire, 

 if scattered and somewhat disconnected principalities may be called 

 an empire, than that of Babel, inasmuch as in it first the tribes of 

 Japheth commenced to assume national names, divinities, and distin- 

 gTiishing characteristics, in connection with which alone history can 

 begin to exist. It would be vain, however, to attempt the task of 

 reconstructing the early histoiy of the Avorld, scattered as it must be 

 over the traditions of these various nationalities, were it not that, 



1 Gen. xiv. ; Deut. ii. 



2 The Horites, Canadian Journal, May, 1ST3. 



3 Gen. xxxiii. 18, xxxiv. 2. They are called Hivltes, but this name is synonymous with 

 Horite ; Gen. xxxvi. 2, compare verse 25. The presence of the geographical name Ehal, in the 

 region of Shechem, seems to indicate descent from the third son of Shobal. 



* Vide supra. Gen. xxxvi. 2, seq. 



5 Hitzig, die PhUistaer. The Shepherd Kings of Egypt, Canadian Journal, Vol. xiv. Xos. 

 . 2 and 3, AprO. and August, 1874. 



6 Shepherd Kings, Canadian Journal, Vol. xiv., No. 2, p. 199. 

 ' 76. 163. 



8 The very name Sicilia is derived from Eshcol. Ziklag and Zancle agree in Etymology. The 

 Mamertines derive their name from Mamers the Oscan god, who is Mamre. 



