38 The discoveries of Geology 



whatever of any one of its peculiar terms any more than of the curious 

 steps in its progress. 



But there is a phenomenon in his record still more unaccountable 

 upon any supposition that his science is merely human. His geology, 

 acknowledged by the highest authority in this age of scientific im- 

 provement to be thus accurate, dwindles down in his hands to be 

 a merely incidental appendage to an enunciation of the most rational 

 and sublime theology. This latter he did not learn in Egypt, for it 

 was in the possession of his ancestors while they were yet inhabitants 

 of Canaan ; and we find Fetishism established in Egypt in his age, 

 and even as early as the time of Joseph. Joseph's steward addresses 

 his brethen as if their God were different from the gods of Egypt 

 (Gen. xliii. 23.), and we find him afterwards stating (Gen. xlvi. 34.),' 

 that every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians. Herodotus 

 has given us a piece of information, which forms a perfect commen- 

 tary on this last passage, and puts us in possession of all its import. 

 He tells us that cows, whether young or old, were, by the Egyptians, 

 all held sacred to Isis, and were forbidden to be sacrificed ; and that 

 on this account, they more venerated that animal than any other ; 

 and he adds almost a paraphrase of the words of Joseph, "therefore, 

 no man or woman of them will kiss a Grecian, or use his knife, or 

 pot, or spit, or eat the flesh of animals cut with his knife." The 

 Greeks were thus an abomination to the Egyptians, because they 

 sacrificed the animal sacred to Isis. Now, the Hebrews were in the 

 practice of sacrificing the same animal, for we find a heifer among 

 the sacrifices of Abraham (Gen. xv. 9.) The proofs of the existence 

 of Fetishism in Egypt in. the time of Moses, and that the Egyptians 

 knew not the God of the Hebrews, are complete. In Exodus 

 viii. 26., we find Moses saying to Pharaoh, " shall we sacrifice the 

 abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes, and will they not 

 stone us?" In Exodus xii. 12. we find the beasts called the gods of 

 Egypt ; and in Exodus xxxii., we find Aaron, in consistency with 

 the idolatry which he had witnessed in Egypt, making a golden calf, 

 and saying to the Hebrews, this is thy God. Also, when Moses first 

 presents himself before Pharaoh in Exodus v., we find the latter 

 denying all knowledge of the God of the Hebrews. 



Shall we, then, conjecture that Moses borrowed theology from 

 the Hebrews on the one hand, and geological science from the Egyp- 

 tians on the other, to compound out of them that brief but unique 

 and perfect system of both, which is presented to us in the 1st chap- 



