BY JOHN REINHOLD FORSTER, LL. D. 15 



Egyptian tongue, is the maker offeafons. But almofl all the male 

 gods, efpeciaUy, of the Egyptians, exprefTed the virtues and powers 

 of the Sun. Hence, the vernal fun, when it is peculiarly vigorous, 

 and operates with mofl power, according to the difcipllne of the 

 Egyptian priefts, was Hercules, whom they therefore called Dfem- 

 menutiy the virtue of God, or of the Gods. The fame Hercules^ 

 according to Athenagoras (pro Chrifiianis, p. 18.)' or, as Damaf- 

 fKj has it (jKifi a^yyv ap. Wolff, Anecdot . iii. p. 254.) " that prin- 

 ciple was named, time void of old age, and likewife Hercules.^' Nor 

 is it to be omitted, that in the obelifli of king Rameffes, the fun 

 is called the lord of feafons, which in the Egyptian language is 

 Sefoeifch, or Sefoofis. 



The annual revolution of the fun makes a year of twelve ^ 

 months ; but the Egyptian year, long, was only 365 days ; whence, 

 every fourth year, four true folar years exceeded as many Egyp- 

 tian years a fingle day, which they were not accuftomed to inter- 

 calate. Hence the fealbns of the year wandered through the 

 whole Egyptian year ; and hence of the folar years as firft fixed 

 by Julius Cafar the diftator, 1460 equal 1461 vague Egyptian 

 years. On this account, the Egyptian priefts were accuftomed to 

 call four years with the day of intercalation, the year of God; and 

 146 1 vague Egyptian years made the great year of God, that is, 

 of the Sun. And they taught, that at this great period, the" con- 

 verfton of the great year took place, at which alfo the Phisnix 

 regenerated — flew from Arabia to the city of the fun, and de~ 

 pofited his father's body on the altar. 



It will now appear, why the Orphics, in hymn xi. to Hercu- 

 les 2>' addrefs him by the title oi various formed father (f time. 

 And Plutarch^ in his treatife on Ifis and Ofiris, aflerts, " that 



the 



