S$- ACCOUNTS, ETC., OF THE BBITISH MUSEUM. 



to the period of the first twelve dynas- 

 ties, including two of the Vlth dynasty. 

 Fifteen bear the names of great officials 

 and nobles who flourished under the 

 Xllth and Xlllth dynasties ; and Vo 

 belong to the Hyksos Period, about 

 B.C. 2000. Among the latter are : — 



26. Three scarabs inscribed with the name of 



the chancellor Shar. 



Among miscellaneous objects of con- 

 siderable interest in the collection are : — 



27. A bead, in blue-glazed faience, ornamented 



with figures of crocodiles. Xllth dynasty. 

 B.C. 2500. 



28. Scarab, with the figure of a king in a 



high-crowned hat, wielding a mace, and 

 receiving " life " from a lion-headed 

 deity. Probably of the Hyksos Period. 



29. A group of fine blue -glazed faience 



plaques. XVIIlth dynasty. 



30. Seven glazed faience plaques, each in- 



scribed with the name of Osiris. XXXth 

 dynasty. 

 81, A purple-glazed faience head of Bes. 

 XVIIlth dynasty. About B.C. 1450. 



32. Two couchant hippopotami in steatite. 



XVIIlth dynasty. 



33. A group of plaques in green jasper, carne- 



lian, &c., of the XXVIth dynasty. 



34. Six amethyst and basalt scarabs, unin- 



scribed. From B.C. 2500 to B.C. 2000. 

 6. A large collection of scarabs, 2,086 in number, 

 which was made in the Delta, and contains 

 numerous; examples of all the principal varieties 

 of scarab work that have been found during the 

 excavations made at Tanis, Tell-Basta, Temai 

 al - Amdid, Benha, fee, in the course of the 

 last fifty years. 7^11 the scarabs are made of 

 steatite, and are covered with the grey glaze 

 which is characteristic of the scarab manu- 

 factories of the Delta. The devices, decorations, 

 and designs are quite diff'erent from those of the 

 scarabs of Upper Egypt, and many of them 

 exhibit the influence of the worship of the 

 " Syrian goddess," i.e., Ashtoreth, which was 

 always common in Palestine, Syria, and Phoeni- 

 cia. Those who wore the scarabs appear to have 

 regarded them more as amulets which would 

 promote fecundity and increase progeny than 

 as types of the Resurrection and life beyond the 



