G E N T O O S. 



tlint the firfl. oF thefe ancient monarchs, whom they call ednefs to divination, and the fame idea of the ufe of corpo- 

 M:i!r\b:ic!, or Menu, j-cccived from the creator a facrcd book, real aullcrities for the expiation of fin. 



in a heavenly langi'.age, meaning the " Vcdas,'' (DifT. relat- There can be no doubt of the very high antiquity of the 

 ir.g to Afn, vol. ii. p. iii.) This firit monarch, they alfo religion of the Hindoos, and it is not improbable lliat tl>e 

 fay, divided the people into four orders, the religious, the commencement of all thofe fyftcrrc which deviated from the 

 military, the commercial, and the fcrvile. (Did". &c. vol. i. religion of the patriarchs, preferved in the v/rilings of Mofes, 

 p. 197. 206.) Ill th.p reign of Hu'hang, the third of the v.-as prior to the general difperfion of mankind. A fyftem 

 . Pifiidadian rac;, a reformation, he fays, was made in the re- fo ancient as that of the Hindoos mull have been formed 

 ligious fyltem, when tlie complex polytheifm of the preced- about the fame time with that of the Egyptians, from whicli 

 nig times was rejefted, and religion was reduced to what is that of the Greeks, and other weftern nations, was in fome 

 called " Sabaifm," which confiited chiefly in the worfhip of meafure derived; and accordingly many points of refemblance 

 the fun, moon, and ftars ; but it is probable, that fabaifm, have been obferved between them ; too many, and too flriking 

 being a more iimple form of religion than that of the Hin- to have been altogether fortuitous. Even fome of the inhi- 

 doos, mull have preceded it. The laws of Mahabad, how- bitants of Ethiopia appear to have been of the fame origin 

 ever, were retained, and his fuperltitious vfr.tration for fire, with thofe of Hindoollan (fee DifT. relating to Afia, vol. i. 

 Upon this change, the favourers of th.e old religion retired p. 1 12.) ; and both the Egyptians and Ethiopians feem to 

 to Hindooftvn, and their oldell exiftir.g laws forbad thom have had fome conneftion or intercourfe with the Hindoos ; 

 ever to return, or to leave the country the)- now inhabit. but of what kind it was, or when it fubfiiled, we have no 



Another reformation, or change, in the fyilem, was made, certain account ; and they have been fo long feparated, that 

 he lays, under Gufhtafp, in the next, or " Kaianite dy- at prefent they are in total ignorance of each other. Ac- 

 nafty," thought to have been the fame with Darius Hyftaf- cording to Eufebius and Syncellus, fome people from the 

 pis. This was effefted by Zeratulht, or Zoroailer ; he in- river Indus fettled in the vicinity of Egypt in the reign of 

 trodnced genii, or angels, prefiding over months and days, Amenophis, the father of Sefoihis, and many Egyptians, 

 new ceremonies in the veneration Shewn to f re, and gave out banilhed by their princes, fettled in other countries, and fome 

 a new work,- which he faid came from heaven, but at the went fo far as India. It is alfo fuppolcd, that many of the 

 fame ti.Tie eilablilhed the adoration of the Supreme Being, priells of Egypt left the country on the invafiou of it by 

 This work was loll at the conquell of Perlia by the Maho- Cambyfes. But fuch circumftances as thefe are not of 

 metans ; bnt the priells of that religion have compofed themfelves fufficient to account for the great refemblance be- 

 another from what they were able to recolleft of their infli- tween the two fyllcms. The Hindoos themfelves fay, that 

 tution. It is called " Zf«fl'i!w//rt,'' which fee. The follow- their facred books came from the weft, (fee Ezourvedam, 

 e:'s of Zeratulht, now called " Gebrcs,'' or Parfis," perfe- p. 15 — 17.) But the Hindoos, as well as their books, moll 

 cuted thofe of the religion immediately preceding, and thefe probably came from that quarter, and their facred books 

 alfo took refuge in India, wliere they wrote a number of were compoled wliile the ieat of the empire was in Perlia. 

 books, which are now very fcarce. They refemble, accord- The affinity of the Egyptians and Hindoos may be inferred 

 ing to the account of lir William Jones, the Hindoo fefts from the limilarity tlial lublills between lome Egyptian 

 of " Sauras,'' and " Saguinas/' of which the lalt is very words and thole that occur in the ancient language of Hin- 

 numerous at Benares. dooftan. The names and figures of the 12 figns of the 



Another innovator in the religion of the Eall, befoi-e the zodiac, among the Hindoos, are nearly the fume with ours, 

 Chriftian era, was " Budda," (fee BooDll), generally fup- which came from Egypt through Greece, and each of thefe 

 jiofed to have been the fame with the Fo (lee Fo) of the is divided into 30 degrees. Moreover, both the Egyptians 

 Chinefe, the " Somonocodom"' of Siam, the " Xaca" of and Hindoos had alio the fame diviCon of time into weeks, 

 .Japan, and the " Odin" of the north of Europe. Ac- and ihey denominuted each diiy by the names of the fame 

 cording to fir W. .Tones, he difapprovcd of the Vedas, be- planets. The relemblance between the oriental and otciden- 

 caufe they enjoined the facrificc of cattle ; and made his ap- tal fyilemj extends m.uch farther than Egypt. The office 

 pearance in the year 1027 B. C. His diiciples are thought and power of the Druids in the northern parts of Europe 

 to have been the fame with the " Sammanes," who were op- did not di.ffer much from thofe of the Bramins ; and tha 

 pofed to the Brachmans of the Greek hillorians. But thefe Etrufcans, from whom the Romans derived the greateft part 

 Sammanes were, it is probable, of much greater antiquity, as of their learning and religion, had a fyftem v-^ry snuch reiera- 

 was alio Somonocodom. The followers of Budda gave great bline that of tiie Perllans and Indians, and they wrote alter- 

 umbrage to the Bramins, who never ceafed to perfecute them natwy to the right hand antj left. (See ExHt'SCANS, ) Seve- 

 rill they had effecTied their extirpation from Hindooftan by ral remarkable " general principles'' were held alike by the 

 fire and fword, about 500 years :\ga. Tliere i.s, however, ancient Egyptians and the modern Hindoos. They both 

 a great refemblance between the fyilemof the Hindoos and beheved that the fouls of men exiftcd in a prior ftate, and 

 that of Budda ; and perhaps with a view to conciliate thefe that they go into other bodies alter death. They had tiis 

 people, the Bramins of Cafi make Budda the 9th avatar or fame ideas of the body being a prifon to the foul, and ima- 

 transformation of Vichnow. This religion is that which gincd that they could purify and exalt the foul by the mor- 

 prevails in India beyoi.d the Ganges ; it was received in tifieation of the body ; and from the idea of the great fup?- 

 China A. D. 65, and is eilablilhed in Japan. A religion, rioi'ity of fpiritual to corporeal fubftanccs, they held all mat- 

 very fimilar to tiiis, is alfo that of the Lamas of Thibet, ter in great contempt. They alio both believed that pla.its 

 " ' ' ■ ■■ ' ■ • 1 TT- 1 r n had a principle of animation. Several religious ideas and cuf- 



toms were common to both countries. The Egyptians of 

 Thebais reprefented the world under the figure of an egg, 

 ;yhich proceeded from the mouth of Cneph ; and this refem- 

 bled tlic lirll produclion according to the Hindoo fylleni. 

 Several of the Egyptian deities were both male and female, 

 which corrclponds to the figure of the •' lingam" with the 

 Hindoos. This obfcene figure, or at leaft tlie " phallus,'' 



N was 



Indeed, all deviations from the original Hindoo fyftem, re- 

 tained the fame general principles. The advocates of them 

 all held the dodtrine of the pre-exiftence of fouls, their fub. 

 filling and acting independently of bodies, and their Iranlmi- 

 gration into other bodies after death. They had the lame 

 low opinion of matter, and tlie fame veneration for the ele- 

 ments of fire and water, as purifiers of the foul. They 

 h.rl fimilar rellriiftions y,-i:h refpedt to food, the fame addid- 

 Vol. XVI. 



