ABYSSINIANS AND HEBREWS. 31 



Under the term Abyssins, Dr. Pilchard, in his 

 invaluable work upon the natural history of man, 

 includes all the different nations that now inhabit 

 the lofty plain of Abisha or Abyssinia. Of one 

 of these nations, the Amhara, he remarks, " So 

 striking is the resemblance between the modern 

 Abyssinians and the Hebrews of old, that we can 

 hardly look upon them but as branches of one 

 nation, and if we had not convincing evidence to 

 the contrary, and knew not for certain that the 

 Abramidse originated in Chaldsea, and to the north- 

 ward and eastward of Palestine, we might frame a 

 very probable hypothesis, which would bring them 

 down as a band of wandering shepherds from the 

 mountains of liabesh, and identify them with the 

 pastor kings, who, according to Manetho, multi- 

 plied their bands in the land of the Pharaohs, 

 and being, after some centuries, expelled thence 

 by the will of the gods, sought refuge in Judea, 

 and built the walls of Jerusalem. Such an 

 hypothesis would explain the existence of an 

 almost Israelitish people, and the preservation of 

 a language so nearly approaching to the Hebrew 

 in intertropical Africa." The learned ethnologist 

 goes on to observe — " It is certainly untrue ; and 

 we find no other easy explanation of the facts 

 which the history of Abyssinia presents, and 

 particularly of the early extension of the Jewish 

 religion and customs through that country, for 

 the legend which makes the royal house of 



