42 MYTHOLOGY AND RELIGIOUS RITES. 
was vested in them. They governed the land under the presidency of the 
king, who applied to them for counsel and acted under their tutelage. 
Their sons were his playmates in his childhood, his companions during 
his youth and manhood, and his life was spent in accordance with the 
rules prescribed by them, which were so minute in their details as to 
specify the time when he must walk and bathe. When the reigning family 
became extinct a successor was chosen from among the priests. But these 
prerogatives never contributed to the aggrandizement of an individual at the 
expense of the class; they were the property of the whole body, and no 
matter what the personal talents, merits, or honors of any one might be or 
become, he had no exclusive right to them, but his merit was ascribed to 
the entire caste. The priests were, therefore, not honored by the people for 
their personal merits, but only for belonging to the caste of priests. 
The caste was divided into different classes, holding different ranks : 
1. The Prophets, or orators, who superintended the worship in the temple, 
had charge of the government of the order and of the public revenues. 
2. The S¢olzsts, whose duty it was to impress the seal which was the mark 
of consecration upon the animals selected for sacrifice. 3. The Hzerogram- 
matists or sacred scribes, who were the scientific men of Egypt. 4. The 
Horoscopists, who occupied themselves with astrology and magic. 5. The 
Minstrels, who devoted their time to music and hymns, and oceupied the 
front in all processions. 6. The Pastophorod (box carriers), whose chief ° 
occupation was the practice of medicine. They are represented in pl. 10, 
jigs. 26-81, most of them distinguished by some mark of their profession. 
Some of them had even the attributes belonging to a god, as jig. 27, who 
carries the staff with the falcon’s head. /igs. 32-34 seem to be priestesses ; 
but it is still doubtful whether they were invested with the privileges of 
officiating at the altars, or were only attendants in the temple. 
In addition to the above division there was another by which each of the 
greater gods and goddesses was furnished with his or her own college of 
priests, who had the charge of the temple and worship of their patron 
divinity. PU. 8, fig. 31, are two priests and two priestesses belonging to 
the temple of Isis; the first of these carries the sacred jug; the second 
probably the sacred books; the third follows with the large pitcher, the 
handle of which is the crawling serpent; and the fourth has in one hand 
the sistrum and in the other a ladle with a long handle carved as if for a 
measure. 
The priesthood was hereditary in Egypt, as well as the property belonging 
to the temple. The style of dressand mode of living were strictly prescribed 
to the priest. He had to keep his head shaved, except when a member of his 
family died, and then he wore his hair as a mark of mourning. His dress 
consisted of a linen gown and tunic more or less long, and shoes of rushes 
or papyrus. His drinking vessels had to be washed and cleansed daily, and 
he himself was required to bathe twice every day and every night. His 
food he had to select with the greatest care; he was not allowed to eat fish 
or any indigestible or flatulent food, particularly pork, which he was not 
permitted even to look at; but on the other hand he and the king were the 
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