1G4 
Thus we are led back from Egypt to Assyria, and then to Bactria and the 
Pamir, or the Eoof of the World, and Tibet, where we find Am,” the 
Invisible God, is still worshipped. 
Passing to page 5, we are told that “Barzillai” is from Barzil.” This 
word stands for ^‘iron” in Hebrew; but as “ Bar ” is a common word for 
son, and the other syllable is connected with a root signifying “ to pour out,” 
besides contributing to a word indicative of “ violent heat,” perhaps Barzil 
came to be applied to iron, because it is poured out with violent heat from a 
furnace. In the case of Barzillai, who was one of David’s friends, the word 
is supposed to be expressive of a hard or austere character when applied to 
a man ; but, as applied to the Assyrian God, it seems to receive greater force 
from the suggested analysis. 
My next reference is to “ Baal Shalisha.” The latter w’ord is said to 
mean “ three.” Baal Shalisha is connected with another name, which has 
been extremely puzzling to me, and that is the “ Land of Shalisha.” I should 
be glad if the learned lecturer \vould only help me to understand why Baal 
has the attribute of trinity attached to him, or why that particular land 
should have been the land of the three, and what three. Perhaps we 
might then understand where the Land of Shalisha is, but up to this time 
■we only know that it is one of tlie parts visited in the search of Saul for 
his father’s asses. 
]\Iy next reference is to the word “ IMaharai the name of one of David’s 
yaliant men. The Hindus have a ready transhition for it. Its Hindu 
equivalent is “ IVlaha-raj,” also the identical -vvord “ INIaha-Rai,” both signi- 
fying a great king. Further, “Mahara'i” maybe traced through various 
other forms, as “ Major,” “ Mayor,” and “ More,” expressive of the com- 
parative degree. 
I now come to “ Pi-nehas,” only to say that there is another use for the 
word “ nehas,” which I cannot just at this moment recall. 
The Eev. H. G. Tomkins. — You do not mean “nachash,” the serpent, do 
you ? 
Mr. Trelawney Saunders. — I am not sure about it. (My desire was to 
refer to the repeated use of “ Nahash,” or “ Nachash,” in connexion with the 
Ammonites, in the Bible, where the word means, besides a serpent, also an 
enchanter and a seer. But it is a different word from that which forms part 
of “ Phinehas.”) I would, however, in the presence of Mr. Eassam and 
Dr. Stern, put forward with great diffidence the suggestion I am about to 
make, that the word does not suggest the meaning of the “negro,” as 
Brugsch has it, but its probable identification is with a term applied to 
princes in Abyssinia — that of “negus.” Thus “Pi-nehas” would mean 
“ mouth of a prince.” The accepted interpretation is “ mouth of brass.” 
Here is another curious thing. I do not wish to make you laugh by any 
reference I may make, so I beg you will be serious. I allude to the word 
“khafni” (“hophni”), a pugilist. You all know that aleph, the first 
letter in the alphabet, may be pronounced in various ways. Well, then, I 
would ask why should not “khaf,” which means a pugilist, be “ khuf,” and 
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