241 
i. e. Sem ;* bearing testimony to a traditional remembrance 
of Shem, who, as the eldest son of Noah, was, on patriarchal 
principles, high priest over his brethren after his father's 
death. Speaking of Noah, it is worthy of remark also, that 
some of the hieroglyphic inscriptions represent the “ god of 
water/' under the name of Noh, or No. This was the deity 
who presided over the annual overflow of the Nile ; a title 
which plainly relates to some traditional recollection of Noah 
presiding triumphantly over the Flood. I think it impossible 
to review these strong affinities between old Egyptian names, 
and some of the earliest and most important names of the 
Bible, without admitting the value of their testimony. f 
22. If this kind of testimony, however, be thought insuf- 
ficient, and an examination of the tombs and monuments, in 
relation to the manners and customs of Egypt, be considered 
more to the point, we have only to set ourselves to the task, 
in order to become equally convinced of the truly historical 
character of the Pentateuch. I mean to say there are paint- 
ings found on these monuments which no less verify the state- 
ments of Moses. For example, does the Egyptian Ishmael 
become “ an archer," when thrown upon his own resources 
in the desert ? The monuments show that archery was every- 
where common in Egypt. Did Hagar live as a bondwoman 
with Abraham, after his visit to Egypt ? What wonder ? 
The monuments portray domestic slavery as everywhere 
practised in that nation. Was Joseph sold to Arabian mer- 
chants on their way to Egypt ? The monuments depict such 
Arabian merchants as in the habit of bringing balsam and 
myrrh to Egypt for embalming the dead. Were the Israelites 
persecuted in brickmaking ? There is one monument which 
exhibits a number of slaves in the act of making bricks under 
cruel taskmasters. To pursue these monumental confirma- 
tions of the Pentateuch, however, would be too long and 
tedious for the present paper, which aims rather at being 
comprehensive than exhaustive. Nor is it needful after the 
valuable facts brought out in the discussion on Mr. Saville's 
paper in an earlier period of this session, when we heard that 
the Anastasian papyri exhibited written testimony to the histo- 
rical names of “ Jannes and Jambres," of “ Balak, the son of 
Zippor," and of “Phinehas." And yet I cannot leave this part 
of the subject without touching on one more point ; I mean 
the evident traditionary recollections of Paradise which are 
exhibited in some of the Egyptian monuments. I refer you, 
* gee Wilkinson’s Egypt, vol. i. p. 319. (Small edition.) 
t 11 ns list might easily be supplemented ; as (e.g.) Kaamses, Pithom. 
