HELIOPOLIS. 143 
famous Mosaic pavement of Prc^neste^ where a 
view is also given of the Temple of the Sun, or 
Bethshemesh of sacred scripture^, with the 
obelisks, as they stood before the vestibule of 
the building-. 
We then went to visit the renowned pillar of Piikr of 
On. 
On^ or Obelisk of Heliopolis, (the only great 
work of antiquity now remaining in all the Land 
o/'Goi/iew^) standing upon the spot where the 
Hebrews had their first settlement^. All the 
surrounding plain was at this time inundated, 
so that the Obelisk appeared as in the midst of a 
lake. The water was, however, shallow, and 
we rode upon our horses towards its base. 
The ground being here rather elevated, the 
author was enabled to gain a precarious footing 
(5) Shaw's Travels, sect. 7. eh. 2. p. 424. Lond. 1757. See also 
tlie history of this pavement in Montfaucon' s Antiquities, vol. xiv. 
(6) " He shall break also the Images of Beth-shemesh {\.e.the 
fiouse, or City oftheSuti) that is in the land oi Egypt." Jer. xliii. 13. 
(7) " And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphnath-paaneah : and 
he gave hiui to wife Asenath, the dauj^htcr of Poti-pherah priest of 
On." Ge7i. xli. 45. This name of the city is rendered 'UXiovriXtu! 
by the LXXH. as is also the Hebrew word Beth-shemesh, mentioned in 
the preceding Note. 
(8) See Shauj's Travels, torn. II. chap. 5. 
(3) 'Svji'i^a^ricriv auTM 0v fiira. <ruv tixvuv h ' HXmu^oXu- "Concessit ei 
cum liberis suis HeliopoU?t habitare." Josephi Antiq. Jud. lib. ii. cap. 1. 
torn. I. p. 95. Amst. ^r. 1726. 
