Ægyptus appears not to have been Scsostris, the fraternity between Ægyptus and Danaus can have no effect towards proving the time of Sesostris’ reign.

II. Bishop Cumberland contends, that Sesostris was the son of Amenophis, who was the Pharaoh that was drowned in pursuit of the Israelites in the Red Sea. He cites Manetho and Chæremon in Josephus to prove that Amenophis was the king, in whose reign the Israelites went out of Egypt. This Amenophis, he says, was the father of Ramesses, who was also called Ægyptus, and had Danaus for his brother; and Ægyptus and Sesostris were the same person. But 1. Amenophis was not the king in whose reign the Israelites left Egypt. Josephus indeed remarks, that Manetho in one particular place asserts it; and that Chæremon agrees with him in it. But then he remarks, that it was a mere fiction of Manetho, contrary to what he himself had expressly owned,' in other parts of his works, and that Charcmon erred in agreeing with him in it; so that the very authorities upon which the learned bishop would argue that Amenophis his supposed father of Sesostris, had been the Egyptian king, who reigned at the Jewish exit, have been long ago refuted by Josephus, the very author from whom the bishop had them, and in the very place where he found them. But, 2. If Ame

P Sanchoniatho. p. 398. Appion. 1. c. 26.

Joseph. ubi sup.

Lib. contra ' Id. c. 32.

♦ Id. ibid.

nophis was indeed the king who reigned at the Jewish exit; if he was also the father of Ramesses, or Ægyptus the brother of Danaus; yet as it appears from what I above offered, that Egyptus the brother of Danaus and Sesostris were in no wise the same person; nothing can be concluded from the learned bishop's argument to prove that Sesostris had lived in these times. Here therefore I will leave this subject, though it might be more largely refuted in every particular belonging to it; but so nice a discussion must surely be superfluous. One thing I confess I am surprised at; I greatly wonder that such learned and judicious writers, as the great authors I have mentioned, could ever entertain such a thought. If Sesostris. had lived in these times, and commanded such victorious armies, as he was said to be master of; would not the camp of the Israelites have fallen in his way; or should we not have had him, mentioned among the hints which we have in Scripture of the Canaanitish nations? He must have carried his forces through these countries; but they appear to have enjoyed an uninterrupted peace, until Joshua attacked them. But had the great Sesostris lived in these times, whence, or how should he have raised his armies? When Pharaoh pursued the Israelites to the Red Sea; he took his people with him, all his horses and chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and his horsemen and his army." He and all these perished in the sca.* The kingdom had been just before

▪ Exod. xiv. 6, 7, 9.

* Ver 28.

spoiled of its treasure, and every family weakened by the loss of the first-born." Can it then appear probable, that in such a deplorable crisis of affairs, a king of this country should attempt and pursue a -variety of conquests of foreign nations? Egypt must at this time have been reduced so low, that it might have been an easy prey to any invasion. The Israelites many times thought so, and were therefore frequently tempted, and inclined to return thither, when they met, with discouraging difficulties in their expectations of Canaan. When the spies, who had 'been employed to search the land, had intimidated the congregation, by magnifying the strength and stature of the inhabitants; the Israelites were for making a captain to lead them back to Egypt. They knew the fruitfulness of this country, were sensible that it must be under a feeble government; and though they supposed themselves not able to conquer the Canaanites, who were in their full strength, yet they were not afraid of an exhausted nation. This indeed was a : natural way of thinking: but that Sesostris should be the son of Pharaoh, who was drowned in the Red Sea, and that in the state, to which his father's misfortunes must have reduced Egypt, he should immediately find strength sufficient to subdue kingdom after kingdom, and erect himself a large empire over many great and flourishing nations; this must be thought by any one who duly considers things, to seem at first sight a most romantic fiction.

y Exod. xii. 36.

* Ver. 29, 30.

a Numb. xiv. 3,

4.

It may, perhaps, be expected, that I should not only say, who was not, but who really was the Pharaoh that was drowned in the Red sea'; but perhaps I may not be able to determine this point, so as to have no doubts remaining about it.. However, as the Egyptian antiquities have been the study of many learned writers in divers ages, and great pains have been taken to settle and deduce a reasonable and consistent account of them; it may not be unacceptable to such as have not opportunity of informing themselves better, if I here, once for all, set before the reader some account of the works or remains, which are most commonly cited for these antiquities; after which he may judge for himself, how far we can fix the particular time of any reign or transaction, which belongs to the history of this people. Now the authorities most generally appealed to upon this subject are, 1. The old Chronographeon. 2. The tomes of Manetho. 3. The catalogue of Eratosthenes. 4. Some extracts from Manetho in Josephus. 5. The Chro nographia of Africanus. 6. The Chronicon of Eusebius. 7. The Chronographia of Syncellus. And, 8. The Canon Chronicus of our learned countryman, Sir John Marsham.

I. We are told of an old Egyptian Chronographeon, of which Syncellus has preserved some remains, or rather an imperfect account. But I may offer the whole of what he gives us of it, in the following translation of his words. According to him it was thus worded :

b

っ

* Ούτω πως επί λέξεως έχων. Ηφαις χρονος εκ έσιν . . . Syncell. p. 51.

XVI

"Time we do not assign to Vulcan, for he is ever. Sol the son of Vulcan reigned 30000 years. Then Saturn, and the other gods being twelve reigned 3984 years. Then the eight demi-gods, who were kings, reigned 217 years. And after these were set down fifteen generations of the Cynic Cycle, taking up the space of 443 years. Then came the xvi dynasty of Tanite kings, containing eight (generations, or) reigns of 190 years. Next to these XVII dynasty of Memphites, four reigns, 103 years. After them xvi dynasty of Memphites, fourteen reigns, 348 years. Then xix dynasty of Diospolitans, five reigns, 194 years. Then xx dynasty of Diospolitans, eight reigns, 228 years. Next xxx dynasty of Tanites, six reigns, 121 years. Then xx dynasty of Tanites, three reigns, 48 years. reigns, 19 years. reigns, 44 years. reigns, 44 years.

XXVI

I dynasty of Diospolitans, two XXIV dynasty of Saitans, three IIV dynasty of Ethiopians, three xxvi dynasty of Memphites, seven reigns, 177 years. XXVII dynasty of Persians, five reigns, 124 years. ... XXIX. dynasty of Tanites, ... reigns, 59 years. xxx dynasty completes the whole, consisting of one Tanite king, his reign 118 years."

This is the account we have of the ancient Chronographeon, and I would remark concerning it, 1. That

* Through some defect of the copy, we have here an omission of the xxvi dynasty.

We have here a like omission of the number of the reigns in xxix