: it neceffarily happened, that feveral objects had often the fame reference, and were denominated alike. For not only men took to themselves the facred titles; but birds, beafts, fishes, reptiles, together with trees, plants, ftones, drugs, and minerals, were fuppofed to be under fome particular influence; and from thence received their names. And if they were not quite alike, they were however made up of elements very fimilar. Ham, as the Sun, was ftiled * Ait; and Egypt, the land of Ham, had in confequence of it the name of Ait, rendered by the Greeks Αετια : Εκληθη (ή Αίγυπτος) και Αερία, και Ποταμια, και Αιθιοπία, και † ΑΕΤΙΑ. One of the most antient names of the Nyle was Ait, or Aaros. It was alfo a name given to the eagle, as the bird particularly facred to the fun and Homer alludes to the original meaning of the word, when he terms the eagle ‡ Aros air. Among the parts of the human body it was appropriated to the heart: for the heart in the body may be esteemed what the fun is in his fyftem, the fource of heat and life, affording the fame animating principle. This word having these two fenfes, was the reason why the Egyptians made a heart over a vase of burning incenfe an emblem of their country. § Αιγυπτον δε γράφοντες θυμιατήριον καιομένου ζωγραφεσι, και επάνω ΚΑΡΔΙΑΝ. This term occurs continually in compofition. Athyr, one of the Egyptian months, was formed of Ath-Ur. It was also one of the names of that place, where the fhepherds refided in Egypt; and to which the Ifraelites fucceeded. It stood at the upper point of Delta, and was particularly facred to Orus: and thence called Athur-ai, or the place of Athur. departure of the shepherds it was ruined by king Amofis. καψε δε την Αθυρίαν Αμωσις. Ur, or At the ** Κατερ As Egypt was named Ajth, and Ait; fo other countries, in which colonies from thence fettled, were ftiled Ethia and Athia. The fons of Chus founded a colony in Colchis; and we find a king of that country named Aït; or, as the Greeks expreffed it, AzTs and the land was alfo distinguished by that characteristic. Hence Arete in the Orphic Argonautics, fpeaking of Medea's returning to Colchis, exprefies this place by the terms ηθεα Κολχων : 17 Οιχεσθω πατρος τε δόμον, και ες ηθέα Κόλχων. It is fometimes compounded Ath-El, and Ath-Ain; from whence the Greeks formed Aha, and AB, titles, by which they diftinguished the goddess of wisdom. It was looked upon as a term of high ho Stephanus Byzant. † Scholia on Dionyfius. V. 239. What is alluded to, may be feen from other authors. Homer. Iliad. O. V. 690. O mosques, mas muradas. Hefychius. They exprefs it after the manner of the Ionians, who always deviated from the ori ginal term. The Dorians would have called it with more propriety Ath. Horus Apollo. L. 1. c. 22. p. 38. * Clemens Alexandrinus from Ptolemy Mendefius. Strom. L. 1. p. 378. It was called alfo Abur, or Abaris, as well as Athur. In after-times it was rebuilt; and by Herodotus it is filed Cercafora. By Athuria is to be underftoed both the city, and the diftrict; which was of the great Nome of Heliopolis. nour and endearment. Venus in Apollonius calls Juno and Minerva, by way of respect, Hb: * Ηθειαι, τις δευρο νοός, χρείω τε, κομίζει ; Menelaus fays to his brother Agamemnon, † Τιρθ' έτως, Ήθειε, κορύσσεαι 3 and † Τίπτε μοι, Ηθετη κεφαλη, δευρ' ειληλυθας, are the words of Achilles to the fhade of his loft Patroclus. Hos in the original acceptation, as a title, fignified Solaris, Divinus, Splendidus: but in a fecondary fenfe it denoted any thing holy, good, and praife-worthy. || Axλx μιν Ηθείον καλέω και νοσφιν εοντα, fays Eumæus of his long abfent, and much honoured mafter. I will call him good, and noble, whether be be dead or alive. From this antient term were derived the 80s and 10a of the Greeks. I have mentioned, that it is often found compounded, as in Athyr : and that it was a name conferred on places, where the Amonians fettled. Some of this family came in early times to Rhodes, and Lemnos of which migrations I fhall hereafter treat. Hence one of the most antient names of § Rhodes was Aithraia, or the Island of Athyr; fo called from the worship of the Sun: and Lemnos was denominated Aithalia, for the fame reafon from Aith-El. It was par ticularly devoted to the God of fire; and is hence stiled Vulcania by the Poet: ** Summis Vulcania furgit Lemnos aquis. Ethiopia itself was named both †† Aitheria, and Aeria, from Aur, and Athyr and Lefbos, which had received a colony of Cuthites, was reciprocally tiled ‡‡ Æthiope. The people of Canaan and Syria paid a great reverence to the memory of Ham: hence we read of many places in thofe parts named Hamath, Amathus, Amathufia. One of the fons of Canaan feems to have been thus called: for it is faid, that Canaan was the father of the || Hamathite. A city of this name ftood to the eaft of mount Libanus; whofe natives were the Hamathites alluded to here. There was another Hamath in Cyprus, by the Greeks expreffed Auales, of the fame original as the former. We read of Eth-Baal, a king of §§ Sidon, who was the father of Jezebel; and of Athaliah, who was her daughter. For Ath was an oriental term, which came from Babylonia and Chaldea to Egypt; and from thence to Syria and Canaan. Ovid, though his whole poem be a fable, yet copies the modes of thofe countries, of which he treats. On this account, fpeaking of an Ethiopian, he introduces him by the name of Eth-Amon, but foftened by him to Ethemon. Chaonius Molpeus, dextrâ Nabathæus Ethemon. Apollonius Rhodius. L. 3. v. 52. ¶ Inftabant parte sinistrâ Ath + Homer. Iliad. K. v. 37. Homer. Odyff. E. v. 147. Ath-El among many nations a title of great honour. Plin. Nat. Hift. L. 5. c. 31. Valerius Flaccus. L. 2. v. 78. The chief city was Hephæftia. ++ Univerfa vero gens (Æthiopum) Etheria appellata eft. Plin. L. 6, a 30. It Plin. L. 5. c. 31. 1 Kings, c. 16. v. 31. Ovid, Metamorph, L. 5. v, 162. Genefis. c. 10, v. 18. c. 11. v. 2. Ath was fometimes joined to the ancient title Herm; which the Grecians with a termination made 'Eus. From Ath-Herm, came Digual, Dignos, guaww. These terms were fometimes reverfed, and rendered Herm athena.' Though we cannot give a regular abridgment of what Mr. Bryant has advanced under the article of radicals, we fhall, however, take notice of a few incidental circumftances, the mentioning of which will probably be acceptable to our curious readers. Speaking of Nimrod, our Author fays, that though the hiftory of Nimrod was in a great measure loft in the fuperior reverence paid to Chus, or Bacchus; yet there is reason to think that divine honours were of old paid to him. The family of the Nebridæ at Athens, and another of the fame name at Cos, were, as we may infer from their hiftory, the pofterity of people, who had been priefts to Nimrod. He feems to have been worshipped in Sicily under the names of Elorus, Pelorus, and Orion. He was likewife ftiled Belus: but as this was merely a title, and conferred upon other perfons, it renders his hiftory very difficult to be diftinguished. Under the word, Ad, we are told, that Ham was often ftiled Ad-Ham, or Adam contracted; which has been the cause of much mistake. There were many places named Adam, Adama, Adamah, Adamas, Adamana; which had no reference to the protoplast, but were by the Amonians denominated from the head of their family. In treating on the term, Ees, or Is, which related to light and fire, and was one of the titles of the fan, Mr. Bryant makes several curious remarks. He finds the traces of this term in a great number of places, fituated in very different parts of the world. All these places, he affures us, were founded or denominated by people of the Amonian worship; and we may always upon inquiry perceive fomething very peculiar in their history and fituation. They were particularly devoted to the worship of the fun; and they were ge nerally fituated near hot fprings, or elfe upon foul and fetid lakes, and pools of bitumen. It is alfo not uncommon to find near them mines of falt and nitre; and caverns fending forth peftilential exhalations. Afia proper comprehended little more than Phrygia, and a part of Lydia; and was bounded by the river Halys. It was of a moft inflammable foil.-Hence doubt. lefs the region had the name of Afia, or the land of fire.It may appear wonderful; but the Amonians were determined in the fituation both of their cities and temples by these strange So in Virgil. Comites Sarpedonis ambo, Et clarus Ethemon Lyciâ comitantur ab altâ, Or, Clarus et Ethemon. Æneis. L. 10. v. 126. N 3 phænomena phænomena. They esteemed no places fo facred, as those where there were fiery eruptions, uncommon fteams, and fulphureous exhalations, The Amonian religion and cuftoms were carried to a furprifing extent in the first ages. The ancient Germans, and Scandinavians, were led by the fame principles; and founded their temples in fituations of the fame nature, as those were, which have been above described. Above all others they chose thofe places, where were any nitrous or faline waters. * Maxime autem Lucos (or Lacus) fale gignendo fœcundos cœlo propinquare, precefque mortalium nufquam propius audiri firmiter erant perfuafi; prout exemplo hermandurorum docet teftis omni exceptione major + Tacitus. In confidering the derivatives from the word Ain, the Author, taking occafion to vindicate himfelf, for not deducing his etymologies from the Hebrew, declares, in a note, that it is his opinion, that there are two events recorded by Mofes, Gen. c. 10. throughout; and Gen. c. II. v. 8, 9. One was a regular migration of mankind in general to the countries allotted to them: the other was a difperfion which related to fome particulars. Of this Mr. Bryant propofes hereafter to treat at large; and we fhall be glad to fee the profecution of the fubject. Being fenfible that the eaftern languages, and the western tongues derived from them, have, amidst all their alterations, fuch a refemblance, as by no means coincides with the notion of that radical change which fome divines fuppofe to have been miraculously produced at the tower of Babel; we have hitherto acquiefced in the conjecture of the late Dr. Gregory Sharpe, that the confufion of language, or lip, related only to a confufion of defigns and counfels. Our learned Writer, fpeaking of the terms, Shem, and Shamesh, which relate to the heavens, and to the fun, takes notice, that Ham, being the Apollo of the east, was worshipped as the fun, and was alfo called Sham and Shem; and that this has been the cause of much perplexity and mistake. By these means many of his pofterity have been referred to a wrong line, and reputed the fons of Shem; the title of one brother not being diftinguished from the real name of the other. Hence the Chaldeans have by fome been adjudged to the line of Shem and Amalek, together with the people of that name, has been placed to the fame account. Under the word, Sar, we learn, that as oaks were ftiled Saronides, fo likewife were the ancient Druids, by whom the oak was held fo facred. This is the title which was given to * Gasper Brechenmaker, $45. P. 457. the the priests of Gaul, as we are informed by Diodorus Siculus; and it is one proof out of many, fays our Author, how far the Amonian religion was extended; and how little we know of Druidical worship, either in refpect to its effence or its origin. The term, Uch, expreffed alfo Ach, Och, was a term of honour among the Babylonians, and the rest of the progeny of Chus; and occurs continually in the names of men and places, which have any connection with their Hiftory. Mr. Bryant wonders that this word has been paffed over with fo little notice, as it is of great antiquity; and at the fame time of much importance in refpect to etymology. The traces which he finds of it are very numerous. We fhall tranfcribe the conclufion of this article; as it contains an illuftration of Homer, in a matter little understood by his best commentators. The term Yx, of which I have been treating, was obsolete, and scarce known in the times when Greece moft flourished: yet some traces of it may be found, though strangely perverted from its original meaning. For the writers of this nation, not knowing the purport of the words, which they found in their ancient hymns, changed them to fomething fimilar in found; and thus retained them with a degree of religious, but blind reverence. I have fhewn, that of El-Uc they formed Auxos, Lucus; which was acknowledged to be the name of the fun of El-Uc-Aon, Lycaon: of El-Uc-Or, Lycorus and Lycoreus : Η κιθαριν, η τοξα Λυκωρεος εντεα Φοίβε So from Uc-Ait, another title of the god, they formed Hecatus, and a feminine, Hecate. Hence Nicandor fpeaks of Apollo by this title: + Εξομενος τριποδεσσι παρα Κλαξίοις Εκάτοιο, And Herophile the Sibyl of the fame deity: † Μοιραν έχους. Εκατω της τοτ' Ανακτορίης, The only perfon who feems knowingly to have retained this word, and to have used it out of compofition, is | Homer. He had been in Egypt; and was an admirer of the theology of that nation. He adhered to ancient § terms with a degree of enthusiasm; and introduced them at all hazards, though he many times did not know their meaning. This word among others he has preferved; and he makes use of it adverbially in its proper fenfe, when he describes any body fuperlatively great, and excellent. Thus he speaks of Calchas Callimachus. Hymn to Apollo, v. 19. + Nicander Alexipharmica, v. 11. Paufanias. 1. 10. p. 827. It is however to be found in Euripides under the term exs. Thefeus fays to Εκ τι δ' ελαύνεις έπτα προς Galaς Οχες. - Supplices, v. 131. Συν τ' ευαγορία, σαν τ' ευγμασι, συν τ' αλάλυψαις, Lavacr. Palladis, V, 139. |