August, and sometimes about the equinox, the river began to subside and the meadows to appear. 'Cum autem sol per Cancri sidus cœperit vehi, augescens ad usque transitum ejus in Libram, diebusque centum sublatius fluens, minuitur postea, et equitabiles campos ostendit. They are the words of Marcellinus, who had been in that country: and he agrees with other writers. Theon the scholiast upon Aratus speaks nearly to the same purpose. Τῳ Παωφι παυεται ὁ Νείλος, ός εστι κατα Ρωμαίες Οκτώβριος. Oxrwegios. The Nile stops, and subsides in the month Paophi, which answers to October among the Romans. Diodorus Siculus places the commencement of its decrease more truly at the autumnal equinox, as he does its first rising at teristic. And he adds, that from hence has been the custom of making the water, which proceeds from cisterns and other reservoirs, as well as spouts from the roofs of buildings, come through the mouth of a lion.-Apud gentes omnes uno jam consensu receptum, ut canales, tubique et siphones qui aquam eructant per terebrata foramina in leonina capita ad id locis opportunis adsculpi solita, aquam immittant, quæ inde ex leonis rectibus evomi videatur. 1. 1. c. 13. p. 9. See the whole, which is curious. See Marci Frid. Wendelini Admiranda Nili, c. 7. p. 55. -also Orus Apollo, c. 21. p. 37. 1 L. 22. p. 259. 2 the solstice. ' Της πληρώσεως την αρχην απο θερινών τρόπων ποιέμενος αυξεται μεν μέχρι της ισημερίας της μεθοπωρίνης. It continued subsiding for a long time; but soon after the equinox and during the month of October the ground began to appear; which, being covered with slime and mud, produced flies and all kinds of insects. These generated at that season in the swamps. and moist places; particularly in the bodies of rats and mice and other animals, not (as the ancients thought) half formed; but half putrified from whence they proceeded in swarms. The oestrum is well known to be generated from hence. Οιστρον εκ των εν τοις ποτάμοις επιπλέοντων ζωαρίων απογενναται. 3 I believe most of the tribes of gnats and flies arise from swamps and rivers. And bees, wasps, and hornets, which proceed from grubs in the IL. 1. p. 32. The time when the Nile is highest is about the middle of September. Pocock, p. 201. Soon after it began to sink. Strabo seems to make it for forty days in a state of equilibre during its greatest height; and then gradually to subside as it arose. 1. 17. p. 1137. 3 Scholio in Apollon. 1. 1. v. 1265. The Scholiast upon Homer speaks to the same purpose. Ο οιτρος απογενναται εκ των εν τοις ποταμοις πλαγιων ζωαρίων των επιπλέοντων τα ύδατα διο. και πλείςα περί αυτα γίνεται. Homeri Odyss. x. v. 299.*Orsgos & Asyopeevos fpevor). Ibid. v. 300. ground, or else in hollow trees, never come forth till the weather is very warm. Now the children of Israel took their journey from Egypt at a different time of the year. They set out after an interval of winter upon the fifteenth of the month Abib, which answers, according to our computation, to the first of April. Some of the plagues brought upon the Egyptians were doubtless in a series somewhat antecedent to this season. They were ten in number: consequently there were nine intervals between them: but of what duration each of these judgments were; and what portion of time is to be allotted to each interval is uncertain. It is intimated, that there was a respite: and we are told, in the first instance, after the river had been turned to blood, that this respite amounted to a week.---And seven days were fulfilled, after that the Lord had smitten the river. ch. vii. v. 25. If then this were the portion of time inclusive from one event to another (and I think, it could not have been less) we shall find, that the first wonder displayed must have happened two months before the ultimate: and the three which succeeded, were proportionably antecedent. But the duration of each judg ment must be likewise taken into the account: which however may be difficult to be ascertained. The death of the first-born, which was the last, could not have taken up many hours. All was well at even and the cry was at midnight. The darkness which preceded lasted three days inclusive and if we allow the same term for the other plagues one with another; the first operation must have happened near three months before the Exodus. We are in consequence of this carried back from the first of April to January and February for the times, when some, the first in order, of these judgments were brought about. But these were the coldest months in Egypt; and the most ungenial of any : so that, as I have before said, none of those noxious animals brought upon the country,` could have been produced at such a season in the natural way. This must have been apparent not only to the Egyptians, but to the Israelites for whose sakes these judgments were displayed: and who must have seen the 2 The coldest time here is about the beginning of February. Pocock, p. 195. * Whether the flies came from wood, or from water, this was not the season for their swarming. hand of God triumphing visibly over the powers of darkness. For the season in which the frogs appeared, and these insects swarmed, was contrary to all experience. They used to be produced in Egypt at a different, and for the most part an opposite, time of the year: and before this season, they were either diminished, or extinct. As many authorities have been brought from ancient writers concerning Egypt, and its wonderful river, I will now apply to the evidence of a modern, that curious naturalist, Frederick Hasselquist, who will illustrate very much what I have been saying. "We went, (says he), on the 17th of September, on board one of the ves"sels in the Nile.---The ground appeared "clothed with a charming verdure; a great "part sown with Turkey wheat; and some 66 parts, though but few, with lucern: the lat"ter not being commonly sown, before the "water has entirely decreased." The water therefore had begun to subside; and had entirely decreased upon those spots, where this grain was sown: and this was upon the 17th of September. He saw a variety of birds, but none attracted his attention so much as the 'P. 85. |