perly to distinguish him, as he was represented He however attributes to him

under so many. every thing which is said of " Sesostris; particularly the settling a Colony at Colchis, and building innumerable cities in the countries which he traversed:

: Νάσσατ' εποιχομενος.

8 μύρια ας η

He represents him as conquering all Asia and Europe; and this in times so remote, that many of the cities which he built, were in ruins before the era of the Argonauts.

From what has been said, we may perceive that *if such a person as Sesostris had existed, his reign must have been of the earliest date. He is by some represented as succeeding Thoules: according to others he comes one degree higher, being introduced after " Orus, who in the catalogue of

21

22

Apollon. Argonaut. 1. 4. v. 272. Erber on riva Qaci-Escor χωσις, Αιγυπτο πασης βασιλευς-Θεοπομπος δε εν τρίτῳ Σεσως ριν αυτον

καλει.

Περι

Schol. ibid.

SE των χρόνων, καθ ̓ ἐς εγενετο Σεσογχωσις, ο μεν Απολλώνιος τατο μονον φησι, πολὺς γαρ αδην απενηνοθεν αιών. Schol. ibid.

Lycophron speaks of Apollo Zarngios, and a promontory

Zwangsor, ev 'w isgor Zwangis Aπcλwros. Schol. ad v. 1278.

22

" Schol. Apollon. 1. 4. v. 272. Syncellus joins him with Serapis. p. 91.

23

Panodorus is placed first of the Demigods, that reigned in Egypt; but by Herodotus is ranked among the deities. According to Dicæarchus the reign of Sesostris was two thousand five hundred years before Nilus: and the reign of the latter was four hundred and thirty-six years before the first Olympiad. I do not place the least confidence in these computations; but would only shew from them that the person spoken of must be referred to the mythic age, to the æra of the Demigods of Egypt. Some of these evidences are taken notice of by Sir John 24 Marsham; who cannot extricate himself from the difficulties with which his system is attended. He has taken for granted, that Sesostris and Sesonchosis are the Sesac of the Scriptures; though every circumstance of their history is repugnant to that notion. " I know

23 Herodotus. 1. 2. c. 144.

QURN TIIGIA ĦAITA x. v. λ. Apollon. Argonaut. 1. 4. v. 261. See the whole, and Schol. ibid.

24 Canon. Chronic. Sec. 10. p. 238, 239.

25 Quis igitur Sesonchosis ille, qui, Menen antevertens annis amplius 5000, inter Semideos locum habere videatur? Marsham. Canon Chronic, Sec. 10. p. 238.

Sesostris in XII. Africani Dynastiâ (quæ Eusebiani Canonis epocham antevertit) ex Scaligeri calculis regnavit anno Per. Jul 1392: quo ratiocinio Sesostris factus est annos 2355 ipso Sesostre Senior. Nam ex S. literis (suo loco) apparebit, Sesostrim expe

not, says he, what to make of this Sesonchosis; who is represented as five thousand years before Menes, and who is referred to the time of the Demigods. In another place: Sesostris, who is in the twelfth Dynasty of Africanus, and whose æra extends higher, than the Canon of Eusebius reaches, reigned according to Scaliger's computation in the 1392d year of the Julian Period. By this calculation Sesostris is made prior to Sesostris; and this too by no less than 2355 years: for it is manifest, as I will shew from Scripture, that Sesostris undertook his expedition into Asia, and got possession of Jerusalem in the 3747th year of the Period abovementioned. What is said in the sacred writings, I have taken notice of before. Not a word occurs about Sesostris, nor of any such Asiatic expedition. I am obliged to say, that through the whole of this learned writer's process, instead of a proof, we find nothing else but the question begged, and some inferences of his own in consequence of this assumption. He indeed quotes the authority of Manethon from Josephus, to prove that the great actions of Sesostris were the same as were performed by Sesac. But Mane- ' thon says no such thing: nor does Josephus

ditionem suscepisse in Asiam, et Hierosolyma cepisse Anno Per. Jul. 3747. Ibid. p. 239.

26

attribute any such exploits to Sesac: but expressly says more than once, that Sesac, and Sesostris were two different 6 persons. persons. It is no where said of Sesac, that he made an expedition into Asia; much less that he conquered it, as is supposed of Sesostris. Sesac went up against Jerusalem, and took it, aμax, without meeting with any opposition. Upon this he departed, and carried with him the treasures which he had there seized; in other words, he went home again. There is not the least mention made of his invading "7 Samaria, or the country about Libanus, and Sidon; or of his marching to Syria: all which made but a small part of the great Continent, called in aftertimes Asia: much less did he visit the countries of the Assyrians, and Babylonians; or the regions of Elam and the Medes. All this, and much more he must have done, to have come up to the character, to which they would fain entitle him.

27

I will not enter into any farther discussion of the great conquests attributed to this supposed monarch Sesostris. They are as ideal as those of

26 Antiq. 1. 8. c. 10. p. 449. and 450.

27 He came merely as a confederate to Jeroboam, in favour of the kingdom of Israel; and his intention was to ruin Judah: but his cruel purpose was averted by the voluntary submission both of the king and people; and by the treasures they gave up to him, which were the purchase of their security.

Sésac, and sufficiently confute themselves. First Osiris is said to have conquered the whole earth: theu Zeus, then Perseus, then " Hercules, all nearly of the same degree of antiquity, if we may believe the best Mythologists. Myrina comes in for a share of conquest in the time of Orus. After her Thoules subdues the whole from the Eastern Ocean, to the great Atlantic: and as if nothing had been performed before, Sesostris immediately succeeds, and conquers it over again. 28 Herodotus informs us, as a token of these victories, that Sesostris erected pillars and obelisks with emblematical inscriptions: and that he saw some of them in Phrygia, and in other countries, which had been conquered. He without doubt saw pillars but how did he know for certain, by whom they were erected? and who taught him to interpret the symbols? Pausanias takes 29 notice of a

27 Hercules is said to have commanded the armies of Osiris. Diodorus Sicul. 1. 1. p. 15.

28 L. 2. c. 106. Concerning the interpretation of these emblems, see Joan Pierii Hieroglyph. 1. 34. c. 20.

29 Pausan. 1. 1. p. 101. The Statue remains to this day. In like manner it was reported that Dionusus raised Pillars. Strabo.

1. 3.

p.

260.

Ενθα τε και Στηλαι Θηβαιγενεός Διόνυσε. Dionys. Perieg. v. 623. Hercules erected the like. All which was done by people styled Dionysians and Herculeans.