τας Πυραμίδας περι Κοχωνην ηγειρεν. Venephres was a prince, in whose time happened a famine in the land of Egypt. He was the same, who built the Pyramids about Cochone. Now Co-Chone, analogous to Beth-El, Beth-Shan, Beth-Dagon, signifies the temple of the Deity; the house of the great king, or ruler: for such is the purport of Con, and Conah. Hercules, the chief Deity of Tyre, and who was also highly reverenced in Egypt, was styled Con. 80 Τον Ηρακλην φησι κατά την Αιγυπτιων διαλεκτον Κωνα λεγεσθαι. From hence we find, that it was a sacred Egyptian title. According to some readings the place is expressed Cocome; which is of the same purport. Co-Chome, the same as Cau-Come, signifies the house of Chom, or the Sun; and seems to betray the purpose for which the chief pyramid was erected: for it was undoubtedly nothing else but a monument to the Deity, whose name it bore. According to " Herodotus the great pyramid was built by Cheops; whom others called Chaops. But Chaops is a similar compound; being made up of the terms ChaOps, and signifies oxos Пubwvos, domus Opis Serpentis. It was the name of the pyramid, which

81

so Etymologicum magnum. Hpanλns.

* Herodotus. 1. 2. c. 124.

was erected to the Sun, the Ophite Deity of Egypt, worshipped under the symbol of a serpent. Analogous to Cau-Come in Egypt was a place in Ethiopia, called 82 Cuscha: doubtless so named from Chus, the great ancestor from whom the Ethiopians were descended.

The Sun was styled by the Amonians, among other titles, Zan; as I have before shewn: and he was worshipped under this denomination all over Syria and Mesopotamia; especially at Emesa, Edessa, and Heliopolis. One region was named Gauzanitis, from a city Gauzan, the Gosan of the 3 Scriptures. Strabo calls it 84 Xavn, ChaZene, and places it near Adiabene. Gauzan, or Go-zan, is literally the house of the Sun. I once thought that the land of Goshen, in Egypt, was of the same purport as Cushan; and have so mentioned it in a former 85 treatise. So far is true: the land of Goshen was the land of Cushan, and possessed by the sons of Chus: but the two terms are not of the same meaning. Goshen, or Goshan, like Gauzan in Mesopotamia, signifies

-82

12 Geog. Nubiensis. p. 17.

Michaelis Geog. Hebræorum Extera. p. 154.

83

v. 26.

2 Kings. c. 17. v. 6. and c. 18. v. 11. also 1 Chron. c. 5.

S+ Strabo. 1. 16. p. 1070.

15 Observations upon the Antient History of Egypt. p. 175.

the temple of the Sun: hence it was as a city, rendered by the Greeks Heliopolis. Artapanus, as we learn from Eusebius, expresses it Caisan, Kairav. Go-Shan, Gau Zan, Caisan, Cazena, all denote a place sacred to the Sun; and are such variations in rendering the same term, as must be expected in an interval of fifteen hundred years, and from different transcribers. This luminary was also called Abor, the parent of light; and his temple Cha-Abor, and Cho-Abor, contracted Chabor and Chobar. Of this name both a city and river were to be found in Gauzanitis; as well as in Susiana, and other parts: for rivers often took their names from some temple, or city, by which they ran. The temple at Dodona was, of old, called Cha-On, or house of the Sun; as we may infer from the country having the name of Chaonia; for Chaonia is the land of Chaon. The priests and inhabitants were called "Chaones, from their place of worship: and the former had also the name of Selli, which signifies the priests of the Sun. In Arcadia, near the eruption of the river Erasinus, was a mountain, clothed with beautiful trees, and sacred to Dionusus. This,

86 Strabo. 1. 7. p. 505.

So also Herodotus and Pausanias. 57 Σελλοί, οι Δωδωναιοι. Steph. Byzantinus.

$7

αμφι δε Σελλοί

Σοι ναιεσ' ὑποφηται. Homer. Iliad. Π. ν. 234,

also, was called 88 Chaon, the place of the Sun; and was, undoubtedly, so named from the antient worship; for Dionusus was, of old, esteemed the same as Osiris, the Sun. There was also a place called 89 Chaon in Media and Syria; Chaonitis in Mesopotamia and in all these places the same worship prevailed. So Caballis, the city of the Solymi, was named from Ca-bal, the place of the god Bal, or Baal. It is mentioned by Strabo. In like manner Caballiou, in Gallia Narbonensis, is a compound of Ca-Abelion, a well known Deity, whose name is made up of titles of the Sun. The priests of this place were styled 2 Salies; the region was called Xaovaga; undoubtedly from ChaOur (), some temple of Ur, erected by the Amonians, who here settled. Canoubis in Egypt was a compound of Ca-Noubis; Cabasa, in the same country, Ca-Basa; called by many Besa, the Beseth of the Scriptures, a Goddess well known in Egypt. She had a temple in Canaan, called 'Beth Besa. Cuamon, near Esdraelon, is

85 Pausanias. 1. 2. p. 166,

99 It is called Chau-On, Xavwv, by Steph. Byzantinus, from Ctesias. Χαυων, χώρα της Μηδίας. Κτησίας εν πρωτῳ Περσικων. Chau-On is oxos e, the house of the Sun, which gave name to the district.

90 Strabo. 1. 4. p. 270. and p. 282. 91 1 Maccab. c. 9. v. 62, 64.

a compound of Cu-Amon, the place or house of Amon: 9 έως τε Κυαμωνος. There was a temple in Attica called Cuamites; and a personage denominated from it. The history of the place, and the rites, in time grew obsolete; and Pausanias supposes that the name was given from Κυαμος, Cuamos, a bean. 93 Σαφες δε ουδεν εχω λεγειν, είτε πρωτος Κυαμες εσπειρεν ουτος. I have not authority for the supposition, but it seems probable that this temple was erected to the memory of some person who first sowed beans. And here it is proper to take notice of a circumstance of which I must continually put the reader in mind, as it is of great consequence towards decyphering the mythology of antient times. The Grecians often mistook the place of worship for the Deity wor shipped: so that the names of many Gods are, in reality, the names of temples where they were adored Artemis was Ar-Temis, the city of Themis, or Thamis; the Thamuz of Sidon and Egypt. This the Greeks expressed Agres; and made it the name of a Goddess. Kir-On was the city and temple of the Sun, in Cyprus and other places. They changed this to Kironus, which they contracted Cronus; and out of it made a particular God. From Cha-Opis they formed a king Cheops;