probably given to the place by his Egyptian wife, the daughter of Pharaoh. The term El was combined in the same manner; and many places sacred to the Sun were styled El-on, as well as El-our. It was sometimes rendered Eleon; from whence cameos, and . The Syrians, Cretans, and Canaanites, went farther, and made a combination of the terms Ab-El-Eon, Pater Summus Sol, or Pater Deus Sol; hence they formed Abellon, and Abelion before mentioned. Hesychius interprets Αβελιον, Ἡλιον Αβελιον, Ἡλιακον.

Vossius thinks, and with good reason, that the Apollo of Greece and Rome was the same as the Abelion of the East. 54 Fortasse Apollo ex Cretico Athos nam veteres Romani pro Apollo dixere Apello: ut pro homo, hemo; pro bonus, benus; ac similia. The Sun was also worshipped

under the titles of Or-On: and there were temples of this denomination in Canaan.

Solomon fortified Beth-Oron the upper, and Beth-Oron the nether. 2 Chron. c. 8. v. 5.

As Ham was styled Hamon, so was his son Chus, or Cuth, named Cuthon and Cothon; as we may judge from places, which were denominated, undoubtedly, from him. At Adrumetum was an island at the entrance of the harbour so called: Hirtius. Afric. p. 798. Another at Carthage, probably so named from a tower or temple. Υπόκεινται δε τη ακροπόλει οι τε λιμένες, και KNONN.--Strabo. 1. 17. p. 1189.

54 Voss. de Idol. vol. 1. l. 2. c. 17. p. 391.

under the title Abaddon ; which, as we are informed by the Evangelist, was the same as Apollo; or, as he terms him, Απολλύων Ονομα αυτῳ Εβραιοι Αβαΐδων, και εν τη Ελληνικη Απολλυων.

:

AIT.

55

Another title of Ham, or the Sun, was Ait, and Aith a term, of which little notice has been taken; yet of great consequence in respect to etymology. It occurs continually in Egyptian names of places, as well as in the composition of those, which belong to Deities, and men. It relates to fire, light, and heat; and to the corsequences of heat. We may, in some degree, learn its various and opposite significations when compounded, from antient words in the Greek language, which were derived from it. Several of these are enumerated in Hesychius. Αιθαι, μελαιναι. Αίθειν, καιειν. Αιθαλον (a compound of Aith El), κεκαυμενον. Αιθινος, καπνος. Αιθον, λαμπρον. Αιθωνα (of the same etymology, from Aith-On) μελανα, πυρώδη. 56 Αιθος, καυμα. The Egyptians,

55 Apocalyps. c. 9. v. 11.

56 The Sun's disk, styled Αιθοψ :

Ιππευων ἑλικηδον ὅλον πολον ΑΙΘΟΠΙ ΔΙΣΚΩ.. Nonnus. 1. 40. ν. 371.

Αιθιοπαιδα Διονυσον. Ανακρέων. αλλοι τον οινον. αλλοι την Αρτεμιν. Hesychius. Altered to Αίθοπα παιδα by Albertus.

when they consecrated any thing to their Deity, or made it a symbol of any supposed attribute, called it by the name of that attribute, or " emanation and as there was scarce any thing, but what was held sacred by them, and in this manner appropriated; it necessarily happened, that several objects had often the same reference, and were denominated alike. For, not only men took to themselves the sacred titles, but birds, beasts, fishes, reptiles, together with trees, plants, stones, drugs, and minerals, were supposed to be under some particular influence; and from thence received their names. And if they were not quite alike, they were, however, made up of elements very similar. Ham, as the Sun, was styled 5 Ait; and Egypt, the land of Ham, had, in consequence of it, the name of Ait, rendered by the Greeks Αετια : Εκλήθη (ή Αίγυπτος) και Αερια, και Ποταμιά, και AdiÓTTIα, nα 59 AETIA. One of the most antient Αιθιόπια, και names of the Nile was Ait, or Aɛros. It was also a name given to the Eagle, as the bird particularly sacred to the Sun: and Homer alludes to the original meaning of the word, when he terms

58

57 The Egyptian Theology abounded with personages formed from these emanations, who, according to Psellus, were called Eons, ZwVES, ACWVES. See Iamblichus, and Psellus, and Damascius. 58 Stephanus Byzant.

59 Scholia on Dionysius. v. 239. What it alluded to may be seen from other authors.

60

62

61

Αιγυπτον

the Eagle " Αιετος αιθων. Among the parts of the human body, it was appropriated to the “1 heart: for the heart in the body may be esteemed what the Sun is in his system, the source of heat and life, affording the same animating principle. This word having these two senses was the reason why the Egyptians made a heart over a vase of burning incense, an emblem of their country. δε γράφοντες θυμιατήριον καιομένον ζωγραφεσι, και επανω ΚΑΡΔΙΑΝ. This term occurs continually in composition. Athyr, one of the Egyptian months, was formed of Ath-Ur. It was also one of the names of that place, where the shepherds resided in Egypt; and to which the Israelites succeeded. It stood at the upper point of Delta, and was particularly sacred to Ur, or Orus: and thence called Athur-ai, or the place of Athur. At the departure of the shepherds it was ruined by King Amosis. 63 Κατέσκαψε δε την Αθυριαν Αμωσις.

6 Homer. Iliad. Ο. v. 690. Ο ενθερμος, και πυρωδής. Hesy

60

chius.

61

Ho nagda. Etymolog. Magnum ex Orïone, in Athribis.

They express it after the manner of the Ionians, who always deviated from the original term. The Dorians would have called it, with more propriety, Ath.

62 Horus Apollo. l. 1. c. 22. p. 38.

63 Clemens Alexandrinus from Ptolemy Mendesius. Strom. 1. 1. p. 378.

The sons of Chus

As Egypt was named Aith, and Ait; so other countries, in which colonies from thence settled, were styled Ethia and Athia. founded a colony in Colchis; and we find a king of that country named Aït; or, as the Greeks expressed it, Arns: and the land was also distinguished by that characteristic. Hence Arete in the Orphic Argonautics, speaking of Medea's returning to Colchis, expresses this place by the terms ήθεα Κολχων :

64 Οιχεύω πατρος τε δομον, και ες ήθεα Κολχων.

It is sometimes compounded Ath-El, and AthAin; from whence the Greeks formed 65 Αθηλα, and Alva, titles, by which they distinguished the Goddess of wisdom. It was looked upon as a term of high honour, and endearment. Venus in Apollonius calls Juno, and Minerva, by way of respect, Hoα:

66 Ήθειαι, τις δευρο νοος, χρειω τε, κομίζει;

It was called also Abur, or Abaris, as well as Athur. In after times it was rebuilt; and by Herodotus it is styled Cercasora. By Athuria is to be understood both the city and the district; which was part of the great Nome of Heliopolis.

4 Orphic. Argonaut. v. 1323.

65 Athenagoræ Legatio. p. 293.

Proserpine (Koga) was also called Athela. ibid. 66 Apollonius Rhodius. I. 3. v. 52.