believes that a colony of Cushites settled in the northern part of Assyria on the Araxes the present Aras or Araxis a river which rises near the Euphrates and falls into the Caspian sea. Gihon, (Gen. ii. 13,) one of the rivers of Eden, was supposed by some to be the Araxes, which empties into the Caspian sea. Gihon signifies impetuous; and this is the course of the Araxes.

In Zeph. iii. 10, where the prophet speaks of Judah's return from captivity, it refers probably to the country east of the Tigris, the principal seat of the captivity, which is called Cuthah. -(2 Kings xvii. 24. Comp. Ps. lxviii. 31 and Isa. xviii.) Profane writers call this country Ethiopia, or Cush, from which the modern name Khusistan is derived.

In Num. xii. 1, the word Ethiopia is applied to a country of southern Arabia, lying along the Red Sea, elsewhere called Cushan, (Hab. iii. 7,) in which last passage allusion is made to the portion of history recorded in Num. xxxi. Ethiopia, (Isa. xi. 11,) a country in Arabia Petrea, bordering on Egypt, of which Zipporah, the wife of Moses, was a native.

ETHIOPIAN EMPIRE. South of Egypt there was once a very large empire, consisting of 45 kingdoms, according to Pliny. The region is very mountainous. In it were two noted cities, Axuma and Meroe, which could furnish at least 250,000 soldiers, and 400,000 who were artificers, manufacturers and forgers. Some of these mountains abound in salt, others in iron, copper, gold, &c. The chief river of Ethiopia is the Nile; it receives most of the inferior streams of that region, and is greatly swollen by the immoderate showers that fall in Ethiopia, in the months of June and July. The middle portion of Ethiopia, called Lower Ethiopia, was very little known to the Europeans; it was computed to contain 1,200,000 square miles. Abyssinia, or Upper Ethiopia, is about 900 miles in length, and 800 in breadth.

The northern part of Ethiopia was called by the Hebrews, Seba, (Isa. xliii. 3,) after the eldest son of Cush, (Gen. x. 7,) and by the Romans, Meroe. The inhabitants are said to have been men of stature, (Isa. xlv. 14,) and this is confirmed by an eminent Greek historian, who says they are "the tallest of men."

The Ethiopian queen Candace [which, as profane historians say, was the common name of the queens of that country,] reigned in Seba. Her treasurer was baptized by Philip, (Acts viii. 27.) There is a version of the scriptures in the Ethiopian tongue.

The Kingdom of ABYSSINIA, INDIA, or ETHIOPIA. In the days of Ahasuerus, the king, it was called India; (Esther i. 1,) for Ahasuerus reigned from India even unto Ethiopia, or from Abyssinia, [see map of AFRICA,, over an hundred and seven and twenty provinces, [countries.]

SABA was a royal city of Ethiopia, which Cambyses afterwards named Meroe, from his own sister. This city was encircled by the rivers Nile and Astrapus, and enclosed by strong walls. [Strabo.]

GONDAR was a city of Abyssinia, situated on a very high hill, surrounded by a high wall and deep valley. Population 50,000.

Diodorus Siculus, an ancient historian, informs us, that "the Ethiopians consider the Egyptians as one of their colonies."

-THE KINGDOM OF EGYPT.

EGYPT, HER CITIES, AND THE DESCENDANTS OF HAM. HAM, (Gen. ix. 22,) the son of Noah. He had four sons, one of whom was the ancestor of the Canaanites. The empires of Assyria and Egypt were founded by the descendants of Ham; and the republics of Tyre, Zidon and Carthage were for ages the monuments of their commercial enterprise and prosperity. Africa, in general, and Egypt in particular, are called the land of Ham, (Ps. lxxviii. 51; cv. 23; cvi. 22.) A place east of the Jordan, called Ham, is mentioned, in Gen. xiv. 5.

Egypt (Ex. i. 1,) was one of the most ancient and interesting countries on the face of the earth. The foundation of the kingdom of Egypt is ascribed to Menes, 2188 years B. C. In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word translated Egypt is Mizraim, which was the name of one of the sons of Ham, (Gen. x. 6,) the founder of the nation. It is sometimes called Ham, (Ps. lxxviii.

51; cv. 23, 27; cvi. 22,) and also Rahab. (Ps. lxxxvii. 4; lxxxix. 10; Isa. li. 9.) The Arabs now call it Mizr.

Misraim, the grandson of Ham, led colonies into Egypt, from Babylon, which lasted 1663 years. Menes, who was a descendant from Ham, united several independent principalities, which thenceforth became one monarchy under him. The States he united were Thebes, Thin, Memphis and Tanaris. Under his government, Egypt made rapid progress in civilization and the arts and sciences.

The inhabitants of Lower Egypt were colonies from Syria and Arabia - men of various tribes originally shepherds and fishermen who were gradually consolidated into one nation.

Egypt is bounded on the east by the Red Sea and the Isthmus of Suez; on the south by Ethiopia; on the west by Lybia; and on the north by the Mediterranean Sea. (Ezek. xxix. 10; xxx. 6.) It anciently comprehended an incredible number of cities, and was remarkably populous.

The Nile runs from south to north, through the whole country, about 200 leagues; and the country is enclosed by ridges of mountains on each side.

The greatest breadth of Egypt is from Alexandria to Damietta being about 50 leagues.

Ancient Egypt may be divided into three principal parts: Upper Egypt, otherwise called Thebais, which was the most southern part; Middle Egypt, or Heptanomis, so called from its seven names; and Lower Egypt, which included what the Greeks called Delta, and all the country as far as the Red Sea, and along the Mediterranean to Rhinocolura, or Mt. Casius. Strabo stated that, under Sesostris, all Egypt became one kingdom, and was divided into 36 governments, or Nomi: 10 in Thebais, 10 in Delta, and 16 in the intermediate country. The cities of Syene and Elephantina divided Egypt from Ethiopia.

The Egyptians extended their reputation by other means than conquest. Egypt loved peace, because it loved justice; and maintained soldiers only for its security. She became known by her sending colonies into all parts of the world, and with them laws and civiliza

tion. She triumphed by the wisdom of her councils, and the superiority of her knowledge; and this empire of the mind appeared more noble and glorious to them than that which is achieved by arms and conquest. But nevertheless Egypt has given birth to illustrious conquerors.

A portion of the Egyptians seem to have been the descendants of Abraham, by Hagar; and of Esau, by Bashemath, the daughter of Ishmael.

THE CITIES OF EGYPT.

ALEXANDRIA. A celebrated city in Lower Egypt, situated between Lake Mareotis and the western branch of the Nile, near its mouth, 125 miles north-west of Grand Cairo. It was founded by Alexander the Great, from whom it had its name, B. Č. 331. It vied almost in magnificence with the ancient cities of Egypt, and for a long time was the seat of learning and commerce. Among the monuments of its ancient grandeur are Pompey's Pillar, 75 feet high, two obelisks, and the Catacombs. In the height of its splendor it is said to have contained 600,000 inhabitants.- [Rollin.]

Its commerce extended to every part of the then known world. The Ptolemies made it their royal residence; and each successive monarch labored to embellish it. When the Romans, at the death of Cleopatra, B. C. 26, annexed Egypt to their empire, they respected and preserved the beauties of this city and it continued to flourish. In a ship belonging to Alexandria, Paul sailed for Rome, (Acts xxvii. 6.) Christianity was early planted in this place. Mark is said to have founded the church here, A. D. 60, and was here martyred, A. D. 68. Here Apollos was born, (Acts xviii. 24.) Numerous Jews resided here, engaged in trade and commerce, 50,000 of whom were murdered under the Emperor Nero. Clemens Alexandrinus, Origen, Athanasius, and other eminent ministers flourished here. Under the Saracens, who conquered it A. D. 646, it soon began to decay. They stupidly burnt its famous library of 700,000 volumes. The famous version of the Old Testament, called the Septuagint, was made here nearly 300 years B. C. It then

contained 4000 baths and 400 theatres. It is now dwindled to a village, with nothing remarkable but the ruins of its ancient grandeur. - [Malcom's Bible Dictionary.] Modern Alexandria is built of the ruins of the ancient city, and contains a population of 15,000.

The city of ABYDOS, or the Buried City, was so called by the Arabs, from its being beneath the surface of the ground. The traveller enters it by an excavation made for the especial purpose, assisted by his guide, and descending, finds himself within the ruins of a large city, with broad streets, temples of worship, and dwellings excavated in the solid rock. The extent of Abydos is supposed to be three or four miles; but it has never been thoroughly explored by travellers. The question has been started, whether this city was originally built above ground, and sunk by some great convulsion of nature, or built originally beneath the surface, as it appears at the present time. Mr. Buckingham thought it could hardly have been sunk, as the walls of the buildings retain their firmness and perpendicularity. He therefore thought that it was originally built where it now stands. Neither did he think it had been buried by a whirlwind from the desert, as some had supposed, because the soil which covered it was not of sand, but of clay. He thought it probable that it had been built as an appendage to the great Labyrinth, to assist in initiating the priests into the rites and mysteries of their calling, and furnishing them with the means of rehearsing, in an uninhabited city, the parts which they would be called upon to enact in public.

The ancient cities of BUBASTIS [or city of Isis,] and HELIOPOLIS [or city of Osiris, or the Sun,] where the mythological rites of the Egyptians were performed, were remarkable for being seats of religious ceremonies. The resemblance between the mythology of Egypt and that of India were very striking. The festivals were very similar-particularly the illuminations, for which Bubastis was celebrated. This city, in the magnificence of its illuminations, surpassed all the other Egyptian cities. There was also an annual festival of lamps in Hindostan - when all classes sent forth on the Ganges their lamps of various kinds, according to their different stations and means, which were carried down into the dis