Page:Light and truth.djvu/50

48 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, or. 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 ,] over an hundred and seven and twenty provinces, [countries.]

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.]

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."

—, (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 H. 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. Ixxviii.