Page:Light and truth.djvu/61

Rh his conduct had been exceedingly vicious and depraved, it would enter into the body of an animal of the most degraded and detested class.

. This city was built by Uchoreus, king of Egypt, on the west side of the Nile, and was the capital of Middle Egypt, or Heptanomis. It was 150 furlongs, or more than 7 leagues, in circumference, and stood at the point of the Delta, in that part where the Nile divides itself into several branches or streams. Southward from the city, the king raised a vast and high mole; on the right and left, he dug deep moats to receive the river. These were faced with stone, and raised, near the city, by a strong causeway—the whole designed to secure the city from the inundations of the Nile and the incursions of enemies. A city so advantageously situated, and so strongly fortified that it was almost the key of the Nile, and by this means commanded the whole country, soon became the usual residence of the Egyptian kings. Here were many stately temples, the god Apis, pyramids, &c.—(Rollin.)

, (Isa. xix. 13; Jer. ii. 16; Ezek. xxx. 13, 16,) was probably the ancient Memphis, in Middle Egypt, on the Nile, 15 miles south of old Cairo. It was the residence of the earlier kings of Egypt, and is said to have been about 20 miles in circumference. In the seventh century it fell into the hands of the Saracens; and the predicted judgments of God, on account of its idolatry and general corruption, gradually effaced every trace of its ancient magnificence. In the time of Strabo, there were many splendid remains, among which he describes a temple of Vulcan, of great magnificence; another of Venus; and a third of Osiris, where the Apis or sacred ox was worshipped. He also mentions a large circus; but he remarks, that many of the palaces were in ruins, and describes an immense colossus which lay prostrate in front of the city; and among a number of sphinxes, some were buried in sand up to the middle of the body, while of others only the heads were visible above the sand. Some monuments were to be seen 600 years after the time of Strabo's visit, when the Saracens had possession of the country; but at present there is scarcely a vestige of its former grandeur to be found. This has led