A New System; or, an Analysis of Antient Mythology. Volume 1 (of 6)Bryant, Jacob
Religion
A New System; or, an Analysis of Antient Mythology. Volume 1 (of 6)
Bryant, Jacob
History, Ancient; Mythology
he gives it, if we take away the Greek termination, [589]Ινυσσος, πολις
Αιγυπτου: but Herodotus, [590]from whom he borrows, renders it Iënis. It
would have been more truly rendered Doricè Iänis; for that was nearer to
the real name. The historian, however, points it out plainly, by saying,
that it was three days journey from Mount [591]Casius; and that the whole
way was through the Arabian desert. This is a situation which agrees with
no other city in all Egypt, except that which was the Onium of the later
Jews. With this it accords precisely. There seem to have been two cities
named On, from the worship of the Sun. One was called Zan, Zon, and Zoan,
in the land of Go-zan, the [592]Goshen of the scriptures. The other was the
city On in Arabia; called also Hanes. They were within eight or nine miles
of each other, and are both mentioned together by the prophet [593]Isaiah.
_For his princes were at Zoan, and his ambassadors came to Hanes_. The name
of each of these cities, on account of the similarity of worship, has by
the Greeks been translated [594]Heliopolis; which has caused great
confusion in the history of Egypt. The latter of the two was the Iänis, or
Ιανισος, of the Greeks; so called from Hanes, the great fountain of light,
the Sun; who was worshipped under that title by the Egyptians and Arabians.
It lies now quite in ruins, close to the village Matarea, which has risen
from it. The situation is so pointed out, that we cannot be mistaken: and
we find, moreover, which is a circumstance very remarkable, that it is at
this day called by the Arabians Ain El Sham, the fountain of the Sun; a
name precisely of the same purport as Hanes. Of this we are informed by the
learned geographer, D'Anville, and others; though the name, by different
travellers, is expressed with some variation. [595]Cette ville presque
ensévelie sous des ruines, et voisine, dit Abulfeda, d'un petit lieu nommé
Matarea, conserve dans les géographies Arabes le nom d'Ainsiems ou du
fontain du Soleil. A like account is given by Egmont and [596]Hayman;
though they express the name Ain El Cham; a variation of little
consequence. The reason why the antient name has been laid aside, by those
who reside there, is undoubtedly this. Bochart tells us, that, since the
religion of Mahomet has taken place, the Arabs look upon Hanes as the
devil: [597]proinde ab ipsis ipse Dæmon הנאס vocatur. Hence they have
abolished Hanes: but the name Ain El Cham, of the same purport, they have
suffered to remain.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account