14. I shall begin with the writings of the Egyptians; not indeed of
those that have written in the Egyptian language, which it is impossible
for me to do. But Manetho was a man who was by birth an Egyptian, yet
had he made himself master of the Greek learning, as is very evident;
for he wrote the history of his own country in the Greek tongue, by
translating it, as he saith himself, out of their sacred records;
he also finds great fault with Herodotus for his ignorance and false
relations of Egyptian affairs. Now this Manetho, in the second book of
his Egyptian History, writes concerning us in the following manner. I
will set down his very words, as if I were to bring the very man himself
into a court for a witness: "There was a king of ours whose name was
Timaus. Under him it came to pass, I know not how, that God was averse
to us, and there came, after a surprising manner, men of ignoble birth
out of the eastern parts, and had boldness enough to make an expedition
into our country, and with ease subdued it by force, yet without
our hazarding a battle with them. So when they had gotten those that
governed us under their power, they afterwards burnt down our cities,
and demolished the temples of the gods, and used all the inhabitants
after a most barbarous manner; nay, some they slew, and led their
children and their wives into slavery. At length they made one of
themselves king, whose name was Salatis; he also lived at Memphis, and
made both the upper and lower regions pay tribute, and left garrisons
in places that were the most proper for them. He chiefly aimed to secure
the eastern parts, as fore-seeing that the Assyrians, who had then the
greatest power, would be desirous of that kingdom, and invade them; and
as he found in the Saite Nomos, [Sethroite,] a city very proper for this
purpose, and which lay upon the Bubastic channel, but with regard to a
certain theologic notion was called Avaris, this he rebuilt, and made
very strong by the walls he built about it, and by a most numerous
garrison of two hundred and forty thousand armed men whom he put into
it to keep it. Thither Salatis came in summer time, partly to gather his
corn, and pay his soldiers their wages, and partly to exercise his
armed men, and thereby to terrify foreigners. When this man had reigned
thirteen years, after him reigned another, whose name was Beon, for
forty-four years; after him reigned another, called Apachnas, thirty-six
years and seven months; after him Apophis reigned sixty-one years, and
then Janins fifty years and one month; after all these reigned Assis
forty-nine years and two months. And these six were the first rulers
among them, who were all along making war with the Egyptians, and were
very desirous gradually to destroy them to the very roots. This whole
nation was styled Hycsos, that is, Shepherd-kings: for the first
syllable Hyc, according to the sacred dialect, denotes a king, as is Sos
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