Philological Proofs of the Original Unity and Recent Origin of the Human RaceJohnes, Arthur James
History
Philological Proofs of the Original Unity and Recent Origin of the Human Race
Johnes, Arthur James
Ethnology; Human beings -- Origin; Language and languages; Monogenism and polygenism
The Names of most, if not all, of the Egyptian Gods are susceptible of a
perfectly unequivocal explanation by means of the Hebrew and the
Indo-European languages.(106) This will be evident from the following
analysis, in which I have availed myself of the account of their names and
attributes given by a high authority—Mr. Wilkinson.(107)
“Neph, Phtah, and Khem,” the first three of the Egyptian Gods noticed
below, represent attributes of the Deity.
KNEPH, or, more properly, NEPH or NEF, “The Spirit of God which moved on
the face of the Waters.”(108) Nouf, “Spirit.” Nife, “To breathe, to blow.”
Nifi, “Inspiration,” (_Egypt._) This word, Neph, has been shown to exist
in the same and in analogous senses in the Hebrew and Indo-European
tongues. It has also been pointed out as occurring in a remarkable
instance as a word for a “Spirit,” and also as a name of the “Supreme
Being,” among the North American Indians. (See p. 24.(109))
PTHAH, “The Creative Power that made the World,” styled “The Father of the
Gods.”(110)
Pita, Pitre (_Sanscrit_,) “A Father.” Phu-o, “Gĭgnō, Produco.” Phu teuō,
“Machinor Semĭno.” Pat-er, “A Father,” (_Greek._)
KHEM, “The Sun.” (See p. 21.)
RAH, “Sun,” “The Material and Visible Orb.” (See App. pp. 2 and 3.)
_Ph-Rah_, “Ph,” “The,” and Rah, “Sun.” Hence the name “Pharaoh,” applied
to the Kings of Egypt.
AMUN-RA, “The splendour and beneficent property of the Sun,”
“Jupiter-Ammon” of the classical nations.
The word A.m.n, in Hebrew, implies “nurturing or fostering care, to
support, to sustain,” In Egypt there is a verb Amoni “To hold,” and Āmoni
“To feed.” Amoun in Hebrew, and Mone in Egypt, mean “A Nurse,” and in
Egypt “A Shepherd.”
Amoni, “Patience,” (_Egypt._) Amyn-edd “Patience,” Amoun “To defend,” M-ou
yn, “Kind,” (_Welsh._)
NEITH or MAUT, “Minerva, called the Mother of the Gods.” Mata
(_Sanscrit._) Mat-er (_Latin._) Maau (_Egypt._) A.m.a (_Heb._) “A Mother.”
The names of Osiris and Serapis have been explained at p. 20; that of Hor
(“Horus,”) in Appendix A, p. 2; that of Io, “The Visible Body of the
Moon,”(111) in Appendix A, pp. 24-25.
It will be observed that the Egyptian mythology, like that of the
Indo-European nations, as noticed in the last section, distinctly combines
with Personifications of the powers of nature, views of the attributes and
agencies of the Supreme Being which occur in the Hebrew Scriptures, as in
the instance of “Neph.” It is remarkable that the same allusion as this
name presents, occurs in the Hindoo mythology in Náráyana, one of the
names given to Vishnu, the Deity viewed as a preserver or Saviour. Sir
William Jones thus explains this term in a quotation from a passage in
which Menu, the son of Brahma, begins his address to the Sages who
consulted him on the formation of the Universe. “The waters are called
_nárà_, since they are the offspring of NERA, (or I’SWARA;) and thence was
Náráyana named, because his first _ayana_ or _moving_, was on them!”(112)
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