against them, it is too much to suppose they thought them unworthy to live; and they were probably contented to express their dislike to foreigners, who were noted for that peculiarity, by applying to them some reproachful name; as the Chinese contemptuously designate us "redhaired barbarians." "In Egypt," says Diodorus, "few are found with red hair; among foreigners many."* Such, indeed, was the prejudice against them, that "they would not willingly converse with people of that complexion t;" and whenever they wished to show their contempt for a northern race, they represented them on their sandals, and in other humiliating positions, with red hair, and of a yellow colour. This contempt for strangers induced the Egyptian architects to introduce them supporting on their heads portions of buildings, as

Thebes.

No. 473. Heads of foreigners which'once sup- No. 474. Enemies as the footstool of a king. ported part of the ornamental architecture at Meedenet Haboo in Thebes.

in the pavilion of King Remeses at Thebes; where they occupy the same uncomfortable positions

+ Plut. s. 33.

generally given to men and monsters on our old churches. The idea of "making his enemies his footstool," is also shown from the sculptures to have been common in Egypt, as in other Eastern countries.

The sacrifice of red oxen cannot fail to call to mind the law of the Israelites, which commanded them to "bring a red heifer without spot, wherein was no blemish, and upon which never came yoke."* According to Maimonides, they were so particular in the choice of it, that "if only two white or black hairs were found lying upon each other, the animal was considered unfit for sacrifice t ; and Herodotus says, that if the Egyptians "found a single black hair upon the ox they were examining for that purpose, they immediately rejected it as unclean." "They believe," says the historian, "that all clean oxen belong to Epaphus, and this is the reason they examine them with so much care. There is a particular priest for that office; who, when the animal is brought, examines it in every position, standing, and lying on its back; and having drawn out its tongue, he ascertains if it is free from certain marks, described in the sacred books, which I shall mention elsewhere.§ He even looks if the hairs of its tail are such as they ought to be naturally: and when all the requisite signs are found for pronouncing it clean, the priest marks it with his seal, after which it is

*Numb. xix. 2.

Herodot. ii. 38.

+ Maimonid. in lib. de Vaccâ rufâ, c. i.

In lib. iii. 28. Vide suprà, Vol. I. (2d Series) p. 350. et seq.

taken to the altar; but it is forbidden, under pain of death, to slay a victim which has not this mark."

His statement differs in some respects from that of Plutarch, nor does the historian consider the red colour necessary to render it fit for sacrifice. The principal point seems to be the absence of those marks which characterise Apis, or Epaphus, the sacred bull of Memphis; and the sculptures, as I shall presently show, abundantly prove that oxen with black and red spots were usually killed in Egypt, both for the altar and the table.

It was lawful to slay all oxen answering to a particular description in the sacred books; but the sacrifice of heifers was strictly forbidden, and in order to enforce this prohibition, they were held sacred.* So great was their respect for this law, that the "cow was esteemed more highly among the Egyptians than any other animalt;" and their consequent horror of those persons whose religion permitted them to slay and eat it, was carried so far "that no Egyptian of either sex could be induced to kiss a Greek on the mouth, to make use of his knife, his spit, or his cooking utensils, nor even to taste the meat of a clean beast, which had been slaughtered by his hand."

Aware of this prejudice, and of the consequent displeasure of the Egyptians in the event of their sacrificing a heifert, the Israelites proposed to withdraw into the desert a distance of three days

* To Isis, or rather to Athor. Vide suprà, Vol. I. (2d Series) p. 381. 389. 394.

journey, where they might perform the ceremony, without openly offending against the laws of Egypt. And when told by Pharaoh "to go and sacrifice," the answer of Moses was, "It is not meet so to do, for we shall sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians to the Lord our God; lo, we shall sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes, and will they not stone us? We will go three days' journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice unto the Lord our God as he shall command us." *

It does not appear that, in this instance, they were ordered to offer a red heifer, as described in a subsequent ordinancet; and indeed victims of that peculiar description, according to Maimonides, were reserved for certain occasions, nine only having been sacrificed from the time of Moses to "the desolation of the second temple." At other times the Israelites made no distinction between those of different colours, and their apprehensions from the anger of the Egyptians proceeded solely from their infringing a law, which forbade the slaughter of any but male cattle. Though they were then § commanded to slay a heifer, it is evident that they

* Exod. viii. 26, 27.

† Numb. xix. 2.

"Nine red heifers," says Maimonides, "have been sacrificed between the original delivery of this precept, and the desolation of the second temple. Our lord, Moses, sacrificed the first, Ezra offered the second, and seven more were offered up during the period which elapsed from the time of Ezra to the destruction of the temple; the tenth, King Messiah himself will sacrifice, by his speedy manifestation he will cause great joy." Maimon. de Vaccâ rufâ, c. 3. I do not however suppose this to be taken literally, and we trace in it that reference to numbers so common in ancient times. Vide suprà, p. 346., and Vol. I. (2d Series) p. 197.

It was perhaps to break through, and prevent their being hereafter influenced by, this great Egyptian prejudice.

too, on most occasions, were restricted to male victims *, a wise regulation for the preservation of the species, which the legislators of Eastern nations seldom overlooked. "In Egypt and Palestine," says St. Jerome t, "in consequence of the great scarcity of cattle, no one eats the meat of cows; and Porphyry asserts, that "the scruples of the Egyptians and Phoenicians were so strong on this point, that they would rather have lived on the flesh of man than of the cow." That the Egyptians abstained from the meat of heifers is attested by the authority of ancient authors, and by the sculptures themselves; but we find from these last, that the restriction to animals of a red colour, if really in force at any time, was not generally maintained, either in sacrifices or when required for the table. A black and white ox is represented at the altars of several gods, even of Osiris himself; and the butcher or the cook are frequently engaged in slaughtering spotted oxen, and preparing them for the use of the family.§

Nor did any colour exempt them from labour; and black, white, spotted, or red oxen were indiscriminately employed in the plough, and "all manner of service in the field." It is, therefore, evident, that if any restriction respecting colour actually existed, it was only attended to on certain occasions, or at peculiar ceremonies, in honour of

*Vide Levit. i. 3. "Let him offer a male without blemish," et alib. † St. Jer. Hieron. adv. Jovin. ii. 7.

‡ Porphyr. de Abstin. ii. 11.

Herodot. ii. 41.

§ Vide Plate 12. Vol. II. (1st Series) p. 222.