vestiture to any sacred office, as that of king or priest, was confirmed by this external sign; and as the Jewish lawgiver mentions* the ceremony of pouring oil upon the head of the high priest after he had put on his entire dress, with the mitre and crown, the Egyptians represent the anointing of their priests and kings after they were attired in their full robes, with the cap and crown upon their head. Some of the sculptures introduce a priest pouring oil over the monarch†, in the presence of Thoth, Hor-Hat, Ombte, or Nilus; which may be considered a representation of the ceremony, before the statues of those Gods. The functionary who officiated was the high priest of the king. He was clad in a leopard skin, and was the same who attended on all occasions which required him to assist, or assume the duties of, the monarch in the temple. This leopard-skin dress was worn by the high priests on all the most important solemnities‡, and the king himself adopted it when engaged in the same duties. They also anointed the statues of the Gods; which was done with the little finger of the right hand. The ceremony of pouring from two vases, alternate emblems of Life and Purity, over the king, in token of purification, previous to his admittance "Thou shalt take the garments, and put upon Aaron the coat, and the robe of the ephod, and the ephod, and the breastplate, and gird him with the curious girdle of the ephod; and thou shalt put the mitre upon his head, and put the holy crown upon the mitre. Then shalt thou take the anointing oil and pour it upon his head." Exod. xxix. 5. 7. Conf. 2 Kings, ix. 3. ま Vide suprà, p. 274.; infrà, beginning of Chap. 16.; and Vol. I. p. 279. Part II.; and infrà, Woodcut, No. 480. into the presence of the God of the temple, was performed by Thoth on one side and the hawkheaded Hor-Hat on the other*; sometimes by HorHat and Ombte, or by two hawk-headed Deities, or by one of these last and the God Nilus. The Deities Ombte and Horus are also represented placing the crown of the two countries upon the head of the king, saying, "Put this cap upon your head like your father Amun-Re:" and the palm branches they hold in their hands allude to the long series of years they grant him to rule over his country. The emblems of Dominion and Majesty, the crook and flagellum of Osiris, have been already given him, and the asp-formed fillet is bound upon his head.† Another mode of investing the sovereign with the diadem is figured on the apex of some obelisks, and on other monuments, where the God, in whose honour they were raised, puts the crown upon his head as he kneels before him, with the announcement that he "grants him dominion over the No. 471. whole world." Goddesses, in like manner, placed upon the heads of queens the peculiar insignia they wore; which were two long feathers, with the globe and horns of Athor; and they presented them their peculiar sceptre. The custom of anointing was not confined to the appointment of kings and priests to the sacred * Vide Plate 77. Part I. + Vide Plate 78. Obelisk of Karnak and others. Conf. translation of Hermapion, δεδώρημαι σοι ανα πασην την οικουμένην μετα χαρας βασιλευον.” offices they held it was the ordinary token of welcome to guests in every party at the house of a friend *; and in Egypt, no less than in Judæa, the metaphorical expression, "anointed with the oil of gladness," was fully understood, and applied to the ordinary occurrences of life. It was not confined to the living the dead were made to participate in it, as if sensible of the token of esteem thus bestowed upon them; and a grateful survivor, in giving an affectionate token of gratitude to a regretted friend, neglected not this last unction of his mortal remains. Even the head of the bandaged mummy, and the case which contained it, were anointed with oils and the most precious ointments. † Another ceremony represented in the temples was the blessing bestowed by the Gods on the king, at the moment of his assuming the reins of government. They laid their hands upon him; and, presenting him with the symbol of Life, they promised that his reign should be long and glorious, and that he should enjoy tranquillity, with certain victory over his enemies. If about to undertake an expedition against foreign nations, they gave him the falchion of victory, to secure the defeat of the people whose country he was about to invade, saying, "Take this weapon, and smite with it the heads of the impure Gentiles." To show the special favour he enjoyed from heaven, the Gods were even represented admitting him into their company and communing with him; and sometimes Thoth, with other Deities, taking *Vide Vol. II. p. 213. + Vide infrà, Chap. 16. him by the hand, led him into the presence of the great Triad, or of the presiding Divinity, of the temple. He was welcomed with suitable expressions of approbation; and on this, as on other occasions, the sacred tau, or sign of Life, was presented to 1 f Tau, or sign of Life. him, a symbol which, with the sceptre of Purity, was usually placed in the hands of the Gods. These two were deemed the greatest gifts bestowed by the Deity on man. The origin of the tau I can not precisely determine; nor is it more intelligible when given in the sculptures on a large scale. Though there is no evidence of its being of a phallic character, we cannot fail to be struck by the remarkable resemblance of the Egyptian word signifying "life" (ônh), which this implies, to the yohni lingam of the Hindoos. It is true that the yohni of the latter is not the male, but a female emblem; yet the tau of Egypt may combine the two *, and be equally well chosen to denote life. A still more curious fact may be mentioned respecting this hieroglyphic character-that the early Christians of Egypt adopted it in lieu of the cross, which was afterwards substituted for it, prefixing it to inscriptions in the same manner as the cross in later times. For though Dr. Young had some scruples in believing the statement of Sir A. Edmonstone, that it holds this position in the * Was the seal of the frog one of them? Vide suprà, p. 269. sepulchres of the Great Oasis, I can attest that such is the case, and that numerous inscriptions headed by the tau are preserved to the present day on early Christian monuments. The triumph of the king was a grand solemnity. Flattering to the national pride of the Egyptians, it awakened those feelings of enthusiasm which the celebration of victory naturally inspires, and led them to commemorate it with the greatest pomp. When the victorious monarch, returning to Egypt after a glorious campaign, approached the cities which lay on his way, from the confines of the country to the capital, the inhabitants flocked to meet him, and with welcome acclamations greeted his arrival and the success of his arms. The priests and chief people of each place advanced with garlands and bouquets of flowers; the principal person present addressed him in an appropriate speech; and as the troops defiled through the streets, or passed without the walls, the people followed with acclamations, uttering earnest thanksgivings to the Gods, the protectors of Egypt, and praying them for ever to continue the same marks of favour to their monarch and their nation. Arrived at the capital, they went immediately to the temple, where they returned thanks to the Gods, and performed the customary sacrifices on this important occasion. The whole army attended, and the order of march continued the same as on entering the city. A corps of Egyptians, consisting of chariots and infantry, led the van in close column, followed by the allies of |
