may have been preserved for the purpose rather of throwing additional light on that word.

According to Herodotus and Manetho, the first king of Egypt was called Menes, alluding to Mizraim, the son of Ham. A similar name is said to be inscribed on one of the palace-temples over the leader of a long procession of kings. With changing and opposing dynasties, during the fifteen hundred years from the Pharaoh of Abraham's time to the days of Herodotus, during which period Egypt was at times divided, and had two sovereigns reigning at once, one in Upper and the other in Lower Egypt; and lost sight of the Bible history for periods of five hundred years at a time; any arrangement of the early kings of Egypt in chronological order, if ever practicable, must be attended with great difficulty.

There appears to have been an invasion by some of the descendants of Cush and Nimrod from Asia before the days of Abraham, which brought Lower Egypt for a time under the rule of the shepherd kings or Hyksos, as they were called. One of these probably ruled in Egypt when Abraham was there, as he needed no interpreter, and as among the gifts given to him by the king were Egyptian slaves, among whom was Hagar, the Egyptian bondwoman. A change of rulers appears to have occurred before Joseph's days, as then an interpreter was used, and slaves were brought from Canaan to be sold in Egypt. Joseph, alluding to the national hatred of the Hyksos, said, "Every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians :" and also adopted the language, "Ye are spies" to his brethren, which intimated they came from a suspicious quarter.

Among the Egyptian names celebrated by tradition and heathen history is that of Sesostris. For the variety of the works attributed to him, and the uncertainty regarding his existence and the time he lived, the name of Sesostris in Egypt corresponds with that of Semiramis in Assyria. There

were probably several kings of that name. To one Sesostris has been attributed the invention of the first geographical maps. In these the different parts of the known world were represented as members of a body of which Egypt was the heart. He was also said to have been one of the scribes of the sacred books, particularly that which taught the hieroglyphic art. Herodotus declares that he saw the colossal statues of Sesostris, his wife and four children in front of one of the Egyptian temples, and also, pillars in Asia Minor and elsewhere recording the fact that "Sesostris, king of kings, subdued this country by the force of his arms." His conquests are said to have extended in almost every direction.

For more than two thousand years the prophecies in the word of God concerning Egypt have been fulfilling. During all that time Egypt has been, as she is at the present day, "without a native prince," and " the basest of the kingdoms." The time is yet future, when again "Princes shall come out of Egypt;" and the Lord shall say, "Blessed be Egypt, my people." 2

1 Ps. lxviii. 31.

2 Isaiah xix. 18-25.

CHAPTER XXXI.

OTHER DESCENDANTS OF HAM-THE CANAANITES-SIDON AND TYRE THE PHILISTINES-AMALEKITES-AFRICANS.

HE history of the other descendants of Ham has much

TH

of the same features as that of Babylon and Egypt. There was the same forsaking of the worship of the true God-the same perpetual hatred of the Lord's people—the same early worldly prosperity-followed by the same degradation or destruction.

The Canaanites, descendants of Canaan, son of Ham, formed many nations: the Amorites, Hittites, Jebusites, Girgashites, Canaanites, Perizzites, and Hivites: all idolaters. Moses speaks of them as being "seven nations greater and mightier than the children of Israel,"1 who at that time numbered millions. From some of these nations colonies were sent out into many of the islands of the Mediterranean and the coasts bordering upon it. Through trade and commerce they became rich. They also became abominably wicked. As judgments upon them, God first destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by fire from heaven; and then, when the "cup of their iniquity was full," the whole people, old and young, were doomed to destruction: the children of Israel, by the express command of God, were appointed the executioners; and charged "utterly to destroy them." Not at once fully obeying this divine command, the Canaanites remained "thorns in the side" of Israel, as God foretold should be the case if Israel did not obey Him, five hundred

1 Deut. vii. 1.

2 Gen. xv. 16.

4

2

3 Deut. vii. 2.

1 Numb. xxxiii. 55; Judges ii. 3.

years till at last they were completely subdued by David and Solomon.

Sidon, the most ancient maritime city of Phoenicia, took its name from the first-born son of Canaan. The region along the sea coast of the land of Canaan was called Phoenicia by the Greeks, because of the number of palm trees, (Greek, phoinokes) which grew there.

Another city founded by the Phoenicians was Tyre. The cradle of commerce, Tyre extended her trade to every port and became the first mistress of the seas. A strong city in the days of Joshua, it was afterwards the ally of Solomon, and continued for centuries, through its commerce, gathering the riches of the world. Few cities have been more renowned than ancient Tyre. We have a graphic description of its wealth and glory in the twenty-seventh chapter of Ezekiel : we have also by the same prophet its doom foretold. Twentyfive centuries have been attesting the truth of the prophecies contained in God's word concerning Tyre. Whilst she was rejoicing over the troubles of Jerusalem, the message came : "Thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I am against thee, O Tyrus, and will cause many nations to come against thee," "and they shall make a spoil of thy riches, and they shall break down thy walls and destroy thy pleasant houses; and shall lay thy stones in the midst of the water. And I will make the noise of thy songs to cease; and the sound of thy harps shall be no more heard. And I will make thee like the top of a rock; thou shalt be a place to spread nets upon; thou shalt be built no more." All this has been literally fulfilled. The ruins of her marble palaces, of her triple walls and her lofty towers, may now be seen half buried by the drifting sand or beneath the waters which roll over them. Such have been the incursions of the sea that even the once fertile plain of Tyre is a sandy waste. A few crazy fishing boats have taken the place of her immense navy, and fisher1 Ezek. xxvi. 3, 12, 14.

1

men are now using Tyre as a place for the spreading of their

nets.

The Philistines were part of the posterity of Mizraim, the second son of Ham.' Leaving Caphtor, the north-eastern part of Egypt, they settled along the shore of the Mediterranean, destroying the Avims who before had dwelt there.3 The Philistines were powerful in Abraham's time. In the division of Canaan their territories were allotted to the tribe of Judah. They were enabled, however, for a long period to retain their independence. Their fortified cities, Ashkelon, Ashdod, Ekron, Gaza and Gath, forming five Satrapies or lordships, often appear in the Bible history. Giants continued among them till the time when Goliath was slain by David. For many centuries the Philistines were the most inveterate and troublesome enemies the Israelites had to encounter, frequently conquering them and holding them in bondage. After maintaining a place in history for nearly two thonsand years, they were finally subdued by Jonathan, brother and successor of Judas Maccabeus, B. C. 148; and their extinction followed about fifty years after, by Alexander Jannæus, who burnt Gaza and incorporated the remnant of the Philistines with the Jews.

4

Another nation descended, according to the Arabian historians, from Ham, was the Amalekites. Balaam, when prophesying against Amalek, speaks of them as "the first of the nations." Their country is spoken of in Abraham's time. They were always bitter enemies of the Israelites. They greatly annoyed them on their journey from Egypt, and afterwards, at different times, joined with others in combined attacks against them. After the attack in the wilderness, the Lord said to Moses, "Write this for a memorial in a book: I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.""

1 Gen. x. 14.

2 Amos ix. 7; Jer. xlvii. 4.

Four hundred years after this the