invasion of Egypt, and to whom the descendants of Shashanq I.-Takelath and his son Petise, both highpriests at Memphis-as Assyrian satraps, showed themselves, in remembrance of the old family connection, especially compliant.

The eclipse of the moon, which is mentioned in the discourse as a warning of the coming events, I still continue to maintain, notwithstanding all the objections of M. Chabas. So long as no better-founded objection is brought against it than such as have been hitherto urged, it must surely be accepted as a fact, that on the 25th of Mesori,1 in the 15th year of the reign of king Thakelath II., a total eclipse of the moon took place in Egypt.

The rest of the inscription allows us to suppose the return, however temporary, of a period of rest for Egypt. The priest-king Usarkon used this respite to evince his complete devotion to Amon, the god of Thebes, and to his temple. The sacrifices were established in such a manner, that certain sums of money were put aside for the maintenance of the offerings, exactly as we have already seen in the case of the memorial tablet of Abydus.

Before we turn our attention to the kingdom of the Ethiopians, which had established itself in the south of Egypt and had begun its attacks upon Kemi, it seems proper first to look a little closer at the last descendants of the line of Shashanq, who had sunk to the position of petty kings in the divided realm.

1 I have several times confirmed the statement of the day from the monument itself.

Their names and succession, with reference to their chronology, are given in the Genealogical Table.2 We here take the opportunity that occurs to make the reader acquainted with their full names :

VI. USER-MA-RA SOTEP-EN-RA MIAMUN SI-BAST

SHASHANQ III. B.C. 766.

VII. USER-MA-RA SOTEP-EN-AMON MIAMUN PIMAI.

B.C. 733.

VIII. A-KHEPER-RA SHASHANQ IV. B.C. 700.

Their historical importance disappears in the conflict of the petty kings who rose up against one another, now on the side of the Assyrians, now on that of the Ethiopians. We owe our knowledge of them chiefly to the Apis-bulls, whose inscribed tombstones refer to the reigns of these kings with all the needful data of time.

The royal seat and locality of their petty kingdom, in the eighth century, can be pretty clearly seen from these Apis-tablets. If they no longer possessed the seat of government of their old house, Bubastus in Lower Egypt, the city of the goddess Bast-which had now become Assyrian-yet still the ancient and important capital of Memphis remained in their possession. It was here that the sacred Bull lived in the temple of Ptah-Sokar-Osiris; and hence it was that

2 See Genealogical Table IV. of the Families of Dynasties XX.-XXVI.

the solemn translation of the deceased Apis was made, on a car fitted with thick heavy wheels of wood, to the Serapeum in the desert, between the Arabian villages of Abousir (the ancient Pi-usiri, 'the temple of Osiris ') and Saqqarah (the name of which clearly calls to remembrance that of the god Sokar).

We subjoin a literal translation of the memorial stones, which the fortunate discoverer of the Serapeum, Mariette-Bey, brought to light during the year of our residence on the spot and under our own eye (1850), in so far as they relate to the above-named last kings of the Twenty-second Dynasty. Quite apart from their special importance for determining the length of each king's reign, the reader will probably find an interest in learning the contents of these inscriptions, which have also contributed to throw light on the darkest parts of the great picture of Egyptian history, and which for the first time exhibit a true image of the strange Bull-worship practised by the people of Memphis.

I. MEMORIAL STONE OF THE PRIEST AND SEER OF THE APISBULL, SENEBEF, SON OF SHED-NOFAR-TUM, AND OF HIS SON, THE MEMPHIAN PRIEST HOR-HEB.

'In the year [2], the month [Mekhir] on the [1st] day, under the reign of king Pimai, the friend of the Apis-god in the West. This is the day on which this (deceased) god was carried to the beautiful region of the West, and was laid at rest in the grave, at rest with the great god, with Osiris, with Anubis, and with the goddesses of the nether world, in the West. His introduction into the temple of Ptah beside his father, the Memphian god Ptah, had taken place in the year 29, in the month Paophi, in the time of king Shashanq III.'

II. MEMORIAL STONE OF THE HIGH-PRIEST OF MEMPHIS, PETISE.

In the year 2, the month Mekhir, on the 1st day, under the reign of king Pimai, the friend of the great god Apis in the West.This is the day on which the god was carried to his rest, in the beautiful region of the West, and was laid in the grave, and on which he was deposited in his everlasting house and in his eternal abode. He was born in the year 28, in the times of the deceased king Shashanq III. His glory was sought for in all places of Pitomih (that is, Lower Egypt). He was found, after (some) months, in the city of Ha-shed-abot. They had searched through the lakes of Natho and all the islands of Pitomih. He had been solemnly introduced into the temple of Ptah, beside his father, the Memphian god Ptah of the south wall, by the high-priest in the temple of Ptah, the great [prince] of the Mashush (the Maxyes), Petise, the son of the high-priest [of Memphis and the great prince of the] Mashush, Thakelath, and of the princess of royal race, Thes-bast-pir, in the year 28,3 in the month Paophi, on the 1st day. The full lifetime of this god amounted to 26 years.'

III. MEMORIAL STONE OF THE MEMPHIAN PRIEST, HOR-SI-ISE.

'In the year 2, the month Mekhir, the 1st day, under the reign of king Pimai, the friend of the great god Apis in the West, the god was carried to his rest in the beautiful region of the West. He had been solemnly introduced into the temple of Ptah beside his father, the Memphian god Ptah of the south wall, in the year under the reign of king Shashanq . [in the year] 5 [+] after he had shown his ? , after they had sought for [his glory... ]. The full lifetime of this god amounted to 26 years. (This tablet is dedicated) by the hereditary [prince] (here follows a string of titles in the priestly style) Hor-si-ise, the son of the high-priest [of Memphis and prince of the] Mashush, Pet-ise, and of the eldest of the wives . . . . [and by the . . .] Thakelath, whose mother Ta-ti-hor . . . . is.' 4

3 Observe the discrepancy between this and No. I. It seems from the calculation given below, that the 29 of No. I. is the right date.-ED.

4 The order of words is here preserved to show that 'is' ends the inscription.-ED.

IV. MEMORIAL STONE OF THE SATRAP PET-ISE, AND HIS SONS PEF-TOT-BAST AND THAKELATH.

'In the 28th year of king Shashanq.'

6

Then follows a sculpture, in which three men are seen before the bull-headed god, Apis-Tum with horns on his head.' The first of them has on his head the fillet of an Assyrian satrap; the last is adorned with the youth-locks worn by royal and princely persons. Above and beside these persons are the following inscriptions:

May he grant health, life, prosperity, to the Assyrian satrap Pet-ise, the son of the Assyrian satrap Thakelath-his mother is Thes-bast-pir-the son of the first and greatest of the princely heirs of his Majesty Shashanq, the son of the king and lord of the land, Usarkon II.,

'And to his venerator and friend, the high-priest of Ptah, Peftot-bast, the son of the satrap Pet-ise, whose mother is Ta-ari, a daughter of the satrap Thakelath,

'And to his venerator and friend, the priest of Ptah, Thakelath, the son of the satrap Pet-ise and of (his wife) Herse.'

From these four inscriptions it follows, with irrefragable certainty, that, under the reign of Shashanq III., Petise and his son Peftotbast ascribe to themselves the title and the badges of Satraps. This was exactly the time when the Assyrians had laid their hands on Egypt, and it was only by their permission that Shashanq ruled as king over the lowlands of Lower Egypt. The new Apis is sought for in all Lower

5 It is perhaps superfluous to warn the reader against confusing the new Assyrian domination here referred to with the former Assyrian conquest of Egypt. The Assyrian line of Shashanq, after becoming real Egyptian kings, succumbed in their turn to the new Assyrian conquerors of the line of Shalmaneser, under whom they became satraps in Lower Egypt, alternating with their subjection to the rival power of the Ethiopians.-ED.