Dec.3] SOCIETYOF BIBLICAL ARCHEOLOGY. [1889.
practisedby the Egyptians, mustreferto the eggs of geese or ducks,
or to a period laterthanthe Persian conquest. In the case of the
camelwe have the direct testimonyof Genesis xii, t6 ; Exod. ix, 3 —
the murrain was on the camels of Egypt—and Gen.xxxvii, 25 —
IshmaelitesfromGileadwiththeircamelsbearingspiceryon their way
to Eeypt. The Biblicalstatementsare completely set at naught
by Victor Hehnfromthe negative evidenceof the Egyptian monu
mentsandfromthe presumed late introductionof the camel into
Africa. On d priori grounds it would appearhighly improbable
thatso valuable a beast of burden, andso much usedin Arabia,
Syria,andotherAsiaticcountries,shouldnot have beenemployed
by the old Egyptians ; but I am able to bring forwarddirectcon
clusiveevidenceof the camel havingbeenusedas a beast of burden
by the Egyptians in the time of Ptolemy Philadelphus (bornB.C.
3°9)-
Straboin his last two booksdescribesEgypt,Ethiopiaandthe
north coast of Libya ; he had seen Egypt as far as the first
cataracts,and his description of the country is generally allowedto
be one of the most completepartsof his work. Speakingof the
deserttractbetweenMyosHormuson the Red Sea and Coptoson
the Nile, he mentions Philadelphusas the first personsaidto have
opened a road between these twoplaces, and to have provided
stations and water supplies. " Formerly," says the Greek geo
grapher(i.e.,beforethe time of Philadelphus), " the camel-merchants"
(o« KafiifkcfiTropoi, i.e., thosewho carried their goods on camels)
" performed theirjourneysby night beingguidedby the stars, and
like mariners, carriedwiththema supply of water, but now watering
places" (vff>tia) " are provided, and rain water,whichis scarce, is
collected in reservoirs." (Geograph., xvii, 1, § 45, ed. Kramer.)
In the historical inscription of Esarhaddon we read how the
Assyriankingon his arrival at the city of Ra-pi-khi on the frontiers
of Egypt, found the boundary stream dry,and securedthe aid of
the kings of Arabia, whosuppliedhimwithcamels to carry water
for the use of his army in his campaign againstEgypt(b.c. 672 arc).
But although there is no representation of the camel on the
monuments,thereare one or two Egyptianwordswhichpointwith
muchprobabilityto their denotingthe camel. OurlearnedPresident
has kindly suppliedme with extractscontaining instancesin which
the camel is supposed to be the animal meant. Thefirst instance of
the occurrence of a word whichmightbe identified withthe animal,
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