Jan.9] PROCEEDINGS. [1894.stagesof development, and its relation to other Semiticsystemsof
Punctuation,and in December Dr.Gasterreada paper entitledThe
HebrewTextof one of the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs,in
which he translated andexplaineda manuscript he had recentlydis
coveredof veryconsiderablevalueand interest.
The papers printedin the second part of Vol. IX of the Transactions
are also of considerable value. The following is a list classed in
subjects:—TheRev.HenryGeorgeTomkins: The Topographyof
Syria,withspecialreferenceto the Karnak listsof Thothmes III, and
the Karnak listsof Thothmes III, relating to Northern andSouthern
Syria. ThePresident: The Mythof Osiris Unnefer,anda descrip
tion of some ReligiousTextsof the Early Egyptianperiod,preservedin
the Hieratic papyriin the British Museum. F. G. Hilton Price,
F.S.A.: Notes upon some Egyptian Antiquities in his collection.
E. A. W. Budge, Litt. D., F.S.A. : The Fragments of a Coptic
version of an encomium on Elijah the Tishbite. Professor E.
Amelineau: The SahidicTranslationof the Book of Job. William
Simpson,R.I.,M.R.A.S.: The Tower of Babel and the Birs Nimroud.
The Series of Transactions is now complete. In the Reports of
formeryears I have mentioned that at some future time an Index
volume to the whole serieswouldbe issued ; as it will involvevery
considerablelabour,at the present time I am unable to mention any
timefor its completion.
Thisfinalpart of the Transactions just issuedto the Members, it must
be remembered, is an extra publication, andhas been printedby the
Councilat the request of a number of Members. It has been a very
costlyvolumeto print, as will have beenseenfromthe circular already
issuedwiththe last Part of the Proceedings. Thefundsof the Society
cannot fairly be expected to bear the heavy cost of its printing,
andtherefore,as the Members havereceivedan extra amountof pub
lications,it is of course onlyto be supposed thattheywill do what is in
theirpowertowardsdefrayingthe extra expense. Severalamountshave
alreadybeensubscribed,and I can only hopethat it will not be necessary
for me to refer to this subject againin the future, but that the whole of
the amount will be in the hands of the Council during the present
year.
TheLargePapereditionof Mr. Renouf'Stranslation,withnotes,of
the Book of the Dead, of whichonly 250 copies havebeenprinted,I am
happyto be able to report has received mostsatisfactorysupport; only
veryfew copies are now unsubscribedfor. PartsI and II have already
beenissued,PartIII is in type, and it will be ready for delivery in a few
months.
To the President the Society has also been indebtedduringthe past
yearfor a series of lecturesuponthe Language and Literature of Ancient
Egypt. I am happy to say that Mr.Renoufhas kindly consented to
59