justice rendered the term in his own language by To Or, when he treated of the first cause, the Lord of Life: for the name among the Egyptians was perfectly analogous to ov, ovra, Eovra, siva, among the Greeks. It was the name of the true God; of whom the Egyptians at first made the sun only a type. But when the substitute was taken for the original, it was then adapted to the luminary: at least, so far as that the city of On was called the city of the Sun: and the orb of day was worshipped as the living God. For I do not believe that the term On related literally to the sun; which I think is plain from its standing in need of explanation. wn, ЄTE OBAKI 22ḍPH Πε. On which is the city of Phre, THE SUN: and in the Greek,--- Ων, ή εσιν Ηλιοπολις, On, which is Heliopolis. From hence we may justly infer, that the living God was originally worshipped under the semblance of the Sun. But the true name of the luminary, both among the ancient and modern Egyptians, was Ree. This may be farther proved from the name of his priest; who was stiled Potiphera, Potiphra, and Petiphre; which I do not imagine to be a proper name; for the former part of 'Exodus i. 11. Sept. the compound signified a priest; and the latter the Sun. It was expressed петεдрн, Рetеphre, by the authors of the Coptic version; and Пeregn iegaus in the time of the Greek version, and Pytah phry in the days of Moses. I have thought proper to state these things; as we may from hence perceive the purport of the injunction given to Mo ses, and explain those remarkable words---Į am that I am; and I am hath sent thee. 2 Some farther Considerations upon these Words. It is remarkable, that the Samaritan version accords implicitly with the original in this instance, and it is closely copied in the Vulgate, where the passage is rendered---Ego sum, qui sum. But the Greek translation differs in the See Coptic Lexicon, p. 157. There were two words in the ancient Egyptian language, which denoted a priestNEТ¤ and 20NT-They were probably two departments in the same office of priesthood: but their precise meaning cannot be now ascertained. This person is said to be Pete-phre, Cohen On; that is, a priest of the Sun, who officiated at the city On, to distinguish him from a priest of the same order who might be of Moph, Theba, or any other place. ? Genesis, ch. xli. ver. 45. and ver. 50. mode of expression, and instead of---1 Eyw Eiflig ός which would afford the literal purport, we meet with--Eya su, o v. How came the authors of this version so industriously to vary from others? I answer; because they were Jews of Egypt, and knew the true object alluded to. And, as the Egyptian term. on, the same as Ens, corresponded with the like word in Greek, they have preserved it in their translation, as from this correspondence of terms, they could give the true meaning of the original. In consequence of this, instead of Εγω ειμι, ös ειμι, which would have been the obvious interpretation of I am that I am, they render it---Eywe. I am the Ens, the truly existing being; the living God. And that we might not mistake the meaning of the term N, used by the Seventy, and also by the Platonists, many learned persons have been at the pains further to explain it, and to shew, that by On was signified Ens Entium, the Being of Beings, the self-existent God. Hence Hesychius defines ὁ Ων, by θεος αει ζων, ὑπας xwv. God, who lives for ever; that exists everlastingly. We find the like in Suidas. 'ON, ο ων, Θεος ήμων. • ass av, eos nμay. By On is denoted, the God χων. 1 Exodus iii. 14. that lives for ever, whom we acknowledge for our particular deity. The learned Alberti, in his notes to Hesychius, quotes from a manuscript Lexicon a passage to the same purpose. O Ων, ὁ ζων, ὁ ὑπαρχων, ὁ αει ων· τετεσι θεος. By this term is meant the Being who lives and exists; the Being who lives for ever; that is, God. It is therefore plain, that the purport of this Egyptian word, when explained by the Grecians, related uniformly to life, and the God of life, the self-existing being. We have seen that the justness of these interpretations is confirmed by the Coptic. The same is observable of the To ov of Plato, which was borrowed from the same source. Ακηκρως γαρ εν Αιγυπτῳ τον Θεον τῷ Μωυση ειρηκεναι, Εγω ειμι Ων, εγνω, ότι ου κυριον ονομα ἑαυτε ὁ Θεος προς αυτον εφη -They are the words of Justin Martyr', who says, that Plato learnt in Egypt, that the deity represented himself to Moses under the character of, or the living God; and that Plato knew it was not a proper name: by which is intimated, that he rendered it as Just. Martyr. Cohort. p. 21. c. By the ancient philosophers, the deity was stiled to ir; and it was said—τὸ ἓν παντα. Plato changed the term to re •, as we learn from Simplicius, Plotinus, and others. ων, and an attribute, and described the cause of all things by his self-existence. He mentions farther', that the different manner of expressing the term, which was both O, and N,, amounted to little; as both were equally apposite. 'O μεν γαρ Μωυσης ὁ ων έφη, ο δε Πλάτων το ον· ἑκα τερον δε των ειρημένων τῷ αει οντι Θεῳ προσήκειν paveras. For Moses expresses the word φαινεται. Plato To ov: but each of the terms appear to be truly applicable to the living God, who alone may be said to exist. Eusebius, Cyril, Augustine, and many other writers other writers suppose, that Plato got his intelligence in Egypt: and I think there can be no doubt of it. But they go farther, and think, that he obtained it from the history of Moses; which does not appear probable. They seem all to have imagined, that he got his information from the words Eyw sipov, I am He that is, i. e. the living God: which is a portion from the Greek of the Septuagint. But they did not consider, that this version was not made till after, the death of Plato. He could not have had any light from hence. In short he borrowed his knowledge of the term O, from the same fountain from whence the authors of the Septuagint afterwards borrowed; which was from the natives Just. Martyr. Cohort. p. 23. c. |