Identity of the ancient Indian and Egyptian Mythology, &c. Names of the Egyptian Gods, significant in the Hebrew and Indo-European Tongues. Dr. Lepsius's comments on Champollion's opinion that the Modern Egyptian does not differ from the Egyptian of the oldest Monuments. Proofs of changes. Proofs from Language that the origin of the Egyptians cannot be referred to the very remote date fixed by some writers. Causes of the primitive features of the Hebrew and the Sanscrit. Identity of Sanscrit and Scriptural account of the Creation and of the Origin of the Human Race. Sir William Jones's explanation of this coincidence. High antiquity of the Indian Vedas.
We are indebted to Dr. Prichard[104] for a comprehensive and satisfactory demonstration of the resemblance in manners, mythology, and in social and political institutions of the ancient Egyptians and Indians. These Nations agreed in religious and philosophical dogmas, in a superstitious veneration of animals and of the most conspicuous objects of nature, in [pg 126] the system of Castes, and in other features. Dr. Prichard's German translator, the celebrated A. W. Schlegel, has attempted to account for these points of coincidence by the ordinary tendencies of human nature under similar circumstances, a theory which, though maintained with distinguished ability, must be felt to be essentially paradoxical. As Dr. Prichard observes: “No person who fully considers the intimate relation and almost exact parallelism that has been traced between the Egyptians and the Hindoos, will be perfectly satisfied with such a solution in that particular example.”[105]
Dr. Prichard concludes that these features of resemblance must be ascribed to a common origin. But in the adoption of this conclusion he encounters a formidable difficulty, arising from the consideration that the Egyptian Tongue cannot, according to his views, be identified with the other languages of mankind.
This difficulty, like many others of the same nature, will be found to receive a satisfactory solution from the comparison contained in Appendix A, in which are embodied a greater number of words from the Egyptian than from any other language of the African continent. It will thence be evident that the failure which has attended the attempts of the writers noticed by Dr. Prichard to identify the Egyptian with the Asiatic languages, has arisen from the predominant error of Philological writers,—viz. the expectation of finding in every respect a close and peculiar affinity between the languages of nations, who, though contiguous, must in all probability have been separated in the earliest ages of the world. Hence the unsuccessful issue of those researches of which the object has been to show that the Egyptian is a dialect of the Hebrew. But, notwithstanding the unfavorable [pg 127] result which has necessarily attended investigations conducted on a false basis, it will be seen, nevertheless, that the adoption of a wider range of comparison, agreeably to the principles explained at p. [16] and p. [87], and carried out in [Appendix A], serves to render unequivocally manifest the original unity of the Egyptians not only with the Jews and other nations of Asia, but also with those of all the four continents. In this place I shall introduce, in illustration of this proposition, some additional examples, which possess an independent interest in connexion with Dr. Prichard's inquiry into the mythology of the Egyptians, and with the analogous inquiries pursued in the last Chapter of this work.
The Names of most, if not all, of the Egyptian Gods are susceptible of a perfectly unequivocal explanation by means of the Hebrew and the Indo-European languages.[106] This will be evident from the following analysis, in which I have availed myself of the account of their names and attributes given by a high authority—Mr. Wilkinson.[107]
“Neph, Phtah, and Khem,” the first three of the Egyptian Gods noticed below, represent attributes of the Deity.
Kneph, or, more properly, Neph or Nef, “The Spirit of God which moved on the face of the Waters.”[108] Nouf, “Spirit.” Nife, “To breathe, to blow.” Nifi, “Inspiration,” (Egypt.) This word, Neph, has been shown to exist in the same and in analogous senses in the Hebrew and Indo-European tongues. It has also been pointed out as occurring in a remarkable instance as a word for a “Spirit,” and also as [pg 128] a name of the “Supreme Being,” among the North American Indians. (See p. [24].[109])
Pthah, “The Creative Power that made the World,” styled “The Father of the Gods.”[110]
Pita, Pitre (Sanscrit,) “A Father.” Phu-o, “Gĭgnō, Produco.” Phu teuō, “Machinor Semĭno.” Pat-er, “A Father,” (Greek.)
Khem, “The Sun.” (See p. [21].)