Such is the history of this Deity; whose worship was better known in the more early ages; and whose temple was styled Gau-Camel, by the Greeks rendered Gaugamela. I make no doubt but that Arbela was the same place: for places had as many names as the Deity worshipped had titles. Arbela was probably the city, and Gaugamela the [[386]]temple; both sacred to the same Deity, under different names.
It is remarkable that Syncellus, speaking of Venephres, King of Egypt, says, that he built the pyramids of [[387]]Co-Chone; which are the principal pyramids of that country. Eusebius before him had taken notice of the same history: [[388]]Ουενεφρης, εφ' ὁυ ὁ λιμος κατεσχε την χωραν, ὁς και τας Πυραμιδας περι Κοχωνην ηγειρεν. Venephres was a prince, in whose time happened a famine in the land of Egypt. He was the same, who built the Pyramids about Cochone. Now Co-Chone, analogous to Beth-El, Beth-Shan, Beth-Dagon, signifies the temple of the Deity; the house of the great king, or ruler: for such is the purport of Con, and Conah. Hercules, the chief Deity of Tyre, and who was also highly reverenced in Egypt, was Styled Con. [[389]]Τον Ἡρακλην φησι κατα την Αιγυπτιων διαλεκτον Κωνα λεγεσθαι. From hence we find, that it was a sacred Egyptian title. According to some readings the place is expressed Cocome; which is of the same purport. Co-Chome, the same as Cau-Come, signifies the house of Chom, or the Sun; and seems to betray the purpose for which the chief pyramid was erected: for it was undoubtedly nothing else but a monument to the Deity, whose name it bore. According to [[390]] Herodotus the great pyramid was built by Cheops; whom others called Chaops. But Chaops is a similar compound; being made up of the terms Cha-Ops, and signifies οικος Πυθωνος, domus Opis Serpentis. It was the name of the pyramid, which was erected to the Sun, the Ophite Deity of Egypt, worshipped under the symbol of a serpent. Analogous to Cau-Come in Egypt was a place in Ethiopia, called [[391]]Cuscha: doubtless so named from Chus, the great ancestor from whom the Ethiopians were descended.
The Sun was styled by the Amonians, among other titles, Zan; as I have before shewn: and he was worshipped under this denomination all over Syria and Mesopotamia; especially at Emesa, Edessa, and Heliopolis. One region was named Gauzanitis, from a city Gauzan, the Gosan of the [[392]]Scriptures. Strabo calls it [[393]]Χαζηνη, Cha-Zene, and places it near Adiabene. Gauzan, or Go-zan, is literally the house of the Sun. I once thought that the land of Goshen, in Egypt, was of the same purport as Cushan; and have so mentioned it in a former [[394]]treatise. So far is true: the land of Goshen was the land of Cushan, and possessed by the sons of Chus: but the two terms are not of the same meaning. Goshen, or Goshan, like Gauzan in Mesopotamia, signifies the temple of the Sun: hence it was as a city, rendered by the Greeks Heliopolis. Artapanus, as we learn from Eusebius, expresses it Caisan, Καισαν. Go-Shan, Gau Zan, Caisan, Cazena, all denote a place sacred to the Sun; and are such variations in rendering the same term, as must be expected in an interval of fifteen hundred years, and from different transcribers. This luminary was also called Abor, the parent of light; and his temple Cha-Abor, and Cho-Abor, contracted Chabor and Chobar. Of this name both a city and river were to be found in Gauzanitis; as well as in Susiana, and other parts: for rivers often took their names from some temple, or city, by which they ran. The temple at Dodona was, of old, called Cha-On, or house of the Sun; as we may infer from the country having the name of Chaonia; for Chaonia is the land of Chaon. The priests and inhabitants were called [[395]]Chaones, from their place of worship: and the former had also the name[[396]] of Selli, which signifies the priests of the Sun. In Arcadia, near the eruption of the river Erasinus, was a mountain, clothed with beautiful trees, and sacred to Dionusus. This, also, was called [[397]]Chaon, the place of the Sun; and was, undoubtedly, so named from the antient worship; for Dionusus was, of old, esteemed the same as Osiris, the Sun. There was also a place called [[398]]Chaon in Media and Syria; Chaonitis in Mesopotamia: and in all these places the same worship prevailed. So Caballis, the city of the Solymi, was named from Ca-bal, the place of the god Bal, or Baal. It is mentioned by Strabo. In like manner Caballion, in Gallia Narbonensis, is a compound of Ca-Abelion, a well known Deity, whose name is made up of titles of the Sun. The priests of this place were styled [[399]]Salies; the region was called Χαουαρα; undoubtedly from Cha-Our (
אור
), some temple of Ur, erected by the Amonians, who here settled. Canoubis in Egypt was a compound of Ca-Noubis; Cabasa, in the same country, Ca-Basa; called by many Besa, the Beseth of the Scriptures, a Goddess well known in Egypt. She had a temple in Canaan, called [[400]]Beth Besa. Cuamon, near Esdraelon, is a compound of Cu-Amon, the place or house of Amon: [[401]]ἑως του Κυαμωνος. There was a temple in Attica called Cuamites; and a personage denominated from it. The history of the place, and the rites, in time grew obsolete; and Pausanias supposes that the name was given from Κυαμος, Cuamos, a bean. [[402]]Σαφες δε ουδεν εχω λεγειν, ειτε πρωτος Κυαμους εσπειρεν ὁυτος. I have not authority for the supposition, but it seems probable that this temple was erected to the memory of some person who first sowed beans. And here it is proper to take notice of a circumstance of which I must continually put the reader in mind, as it is of great consequence towards decyphering the mythology of antient times. The Grecians often mistook the place of worship for the Deity worshipped: so that the names of many Gods are, in reality, the names of temples where they were adored. Artemis was Ar-Temis, the city of Themis, or Thamis; the Thamuz of Sidon and Egypt. This the Greeks expressed Αρτεμις; and made it the name of a Goddess. Kir-On was the city and temple of the Sun, in Cyprus and other places. They changed this to Kironus, which they contracted Cronus; and out of it made a particular God. From Cha-Opis they formed a king Cheops; from Cayster, the same as Ca Aster, they fancied a hero, Caystrius; from Cu-Bela, Cybele; from Cu-Baba, Cybebe. Cerberus, the dog of hell, was denominated from Kir-Abor; as I shall hereafter [[403]]shew.
I have mentioned Caucon, or Caucone, in Egypt: there was a place of the same name in Greece. It was, originally, sacred to the Sun; and the priests and inhabitants were called Cancones. Instead of Con, which signifies the great Lord, the Greeks substituted a hero [[404]]Caucon, who was supposed to have first introduced those Orgies practised by the Messenians. It was, properly, a temple of the Sun; and there was another of the same name in Bithynia, and from thence the country was called Cauconia. I shall hereafter treat at large of Cuthite colonies, which went abroad and settled in different parts. One of the first operations when they came on shore was to build temples, and to found cities, in memory of their principal ancestors, who, in process of time, were worshipped as Deities. A colony of this people settled at Colchis, which they called Cutaia[[405]], from the head of their family, styled both Chus and Cuth. We may infer, that they built a temple which was called Ca-Cuta; and from which the region was also denominated: for it is certain that it has that name at this [[406]]day. Cocutus, which we render Cocytus, was undoubtedly a temple in Egypt. It gave name to a stream, on which it stood; and which was also called the Charonian branch of the Nile, and the river Acheron. It was a foul canal, near the place of Sepulture, opposite to Memphis, and not far from Cochone. Cocutus was the temple of Cutus, or Cuth; for he was so called by many of his posterity. A temple of the same was to be found in Epirus, upon a river Cocutus. Here was also a river Acheron, and a lake Acherusia: for a colony from Egypt settled here; and the stream was of as foul a nature as that near Memphis. [[407]]Ῥει δε και Κωκυτος ὑδωρ ατερπεστατον.
Juno is by Varro styled Covella. [[408]]Dies quinque te kalo, Juno Covella; Juno Covella, dies septem te kalo. Here, as in many instances, the place of worship is taken for the person, to whom the worship is directed. Covella is only a variation for Cou-El, or Co-El, the house or region of the Deity, and signifies heavenly. It is accordingly by Varro interpreted Urania, Ουρανια: whence Juno Covella must be rendered Cœlestis. From the substantive, Cou-El, the Romans formed Coel, heaven; in aftertimes expressed Coelus, and Cœlum. I say, in aftertimes: for they originally called it Co-el, and Co-il, and then contracted it to Cœl. Hence Ausonius in his Grammaticomastix mentions a passage to this purpose.
Unde Rudinus ait Divôm domus altisonum Cœl: or as Ennius, to whom he alludes, has rendered it, according to the present MSS. altisonum [[409]]Coil. He sometimes subjoins the Latine termination:
Coilum prospexit stellis fulgentibus aptum.
Olim de Coilo laivum dedit inclytus signum.