Excerpt from A Dissertation on the Calendar and Zodiac of Ancient Egypt: With Remarks on the First Introduction and Use of the Zodiac Among the Greeks That a system combining and resting upon so many obscure and enigmatical details, should be restored at once complete in all its parts, was not to be expected, for several obvious reasons; among others, for this very simple one, that the department of antiquarian science to which this inquiry belongs is still in its infancy; many of the facts or monuments which have afforded the most striking illustrations of our subject having only been brought to light within these few years - some 'even since these researches were first undertaken and at this moment others are, or may be, in course of publication, which 'may help to fill the remaining gaps in the circumference of the egyp tian astrological sphere. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1832 edition. Excerpt: ... SECTION III. CONTINUATION OF THE SAME SUBJECT.--INQUIRY INTO THE PRISTINE FORM AND SIGNIFICATION OF THE SIGNS. The names of the egyptian months, which we now proceed to analyze, have been preserved in the works of greek authors of various ages; as well as in the idioms of the native Copts, and Egyptio-arabs, among whom they continued to be used in modern times. That they are the primitive egyptian appellations is, I believe, not disputed; and indeed is placed beyond a doubt, as well by the internal evidence which they themselves afford of their connexion with the ancient language and religion of the country, as by the constancy and harmony of the tradition, by which they have been handed down through ages as such. I have given below, in the notes, references to the authors in whose works the most important varieties of these names have been preserved, as well in the greek as the Coptic idiom." To the coptic orthography the greatest weight is in most instances to be attached, as representing the pronunciation of the old dialect of Egypt, for the most part it may reasonably be assumed, pure and unaltered. Occasional allusion has also been made to the analogy of the Copto-arabic. s According to the greek orthography: see generally, Ptolem. de Apparent. ap. Petav. Uranol. in op. de doct. temp. vol. iii. p. 42. Antholog. graec. 1. i. c. 91. Fabricii Menolog. p. 22. According to the Coptic orthography; Kircher, Ling. aegypt. restitut. Seals magna, p. 63, et Prodrom. Copt-p. 140. Tuki, Rudim. ling. copt. p. 391. sqq. Croze, Lexic. aegypt in vv. Jablonski, Collectio vocum aegyptiarum, in v. v. Opusc. vol. i. et ap. Steph. Thes. ling. grsec. edit. Valpy, vol. i. initio. Young, append. ad Tatham. Egypt. gramm. p. 5. Croz. Thesaurus epistolicus, ...