Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Upon The Antiquity Of The Arabians, Their Language And Letters, And The Origin Of The Chinese A^'D Their Empire.
written . The present Arabic characters were formed by Ebn Moklali , a learned Arabian , who lived three hundred years after Mahomet . We learn from the Arabian writers themselves that their alphabet is not ancient . Al Asmahi says , that the Koreish were asked , " From whom did you learn writing ? " and that they answered , " From Hirah . " That the people of Hirah were asked , " From whom clid you learn writing ?" ancl they said" From the Amberites . " Ebn al Habliand Al Heisham
, , , Ebn Admi , relate that Abi Sofian , Mahomet ' s great opposeiy . was asked from whom did your father receive this form of writing ? and that lie said , from Ashlam , Eben Sidrah . And that Ashlam being asked , from whence did you receive the writing ? his answer was , from the person that invented it , Moramer Ebn Morrah ; and that they received this form of writing but a little before Islamism . The opinion of Mr . AA isethat the ancient Egyptians did not possess
, the knowledge of letters , seems to be altogether erroneous ; that wonderful people had commercial intercourse with their neighbours , the Phoenicians , and unquestionably possessed that knowledge , though their policy , like that of the Chinese at this day , might prohibit their general use and knowledge . Cicero distinguished five Mercuries , two of whom were Egyptian . Authors are much divided as to the ages in which these personages livedbut the most ancient is generally allowed to be
, the Phoenician Taaut , who passed from thence into Egypt . It is probable that he might personify some individual who taught the Egyptians the use of letters , and that the second Taaut , Mercury or Hermes Trismagistus , improved both the alphabet ancl language , as Diodorus and others have asserted . The Phoenician and Egyptian languages are very
similar , but the latter is said to be larger and fuller , which is an indication of its being of later date . Mizraim , or Mezer , the son of Ham , was the father of Ludim , Anamim , Lehabim , Naphtuhim , Pathrusim , and Casluhim , ( from which last sprung the Philistines ) and Caphtorim . These descendants of his , and the tribes called from their names , had no doubt their original residence in Egypt . But some of them moved towards the west , and as Casluhim seems to have dwelt in the east of Egypt , his posterity partly settled in
the south-west of Canaan . Some learned men have imagined that these names ending in im , a plural termination in the Hebrew , must signify tribes , and not particular persons , in the same manner as it is said , ( Genesis x . 15 ) , "And Canaan begat Sidon his first-born , ancl Seth , and the Jebusite , and the Amorite , and the Girgasite . " The Arabs still call Egypt " Mesr ; " and they called Memphis , and now call Grand Cairo , " Mesa , " from Mizraim . Mercurius , worshipped by the Latins under that name , ancl called Hermes by the Greeks , derived his adoration and origin from the
Egyptians . He is often designated a son of the Nile , by others the ligyptian Thaut . Being denominated the god of merchandize among the Latins , accounts for the worldly craft and cunning peculiarly attributed to this heathen deity ; ancl no wonder that he is styled a messenger of Jove , when the knowledge which he imparted to mankind , of being enabled to transcribe their thoughts , caused ideas to assume an invisible shape and traverse through every region . He was also the supposed inventor of a musical instrument called the lyre , and its seven strings ; he also received from King Admetus the celebrated caduceus , with which the then god of poetry used to drive the flocks of that monarch . He is frequently seen drawn upon monuments , with a large cloak under his
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Upon The Antiquity Of The Arabians, Their Language And Letters, And The Origin Of The Chinese A^'D Their Empire.
written . The present Arabic characters were formed by Ebn Moklali , a learned Arabian , who lived three hundred years after Mahomet . We learn from the Arabian writers themselves that their alphabet is not ancient . Al Asmahi says , that the Koreish were asked , " From whom did you learn writing ? " and that they answered , " From Hirah . " That the people of Hirah were asked , " From whom clid you learn writing ?" ancl they said" From the Amberites . " Ebn al Habliand Al Heisham
, , , Ebn Admi , relate that Abi Sofian , Mahomet ' s great opposeiy . was asked from whom did your father receive this form of writing ? and that lie said , from Ashlam , Eben Sidrah . And that Ashlam being asked , from whence did you receive the writing ? his answer was , from the person that invented it , Moramer Ebn Morrah ; and that they received this form of writing but a little before Islamism . The opinion of Mr . AA isethat the ancient Egyptians did not possess
, the knowledge of letters , seems to be altogether erroneous ; that wonderful people had commercial intercourse with their neighbours , the Phoenicians , and unquestionably possessed that knowledge , though their policy , like that of the Chinese at this day , might prohibit their general use and knowledge . Cicero distinguished five Mercuries , two of whom were Egyptian . Authors are much divided as to the ages in which these personages livedbut the most ancient is generally allowed to be
, the Phoenician Taaut , who passed from thence into Egypt . It is probable that he might personify some individual who taught the Egyptians the use of letters , and that the second Taaut , Mercury or Hermes Trismagistus , improved both the alphabet ancl language , as Diodorus and others have asserted . The Phoenician and Egyptian languages are very
similar , but the latter is said to be larger and fuller , which is an indication of its being of later date . Mizraim , or Mezer , the son of Ham , was the father of Ludim , Anamim , Lehabim , Naphtuhim , Pathrusim , and Casluhim , ( from which last sprung the Philistines ) and Caphtorim . These descendants of his , and the tribes called from their names , had no doubt their original residence in Egypt . But some of them moved towards the west , and as Casluhim seems to have dwelt in the east of Egypt , his posterity partly settled in
the south-west of Canaan . Some learned men have imagined that these names ending in im , a plural termination in the Hebrew , must signify tribes , and not particular persons , in the same manner as it is said , ( Genesis x . 15 ) , "And Canaan begat Sidon his first-born , ancl Seth , and the Jebusite , and the Amorite , and the Girgasite . " The Arabs still call Egypt " Mesr ; " and they called Memphis , and now call Grand Cairo , " Mesa , " from Mizraim . Mercurius , worshipped by the Latins under that name , ancl called Hermes by the Greeks , derived his adoration and origin from the
Egyptians . He is often designated a son of the Nile , by others the ligyptian Thaut . Being denominated the god of merchandize among the Latins , accounts for the worldly craft and cunning peculiarly attributed to this heathen deity ; ancl no wonder that he is styled a messenger of Jove , when the knowledge which he imparted to mankind , of being enabled to transcribe their thoughts , caused ideas to assume an invisible shape and traverse through every region . He was also the supposed inventor of a musical instrument called the lyre , and its seven strings ; he also received from King Admetus the celebrated caduceus , with which the then god of poetry used to drive the flocks of that monarch . He is frequently seen drawn upon monuments , with a large cloak under his