EGYPT, an extensive country of Africa, lying between 30° and 33° of east longitude, and between 21° and 31° of north latitude. It is bounded by the Mediterranean on the north; by the Red sea and isthmus of Suez, which divide it from Arabia, on the east; by Abyssinia or Ethiopia, on the south; and by the deserts of Barca and Nubia on the west; being 600 miles in length from north to south, and about 150 in extreme breadth from east to west.
As a nation, the Egyptians may with justice lay claim to as high antiquity as any in the world. The country was most probably peopled by Mizraim the son of Ham and grandson of Noah. By its ancient inhabitants it was called Chemia, and is still called Chemi in the language of the Copts or native Egyptians; and this name it is supposed to have received from Ham the son of Noah. In scripture, we find it most generally named Misraim; though in the Psalms it is styled the land of Ham.—To us it is best known by the name Egypt, the etymology of which is more uncertain.—Some derive it from Ægyptus, a supposed king of the country; others say it signifies no more than "the land of the Copts;" Aia in Greek signifying a country, and Æcceptos being easily softened into Ægyptus.—The most probable opinion, however, seems to be, that it received its name from the blackness of its soil, and the dark colour both of its river and inhabitants: for such a blackish colour is by the Greeks called ægyptios, from gyps, and ægypt, "a vulture;" and by the Latins subvulturius. For the same reason, other names of a similar import have been given to this country by the Greeks; such as Aeria and Melambolus: the river itself was called Melo or Melas; by the
Hebrews, Shihor; and by the Ethiopians, Siris; all of which signify "black."
Ancient Egypt is by some divided into two parts, the Upper and Lower Egypt: by others into three, the Upper Egypt, properly so called, or Thebais; the Middle Egypt, or Heptanomes; and the Lower Egypt, the best part of which was the Delta, or that space encompassed by the branches of the Nile. See THEBAIS, &c.
The Egyptians, like the Chinese, pretend to an excessive antiquity, pretending to have records for ten, twenty, or even fifty thousand years. Thus their history is so much involved in obscurity and fable, that for many ages it must be passed over in silence.—The first mortal king whom the Egyptians own to have reigned in that country, was Menes or Menas. At what time he reigned, it would be to very little purpose to inquire. He had been preceded, however, by a set of immortals, who it seems left him the kingdom in a very bad situation: for the whole country, except Thebais, was a morass; the people also were entirely destitute of religion, and every kind of knowledge which could render their life comfortable and happy. Menes diverted the course of the Nile, which before that time had washed the foot of a sandy mountain near the borders of Libya, built the city of Memphis, instructed his subjects, and did other things of a similar kind which are usually attributed to the founders of kingdoms.
From the time of Menes, the Egyptian chronology is filled with a list of 330 kings, who reigned 1400 the she years, but did nothing worthy of notice.—The first distinct piece of history we find concerning Egypt, is the