Brugsch, Heinrich: Egypt under the pharaohs: a history derived entirely from the monuments (London, 1891)

Ensr. xxvi. THE PERSIAN INVASION 429

466 b.c. Now, in place of this Xerxes, we find men-
tion of a King Khabbash, whom the monuments
designate as the Egyptian rival king to Xerxes. This
rival must have succeeded in establishing himself at
Memphis, where he provided a solemn burial for the
Apis which was just deceased. But unexpected events
occurred to frustrate his intention. The proof of this
Js furnished by the place in the subterranean galleries,
where have stood, from ancient times down to the pre-
sent day, the lid and base of the stone sarcophagus,
with the dedicatory inscription of King Khabbash. The
sarcophagus itself stands in the northern gallery leading
to the Apis-tombs, and almost bars the approach, while
the lid lies on the ground in the southern gallery. The
two were never brought together to enclose the deceased
Dull. The lid itself bears the following inscription:—

Year 2, month Athyr, under the Majesty of King Khabbash, the
friend of Apis-Osiris, of Horus 'of Kakem ' (a name for the locality
°f the Apis tombs).

The latest authentic inscription, proving the death
of an Apis under the Pharaohs, is a memorial-stone
of the 3rd year of King Nekht-neb-ef, in which the
bull died, that is, about 356 B.C. With this we con-
clude our review of the Apis tablets, and turn to other
inscriptions, which belong to the times of the Persian
kings.

THE PERSIANS IN EGYPT.

We can hardly award to the Egyptian nobles, who
lived in the neighbourhood of the royal court at Sal's,
the praise of loyalty to their masters. As soon as the
Persians made good their footing in Egypt and honoured
Sal's especially by their visits, there were found many
descendants of the former royal houses, who did not
think it beneath their dignity to prove themselves sub-