Poole, Reginald S.: The cities of Egypt (London, 1882)

ON.

137

the arks or sacred boats, and perhaps a statue of Ra.
In other temples, as at Dendarah, the arks were in a part
of the edifice accessible to the priests, and carried in and
out. There was no sacred animal in this sanctuary,
otherwise it could not have been kept closed.

It is time to turn to the history of the City of the
Sun. The oldest record is the fine obelisk, raised by
Usurtesen L, of the Twelfth Dynasty, before the time of
Abraham. We next read of the place in the history of
Joseph, who married Asenath, daughter of Potipherah,
priest of On (Gen. xli. 45, 50). The name, of which
that of Potiphar may be another form, is found in
Egyptian as Pet-p-ra, ' Belonging to Ra,' the Sun. It is
thus specially appropriate to a priest of On. Again in
the great papyrus of Ramses III., recording his dona-
tions to the temples of Egypt, those of Thebes, Memphis,
and Heliopolis hold the most prominent places. The
official inventory of the property of the temple is amazing,
and well deserves a special essay. Later, in the days of
the prophets, the splendour of the temples, adorned with
many obelisks, is hinted at in the prediction of Jeremiah,
that Nebuchadnezzar should break 'the pillars of Beth-
shemesh,' distinguished as the Egyptian city from the