ART. II. ACCOUNT OF A FAMINE and Pestilence In Egypt, IN THE YEARS 597 AND 598 OF THE HEGIRA, A. D. 1200, 1201.

Written in Arabic by Abd-allatif, an Arabian Physician of Bagdad. Translated

by the Editor.

INTRODUCTION.

At a time when our own country is visited with pestilence, it will not be uninteresting to trace the ravages which have been made by similar divine judgments, in other ages and in other climes. The plague of Athens, so vividly described by Thucydides, recurs spontaneously to the recollection of every reader of the classics; but the horrible famine and pestilence described in the following article, are less known to readers in general, and are more nearly connected with the history and scenes of the Bible. On these grounds, as illustrative of Scripture history, and as displaying the horrors of an oriental famine, I have supposed that this account, written by an eye-witness, would appropriately fall within the scope and plan of this journal.

Abd-allatif, or, as the name is also written, Abdollatiph, was born at Bagdad in the year of the Hegira 557, corresponding to A. D. 1161. After becoming master of all the learning, which the instructors of his native city could impart, in medicine, theology, and jurisprudence, he travelled and resided for many years in Mosul, Damascus, Jerusalem, and Egypt. At Cairo he remained a long time, enjoying the countenance and support of the famous Salah-eddin, or Saladin. After the death of this prince he returned to Jerusalem, and thence to Damascus; where he established himself as a physician and general scholar. He afterwards lived several years at Aleppo and in Asia Minor. Having undertaken the pilgrimage to Mecca, by way of Bagdad, he fell sick in the latter city, and died in the year 629, or A. D. 1231, at the age of seventy years. He was distinguished as a scholar and writer. He composed an extensive work on Egypt, compiled chiefly from other authors; with whose statements, however, he incorporated the results of his own personal observation. This latter portion, viz. the results of his own observation, he afterwards wrote out separately, as a compendium or abridgement of his larger work.

This compendium alone has become known to European Vol. II. No. 8.

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scholars; and that, only in a single manuscript, which was brought from the Levant by the celebrated Pococke. It is now deposited in the Bodleian library at Oxford; and is marked in Uri's Catalogue as No. 794 of Arabic manuscripts. The late Professor White undertook the publication of it, and completed an edition of the text in octavo; but not having satisfied himself, he determined to suppress it. He yielded, however, to the solicitations of Professor Paulus, who was then in England; and placed the whole of the edition at his disposal. By him it was published at Tübingen in 1789, under the title: Abdollatiphi Compendium Memorabilium Aegypti Arabice. Dr White continued his labours; and published an edition in quarto at Oxford in 1800, with a Latin version and notes, under the title: Abdollatiphi Historiae Aegypti Compendium, Arabice et Latine. But the most laborious and complete revision of this work and all that appertains to it, is that by De Sacy, in bis French version of it: Relation de l'Egypte, par Abd-allatif, 4to, Paris 1810; in which the extent and completeness of the notes and investigations leave nothing to be desired. The present article is taken from the second and third chapters of the second book; and is translated chiefly by the help of De Sacy's version. Some anatomical remarks have been omitted, as well as a few passages too horrible to be repeated. For the marginal notes the Editor alone is responsible, except where it is otherwise expressed.

The reader will not fail to be struck with the similarity between the Egyptian famine here described, and that recorded in the book of Genesis. Like that, this later one seems also to have extended in some degree into the adjacent countries. That the former was not accompanied by pestilence and by all the horrors here detailed, was doubtless owing to the interposition of Providence in raising up Joseph, and bringing him forward at the critical moment. In thus beholding the frightful evils from which the foresight of Joseph preserved the Egyp tian nation, we obtain a broader view and a deeper impression of his merits towards that people; while the truth and exactness of the Scripture history is strikingly illustrated. An illustration of a similar kind will be found in a subsequent note.

In reading this narrative we are also struck with the beneficial change, which the extension of navigation and commerce has wrought in the condition of the human race. About six hundred years ago, Egypt was almost depopulated by famine, and

by the pestilence which followed in its train; the inhabitants were dispersed to other countries; but no help came to them from abroad. At the present day it may safely be said, that such a famine could not occur in any part of the world. Egypt, in such circumstances, would now be flooded with supplies from Europe and America; and so every other country, to which commerce has penetrated. Would that Christians were but as ready and ardent to send the bread of life to the perishing nations! The objects of commercial enterprise, the products of human industry and skill, are found in every clime and among every people; but the word of God, and the preaching of that word, to how many hundred millions of our race have they never yet been presented!-EDITOR.

In this state of things, the year 597 announced itself as a monster, whose fury was about to destroy all the resources of life and all the means of subsistence. There was no longer any hope of an inundation of the Nile;† and in consequence the price of provisions already began to rise. The inhabitants foresaw an inevitable dearth; and the fear of famine excited among them tumultuous movements. The inhabitants of the villages and country withdrew into the principal cities of the provinces; while great numbers emigrated to Syria, to Mauritania, to the Hedjaz and Yemen ; where they were dispersed on every side, as formerly the descendants of Saba. Vast Commencing Oct. 1200.

It will be recollected that the fertility of Egypt is almost wholly dependent on the annual inundations of the Nile; since very little rain ever falls there.-ED.

Magreb, i. e. the West, the countries along the northern coast of Africa.

This is a proverbial expression, originating from the dispersion of the Sabeans, through the bursting of the dam near Mareb their capital, by which this city was overwhelmed. Mareb, the Mariaba of the Greeks, lies in the district Djof in Yemen, about 70 miles E. N. E. of Saná. In its vicinity there was in ancient times a large reservoir,

multitudes also sought refuge in the cities of Misr* and Cairo; where they experienced a terrible famine and a most frightful mortality. For as soon as the sun had entered the sign of Aries, the air became corrupted; pestilence and a mortal contagion began to shew themselves; and the poor, already pressed by the famine which increased continually, were driven to devour dogs, and the carcasses of animals and men, yea, even the excrements of both. They went farther, and began to feed on young children. It was no rare thing to surprise persons with infants already roasted or boiled. The commandant of the city caused those to be burned alive who committed this crime; as well as those who ate of such food.†

where the waters from six or seven streams were brought together and retained by a lofty dam; so that they sometimes rose to the height of twenty fathoms. The dam hung over the city like a mountain; and was so strong and broad, that houses were built upon it. By means of pipes and channels the water was carried not only to all the houses, but also distributed to the fields for the purposes of irrigation. But in consequence of a powerful flood, or, as others say, through the undermining of the dam by mice, the dam was broken down, and the whole city and all the neighbouring villages with their inhabitants were destroyed. This took place in the first century of our era, and is mentioned in the Koran, Sur. xxxiv. 15, 16. Niebuhr was informed that this reservoir was a long valley between two mountains, closed by a lofty dam; and that it was strictly a day's journey or about 25 miles distant from the city.-A similar calamity occurred in the Val de Bagnes in Switzerland in 1818, by the accidental damming up of the waters of the Dranse.-These Sabeans, inhabitants of Arabia, are doubtless those spoken of in Joel 3: 8. [4: 8. Heb.] and this their country is the Sheba of 1 K. 10: 1 sq. Is. 60: 6. Jer. 6: 20. etc. See Rosenmueller Bibl. Geogr. III. 175. Niebuhr Descript. of Arabia, p. 277 Germ. edit.—ED.

By Misr Abd-allatif always understands Misr-el-atik, or Fostat, improperly called by Europeans Old Cairo. It was the earliest city built by the Arabs in Egypt, and was called by them Fostat. As it increased and became the capital of the country, it took the appellation of Misr, which Memphis and all preceding capitals had borne. When Cairo became the capital, and so received the title Misr, Fostat was still called Misr-el-atik, or Misr the old. It lies on the east bank of the Nile, a short distance above Cairo; with which indeed it is almost joined. See Niebuhr's Travels Vol. I. p. 106 sq. and his plan of Cairo and the adjacent places.-Ed.

That this horrid practice was not unknown, and probably not uncommon, as an accompaniment of famine in the East, is apparent

I have myself seen an infant thus roasted, in a basket, which they were carrying to the commandant; and were conducting at the same time a man and woman, who were said to be the father and mother of that infant. The commandant condemned them to be burned alive.

When the the poor first began thus to eat human flesh, the horror and astonishment excited by a course so extraordinary, were so great, that these crimes were the general topic of conversation, and people could not exhaust themselves upon the subject; but afterwards they became so accustomed to it, and even conceived such a taste for this horrible food, that you might find persons, who made their ordinary repasts of it, ate it with relish, and even laid up a provision of it. They invented different modes of preparing this food; and the use of it being once introduced, spread throughout the provinces; so that there was no part of Egypt, where there were not examples of it. It no longer caused the least surprise; the horror which had been felt at first,

not only from a subsequent note, (p. 665 below,) but also from the following recital in 2 Kings 6: 24–30. "And it came to pass after this, that Ben-hadad king of Syria gathered all his host, and went up, and besieged Samaria. And there was a great famine in Samaria; and behold, they besieged it until an ass's head was sold for fourscore pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove's dung for five pieces of silver. And as the king of Israel was passing by upon the wall, there cried a woman unto him, saying, Help, my lord, O king. And he said, If the Lord do not help thee, whence shall I help thee? out of the barn-floor, or out of the wine-press? And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, This woman said unto me, Give thy son, that we may eat him to-day, and we will eat my son to-morrow. So we boiled my son, and did eat him and I said unto her on the next day, Give thy son, that we may eat him and she hath hid her son. And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he rent his clothes; and he passed by upon the wall, and the people looked, and behold, he had sackcloth within upon his flesh.”

Besides the general illustrations here presented, we may remark upon this narrative, that the Egyptian commandant seems to have acted with more decision than the Israelitish king; and that the statements of Abd-allatif, in the text above, shew that there is no necessity for understanding the ass's head and cab of dove's dung in any other than a literal sense; as many interpreters have attempted to do. The Hebrew text does not necessarily imply, that these articles were statedly sold at such prices; but simply that the famine was so great, that such instances were known to occur.-ED.