chose a
spot in an open plain; where they reared a Petra, or high place, by heaping
up a vast mound of earth. This they fashioned to a conical figure; and then
surrounded it with a wall of stone. In this manner they founded a kind of
temple in honour of Anait, Omanus, and Anandrates, the Deities of their
country. I have mentioned that the Egyptians had hills of this nature: and
from them the custom was transmitted to Greece. Typhon, or more properly
Tuphon, [Greek: Tuphon], who was supposed to have been a giant, was a
compound of Tuph-On, as I have before mentioned; and signified a sacred
[438]mount of the sun. Those cities in Egypt, which had a high place of
this sort, and rites in consequence of it, were styled Typhonian. Upon such
as these they sacrificed red haired men, or men with hair of a light
colour; in other words strangers. For both the sons of Chus, and the
Mizraim were particularly dark and woolly: so that there could be no surer
mark than the hair to distinguish between a native and a foreigner. These
sacrifices were offered in the city [439]Idithia, [440]Abaris,
[441]Heliopolis, and Taphosiris; which in consequence of these offerings
were denominated Typhonian cities. Many writers say, that these rites were
performed to Typhon at the [442]tomb of Osiris. Hence he was in later times
supposed to have been a person, one of immense size: and he was also
esteemed a [443]God. But this arose from the common mistake by which places
were substituted for the Deities there worshipped. Typhon was the Tupha, or
altar, the supposed tomb of the God: and the offerings were made to the
Sun, styled On; the same as Osiris, and Busiris. As there were Typhonian
mounts in many parts, he was in consequence of it supposed to have been
buried in different places: near mount Caucasus in Colchis; near the river
Orontes in Syria; and under lake Serbonis. Typhon, or rather Typhonian
worship, was not unknown in the region of [444]Troas, near which were the
Scopuli Typhonis. Plutarch mentions that in the Phrygian Theology Typhon
was esteemed the grandson of Isaac or Isaeac: and says that he was so spoken
of [Greek: en tois Phrugiois] [445][Greek: grammasin]. But all terms of
relation are to be disregarded. The purport of the history was this. The
altar was termed Tuphon Isiac, sive [Greek: Bomos Isiakos], from the sacra
Isiaca, which were performed upon it. The same Isaac or Isaeac was sometimes
rendered AEsacus, and supposed to have been