narrow in comparison of their
length; hence among the Greeks, who copied from the Egyptians, every thing
gradually tapering to a point was styled Obelos, and Obeliscus. Ophel
(Oph-El) was a name of the same purport: and I have shewn, that many sacred
mounds, or Tapha, were thus denominated from the serpent Deity, to whom
they were sacred.

Sanchoniathon makes mention of an history, which he once wrote upon the
worship of the serpent. The title of this work, according to Eusebius was,
[477]Ethothion, or Ethothia. Another treatise upon the same subject was
written by Pherecydes Syrus, which was probably a copy of the former; for
he is said to have composed it, [478][Greek: para Phoinikon labon tas
aphormas], _from some previous accounts of the Phenicians_. The title of
his book was the Theology of Ophion, styled Ophioneus; and of his
worshippers, called Ophionidae. Thoth, and Athoth, were certainly titles of
the Deity in the Gentile world: and the book of Sanchoniathon might very
possibly have been from hence named Ethothion, or more truly Athothion. But
from the subject, upon which it was written, as well as from the treatise
of Pherecydes, I should think, that Athothion, or Ethothion, was a mistake
for Ath-ophion, a title which more immediately related to that worship, of
which the writer treated. _Ath_ was a sacred title, as I have shewn: and I
imagine, that this dissertation did not barely relate to the serpentine
Deity; but contained accounts of his votaries, the Ophitae, the principal of
which were the sons of Chus. The worship of the Serpent began among them;
and they were from thence denominated Ethopians, and Aithopians, which the
Greeks rendered [Greek: Aithiopes]. It was a name, which they did not
receive from their complexion, as has been commonly surmised; for the
branch of Phut, and the Lubim, were probably of a deeper die: but they were
so called from Ath-Ope, and Ath-Opis, the God which they worshipped. This
may be proved from Pliny. He says that the country AEthiopia (and
consequently the people) had the name of AEthiop from a personage who was a
Deity--ab [479]AEthiope Vulcani filio. The AEthiopes brought these rites into
Greece: and called the island, where they first established them,
[480]Ellopia, Solis Serpentis insula. It was the same as Euboea, a name of
the like purport; in which island was a region named AEthiopium. Euboea is
properly Oub-Aia; and signifies the Serpent Island. The same worship
pr