ng the Gentile nations was appropriated to the God
of fire, and his [163]priests; but was assumed by other persons. Some of
the priests and princes among the Jews, after the return from captivity,
took the name of Hyrcanus. Orchan, and Orchanes among the Persic and Tartar
nations is very common at this [164]day; among whom the word Chan is ever
current for a prince or king. Hence we read of Mangu Chan, Cublai Chan,
Cingis Chan. Among some of these nations it is expressed Kon, Kong, and
King. Monsieur de Lisle, speaking of the Chinese, says, [165]Les noms de
King Che, ou Kong-Sse, signifient Cour de Prince en Chine. Can, ou Chan en
langue Tartare signifie Roi, ou Empereur.

PETAH.

Of this Amonian term of honour I have taken notice in a treatise before. I
have shewn, that it was to be found in many Egyptian [166]names, such as
Petiphra, Petiphera, Petisonius, Petosiris, Petarbemis, Petubastus the
Tanite, and Petesuccus, builder of the Labyrinth. Petes, called Peteos in
Homer, the father of Mnestheus, the Athenian, is of the same original:
[167][Greek: Ton gar Peten, ton patera Menestheos, tou strateusantos eis
Troian. phaneros Aiguption huparxanta ktl.] All the great officers of the
Babylonians and Persians took their names from some sacred title of the
Sun. Herodotus mentions [168]Petazithes Magus, and [169]Patiramphes: the
latter was charioteer to Xerxes in his expedition to Greece: but he was
denominated from another office; for he was brother to Smerdis, and a
Magus; which was a priest of the Sun. The term is sometimes subjoined, as
in Atropatia, a province in [170]Media; which was so named, as we learn
from Strabo, [171][Greek: apo tou Atropatou hegemonos.] In the accounts of
the Amazons likewise this word occurs. They are said to have been called
Aorpata, or, according to the common reading in Herodotus, Oiorpata; which
writer places them upon the Cimmerian Bosporus. [172][Greek: Tas de
Amazonas kaleousi Skuthai Oiorpata; dunatai de to ounoma touto kat' Hellada
glossan androktonoi Oior gar kaleousi ton andra, to de pata kteinein.] This
etymology is founded upon a notion that the Amazons were a community of
women, who killed every man, with whom they had any commerce, and yet
subsisted as a people for ages. I shall hereafter speak of the nations
under this title; for there were more than one: but all of one family; all
colonies from Egypt. The title above was given them from their worship: for
Oiorpata, or, as some