A pilgrimage to the temples and tombs of Egypt, Nubia, and ...

PAINTINGS. 363
with the Egyptians in the days of Osirtasen as
in the days of Mohammed Ali, contained in a
series of paintings setting forth the infliction
of that odious punishment in exactly the same
manner in use at this present time. The Arab
proverb of the stick being a gift sent from heaven
fen' the benefit of mankind^ dates I suppose from
"' the wisdom of the ancients.'^
There is one group of figures among the
paintings at Beni Hassan, which some scientific
travellers have supposed to represent Joseph's
brethren, from the peculiarity of the physiog-
nomy, and the difference of costume, as well as
of complexion, existing between them and the
representations of the natives. Now, if these
were indeed meant for those personages, may it
not be inferred that Joseph's body was originally
deposited in the tomb which contained these
pictures of his family ? We know from the Bible
that " Joseph died, being an hundred and ten
years old ; and they embalmed him, and he was
put in a coffin in Egypt :" and we know, also,
that when the Israelites left Egypt with Moses,
they carried the body of Joseph with them, in
accordance with the vow he had exacted from his
people, when he said to them,— " And ye shall
carry up my bones from hence." But those bones