From the Author:-Inscriptions Cunéiformes Nouvellement Découvertes en Chaldée. By J. Oppert. 8vo. Leide.. 1885.

Tiré du Vol. II des Travaux de la 6° session du Congrès International des Orientalistes à Leide.

From the Editor :-The American Journal of Archæology and of the Fine Arts. 8vo. October, 1885. Baltimore.

The following Candidates were nominated for election at the next meeting, on 6th April, 1886

Rev. James George Kitchin, 4, Heathfield Gardens, Hampstead, N.W.

Rev. William L. Lawson, Abinger House, Abbey Road, N.W.

Mr. E. A. W. Budge read a Memoir of the late Dr. Birch, by P. Le Page Renouf and E. A. W. Budge, with Notes on his Chinese Studies by Professor Douglas.

The Secretary read a Paper by M. E. Lefébure, entitled "Le Cham et l'Adam égyptiens."

Remarks were added by Rev. A. Löwy, Mr. F. D. Mocatta, Mr. E. A. W. Budge, and the Secretary.

A description of the Apocalypse of Abraham was read by Dr. Gaster.

Ceasing of prophecy.-Symbolical visions.-Book of Daniel; model for the apocalyptical literature.-Why called apocalyptic?Its peculiar obscure character.-Its heavenly contents.

Apocalyptical literature, also nameless, but ascribed to venerated personages.—Also to the patriarchs.—Hence its great authority.

The part taken by the heretical sects.-The use made by them of the apocalyptical literature.--Incidents changed, or legends invented. Persecution by the ruling church.-Consequences of it.—Parts of this literature destroyed.

Various legends missing.-Amongst others the Apocalypse of Abraham.-Its surviving until the present day in the Slavonic and

Roumanian languages. Its discovery by Dr. Gaster.--The relation between these two versions.-Fragments of it in both languages.

Its probable Greek origin.-Historical and linguistic proofs.—Its identity with the old text, missing until now.

Parallels to this text in the corresponding Jewish and other apocalyptic literature.

Similarity of the first part (Apocalypse) to the apocryphal apocalypse of St. Paul, especially to its Oriental version.—Similarity of the second part (death of Abraham) to the legends relating to the death of Moses.

Text of the Apocalypse in a literal translation.

Remarks were added by Rev. A. Löwy, Dr. Adler, P. R. Reed, and the Chairman. Thanks were returned for these communications.

The following Communication has been received from E. A. Wallis Budge, M.A.:

THE MUMMY AND COFFIN OF NES-ÅMES, PROPHET OF

AMES AND CHONSU.

The mummy and coffin of Nes-Åmes were bought at Luxor by W. H. Ingram, Esq., when he was returning with the late expedition from the Soudan. They were recently brought to London and deposited at the office of the Illustrated London News, where, through the courtesy of the owner, I was allowed to see them and copy the inscription.

The head of the mummy is entirely severed from the body, owing to the shaking which the box received on its road home. The appearance of the inside of the break is regular, and of a blackish-brown; the whole mummy was steeped in bitumen, and was wrapped in a thin pinkish-brown linen covering, fragments of which still remain. The head of the mummy was enclosed in a richly-painted cartonage with a gilded face, which has since been presented to the British Museum by C. Ingram Esq.; and a small hæmatite scarabæus and a richly-painted pectoral were found inside the coffin. The wooden coffin which held the mummy is 6 feet 1 inch long, and 21 inches in width across the shoulders. The face and ears are gilded, and the eyebrows and lids are made of blue glass inlaid. At the head is a winged scarabæus holding a signet in its hind legs; its wings bend round, and falling by the sides of the face form the upper part of the head-dress. The feathers are coloured dark red,

dark blue, green, black, and yellow. Around the neck, and falling on the breast, is a necklace, to which is attached a breast-plate containing ten rows of ornaments, consisting of pendants, lotus flowers, and fleurettes; each side of the breast-plate terminates in the head. of a hawk wearing a disk and uræus. Beneath the breast-plate is a figure of Nut or heaven holding, the feather in each hand. In the first division beneath the figure of Nut to the right is a figure of the ram of Åmen, wearing disk, feathers, and horns, and standing upon a stand; while behind him is the emblem of the West representation is repeated on the left, only the sign stands instead of. The rams face each other, and over each is

This

In the second division the centre part is taken up by a picture of the soul visiting the mummy of the deceased, which lies upon a bier facing to the right; underneath the bier are four jars, whose covers are made in the shape of the heads of the four genii of the dead. To the right stand Nephthys, Hapi, and Tuamutef, and to the left Isis and Kabhsenuf; each addresses the deceased, and informs him that she or he "makes protection," f, for him. In the third division is an inscription of fifteen horizontal lines, giving the name of the deceased and his pedigree, etc. On the right side stand the three gods Tmu, xepera, and Osiris, and on the left Harmachis, Seb, and Horus; they each hold a whip, and “make protection" for the Osiris or deceased. On the slanting part, at the foot of the coffin, are two figures of Anubis on a sepulchre; and underneath, the mummy is represented lying on the back of a bull. The spaces in the several divisions are occupied with short inscriptions containing the usual formulæ, and prayers that all good things may be given to the deceased. The genealogy of the deceased is given by the inscription on the front of the coffin thus: :

From this we learn that the deceased Nes-Åmes held the dignity ofs-uteb, and was second prophet of Ames, and prophet of Chonsu; his mother was sistrum bearer of Ames, and for five generations back his ancestors had held the same priestly dignity as

The coffin was found at Akhmim, the ancient, the

capital of the Panoplite nome, and belongs probably to the third century before Christ.

The next Meeting of the Society will be held at 9, Conduit Street, Hanover Square, W., on Tuesday, 6th April, 1886, at 8 p.m., when the following Papers will be read:

I.-P. LE PAGE RENOUF:-"The Myth of Osiris Unnefer." II. Dr. S. LOUIS :-"Ancient Traditions of Supernatural Voices." (Bath-Kol.)

The following Presents were announced, and thanks ordered to be returned to the Donors :

From the Royal Society: - The Proceedings.
No. 241. December, 1885. 8vo. London.

Vol. XXXIX.

From the Society of Antiquaries :-The Proceedings. November 27, 1884, to July 2, 1885. Second Series, Vol. X, No. 3. 8vo. London. 1886.

From the Royal Institute of British Architects:-The Journal of Proceedings. Vol. II, New Series.

[Special Number].

No. 9. Supplement

No. 12. 1st April. 4to. London.

From the Royal Geographical Society: -The Proceedings. Vol. VIII. March. No. 3 and No. 4. April, 1886. 8vo. From the Northern Society of Antiquaries :-Aarboger, 1886. II Række, I Bind, I Hefte. 8vo. Copenhagen.

8vo.

From the Editor :-The American Journal of Philology. Edited by Basil L. Gildersleve. Vol. VI, 4. Whole No. 24. Baltimore. 1885.