Explorations in Bible lands during the 19th century - H. V. Hilprecht

DURING 19 CENTURY: EGYPT 647
Fund deserve to be mentioned. The one which is now
called Tell Nebeshe comprises what was called by the
Egyptians Erment, the capital of the nineteenth district
(nomos) of Lower Egypt, and is possibly Buto, mentioned
by Herodotus (2:75) as lying on the Arabian frontier.
Far more important than the two little sanctuaries, one of
which was built by Rameses II., the other by King Amasis,
is the great cemetery, in which tombs of the New Empire
and of the Saitic times have been discovered. Among the
latter were found besides pure Egyptian burials also some
Greek
which
full
tombs,
were
of Cypriote
vases
weapons.
and
Petrie
has assumed,
and
probably quite
rightly,
that
they belong to
the Greek
mercenaries,
who entered
the Egyptian Sphinx from Pithom
service in large
numbers about the sixth century before Christ, and who
were stationed by Amasis on the eastern borders of his
kingdom.
Tell Defne, which is situated to the east of the Pelusic
branch of the Nile, takes us back to about the same period.
Here were discovered the remains of a fortress surrounded
by a large strong wall, which was built by Psemtek I., and
remains of buildings in which were found quantities of Greek
potsherds and weapons.
Probably we have here to do with
the camp which, according to Herodotus, was occupied by