Book 2
41.6
From this town many go out, some to one town and some to another, to dig up the bones, which they then carry away and all bury in one place. As they bury the cattle, so do they all other beasts at death. Such is their ordinance respecting these also; for they, too, may not be killed.
42.1
All that have a temple of Zeus of Thebes [32.666,25.683] (deserted settlement), Qina, Upper Egypt, Egypt, Africa Thebes or are of the Theban district sacrifice goats, but will not touch sheep.
42.2
For no gods are worshipped by all Egyptians in common except Isis and Osiris, who they say is Dionysus; these are worshipped by all alike. Those who have a temple of Mendes Mendes, Greek form of Binded, a town in the Delta where Osiris was worshipped in the form of a ram, according to monuments. Here Mendes apparently = Osiris. or are of the Mendesian district sacrifice sheep, but will not touch goats.
42.3
The Thebans, and those who by the Theban example will not touch sheep, give the following reason for their ordinance:The Greeks identified with Heracles an Egyptian god Shu (called at Thebes [32.666,25.683] (deserted settlement), Qina, Upper Egypt, Egypt, Africa Thebes Chonsu-Neferhotep,Ἀγαθοδαίμων). they say that Heracles wanted very much to see Zeus and that Zeus did not want to be seen by him, but that finally, when Heracles prayed, Zeus contrived
42.4
to show himself displaying the head and wearing the fleece of a ram which he had flayed and beheaded. It is from this that the Egyptian images of Zeus have a ram's head; and in this, the Egyptians are imitated by the Ammonians, who are colonists from Egypt [30,27] (nation), Africa Egypt and Ethiopia [39,8] (nation), Africa Ethiopia and speak a language compounded of the tongues of both countries.
42.5
It was from this, I think, that the Ammonians got their name, too; for the Egyptians call Zeus “Amon”. The Thebans, then, consider rams sacred for this reason, and do not sacrifice them.
