Histories

The men of the cities of Marea and Apis, in the part of Egypt [30,27] (nation), Africa Egypt bordering on Libya [17,25] (nation), AfricaLibya, believing themselves to be Libyans and not Egyptians, and disliking the injunction of the religious law that forbade them to eat cows' meat, sent to Ammon saying that they had no part of or lot with Egypt [30,27] (nation), Africa Egypt: for they lived (they said) outside the Delta and did not consent to the ways of its people, and they wished to be allowed to eat all foods.

But the god forbade them: all the land, he said, watered by the Nahr an- Nil [31.1,30.166] (river), AfricaNile in its course was Egypt [30,27] (nation), Africa Egypt, and all who lived lower down than the city Elephantine and drank the river's water were Egyptians. Such was the oracle given to them.

When the Nahr an- Nil [31.1,30.166] (river), AfricaNile is in flood, it overflows not only the Delta but also the lands called Libyan and Arabian, as far as two days' journey from either bank in places, and sometimes more than this, sometimes less. Concerning its nature, I could not learn anything either from the priests or from any others.