Histories

Herodotus

Herodotus. Godley, Alfred Denis, translator. Cambridge, MA; London: Harvard University Press; William Heinemann, Ltd., 1920-1925 (printing).

There is a place in Arabian Peninsula [45,25] (region (general)), AsiaArabia not far from the town of +Kawm al-Farain [30.733,31.2] (deserted settlement), Kafr ash-Shaykh, Lower Egypt, Egypt, Africa Buto where I went to learn about the winged serpents. When I arrived there, I saw innumerable bones and backbones of serpents: many heaps of backbones, great and small and even smaller.

This place, where the backbones lay scattered, is where a narrow mountain pass opens into a great plain, which adjoins the plain of Egypt [30,27] (nation), Africa Egypt.

Winged serpents are said to fly from Arabian Peninsula [45,25] (region (general)), AsiaArabia at the beginning of spring, making for Egypt [30,27] (nation), Africa Egypt; but the ibis birds encounter the invaders in this pass and kill them.

The Arabians say that the ibis is greatly honored by the Egyptians for this service, and the Egyptians give the same reason for honoring these birds.