ACIIMIAI, or EcIIMim, a considerable town in Upper Egypt, situated on the eastern bank ol the Nile. It was called by the ancients Chenim:s, or Chcmmo, and Pane jibs: its Coptic name is •S'inin. AbuReda describes Aehmini as a large town containing a tulip e, which niay be compared with the most celebrated monuments of antiquity, constructed of pcodigious stones, which are sculptured with innumerable i:1,tires. Tliougn still one of the finest towns in Upper 1.4.;.•pt, its extent is gicatly circumscribed, and its beauty much unpaired. When visited by AI. na.vary, the ruins of the temple were w ilhoht the coinpass of the town ; some of the stones mat been transferred into a mosque, where they ware placed Ivithout taste or regularity ; and others lay. 111 heaps ill the streets of Actimim. A kw still reinawied, NI hose size rendered them immoveable. Among tne figures with which they were covered, the most remark able Were four concentric circles inscrined in a square ; the innermost circle contained a figure of tne soil; of the two next, which were both divided into twelve parts, one exhibited twelve birds; the other, twelve animals almost effaced, apparently the sighs of the Zodiac ; the fourth, were represented twelve human figures, which M. Sayary, with much probabi.ity, supposed to have been the twelve gods, designed as emblems of the twelve months; for the Egyptians were the first who thus divided the year. The four seasons occupy the ;angles of the square; and a globe, with wings, is still discernible on its side. it is probable, that the temple was dedicated to tile Sun, and that the hieroglyphics on this stone represented his passage into the different signs of the Zodiac, and his annual revolution Ji the hea vens. They may be regarded as an unequivocal proof, that the Egyptians possessed, from the remotest antilui ty, a considerable knowledge of astronomy. At Acmnim, there is a I I °spice, or convent of Franciscans, established for the entertainment of the converts or persecuted Christians hi Nubia. South of the convent, at the dis tance of some hundred yards, there is a triumphal arch built by the emperor Nero, with the inscription flANI OED,. The streets of this town are wide and clean, and its police is well regulated ; but the air is tainted by a calish of stagnant water, and the inhabitants are yellow and un healthy. The women retain no marks of beauty after childhood ; at sixteen, they are beyond the age of mar riage; and Me Bruce saw several of them pregnant, were not eleven years old. Yet the men are neither smaller, nor less active and vigorous, than in other places. Achmim has extensive manufactures of cotton cloth, and pottery; and its crops, particularly of wheat, arc supe rior to any in Egypt. But the most remarkable object
in this place, is the serpent Haridi, which is the won der of all the surrounding country. It is now about a century since Scheick Haridi died here, and the Moho metans, who revered hint as a saint, erected a splendid monument to his memory. An artful priest, availing himself of the general veneration for Ilaridi's sanctity, pretended that his soul had passed into one of those in nocuous serpents, with which the Thebaid abounds. He rained it w ith great care ; taught it to perform innume rable tricks; and, confining it to the tomb of the saint it ri presented, undertook, with this sacred as sistant, to time cry species of disease. Crowds of pa tients resorted to it from all quarters; a few fortunate cures, effected by nature or imagination, established its credit; successive priests were intrusted with the charge of this 0 onderful serpent, and to the persuasion of its healing power, had soon the address to add the belief of its immortality. They cut it in pieces in presence of die t mir; put it into an urn, w here they allowed it to continue for two hours; and then produced a serpent, who n could not be distinguished Iron' the size or appearance, Such an 1)1.001 of its 0I VIllit) tit tesxaeits eStabilShed its thou to kll.Ordti011, and catty enhanctu the value of its fay ours. Wilco pro pitious to its supplicants, it appeared at the uottoni of the tomb; but soon became so shy, that it was seen only by those V.110 presented the richest offerings. In t•xtra ordinary cases, w hen its presence was indispensable to cure 01 a patent, a young- virgin !ilia to S011( it its aid. The damsel suffered the serpent to tv, i. e around her, and carried it in triumph to her Alit Led relation, whose recovery was now regarded as eel tain. Even the Christians acknowledge the power of the serpent liar: ; but they maintain, that it is the demon Asniodeus, who slew the seven husbands of Tobit's wife ; and that the angel Raphael, alter metainorpnosing him, conveyed him to Acilmim, where God allow s Min to perlfarm won ders for the purpose of deceiving the infidels. Accord ing to Al. Sava, y, this serpent is of the kind described by Ilcroclotus, which were held sacred by the ancient Egyptians. They were called ctr'atIo4 good grid, and were emblems of etzeph, the symbolical divinity which represented the Divine bounty. See Savory's Lettrcs cur P.Egynte, vol. ii. let. 6 ; and Bruce's Travels, vol. ii. p. 8, 8vo edit. E. Long. Si' 55'. N. Lat. 26' (k)