Dr Pococke [1] says, that the situation of Memphis was at Mohannan, or Metrahenny, because Pliny says the [2] Pyramids were between Memphis and the Delta, as they certainly are, if Dr Pococke is right as to the situation of Memphis.
Dr Shaw does not undertake to answer this direct evidence, but thinks to avoid its force by alledging a contrary sentiment of the same Pliny, "that the Pyramids [3] lay between Memphis and the Arsinoite nome, and consequently, as Dr Shaw thinks, they must be to the westward of Memphis."
Memphis, if situated at Metrahenny, was in the middle of the Pyramids, three of them to the N.W. and above three-score of them to the south.
When Pliny said that the Pyramids were between Memphis and the Delta, he meant the three large Pyramids, commonly called the Pyramids of Geeza.
But in the last instance, when he spoke of the Pyramids of Saccara, or that great multitude of Pyramids southward, he said they were between Memphis and the Arsinoite nome; and so they are, placing Memphis at Metrahenny.
For Ptolemy gives Memphis 29° 50′ in latitude, and the Arsinoite nome 29° 30′ and there is 8′ of longitude betwixt them. Therefore, the Arsinoite nome cannot be to the west, either of Geeza or Metrahenny; the Memphitic nome ex-tends
