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35 If Herodotus was correct in regard to the dynasties of Egyptian Pharaohs, could he also have been right in regard to a "preceding time" when "Egypt had gods for its rulers"? Manetho. we find, had agreed with Herodotus also on that mat- ter. The dynasties of the Pharaohs, he wrote, were preceded by four other dynasties—two of gods, one of demigods, and a transi- tional dynasty. At first, he wrote, seven great gods reigned over Egypt for a total of 12,300 years: Ptah tuled Ra Shu ruled ruled Geb Osiris ruled ruled Scth ruled Horns ruled The second dynasty of gods, Manetho wrote, consisted of twelve divine rulers, the first of whom was the god Thoth; they reigned for 1,570 years. In all, he said, nineteen gods ruled for 13,870 years. Then there followed a dynasty of thirty demigods, who reigned for 3,650 years; in all, there were forty-nine divine and semidivine rulers over Egypt, reigning a total of 17,520 years. Then, for 350 years, there was no ruler over the whole of Egypt; it was a chaotic time, during which ten human rulers continued the kingship at This. Only thereafter did Men establish the first human dynasty of Pharaohs and built a new capital dedicated to the god Ptah—the "Vulcan" of Herodotus. A century and a half of archaeological discoveries and the deci- phering of the hieroglyphic writing have convinced scholars that the Pharaonic dynasties probably began in Egypt circa 3100 B.C.; indeed, under a ruler whose hieroglyph reads Men. He united Up- per and Lower Egypt and established his capital at a new city called Men-Nefer ("The Beauty of Men")—Memphis in Greek. His ac- cession to this throne of a united Egypt had indeed followed a cha- otic period of a disunited Egypt, as Manetho had stated. An inscription on an artifact known as the Palermo Stone has pre- served at least nine archaic names of kings who wore only the Red Crown of Lower Egypt and who ruled before Menes. Tombs and The Contending of Horus and Seth