discriminated all things according to their various kinds of
species," the same as was Muth of Egypt. Mai is said to mean
"one who begins to illuminate." She was in fact the mother of
the sun whence everything proceeds. She was matter, within which
was concealed spirit.

In the representations of Montfaucon appears the Goddess Isis
sitting on the lotus. Her head, upon which is a globe, is
surrounded by a radiant circle which evidently represents the
sun. On the reverse side is Ieu, the word "which is the usual
way of the ecclesiastical authors reading the Hebrew word
Jehovah." Referring to this from Montfaucon, Godfrey Higgins
observes: "Here Isis, whose veil no mortal shall ever draw aside,
the celestial Virgin of the Sphere, is seated on the
self-generating sacred lotus and is called Ieu or Jove."[32] She
has also the mystic number 608 which stands for the Deity. Her
breasts show plainly that it is a female representation, although
connected with the figure appears the male emblem to indicate
that within her are contained both elements, or that the universe
is embodied within the female.

[32] Anacalypsis, book v., ch. iv.


Higgins thinks there is no subject on which more mistakes have
been made than on that of the Goddess Isis, both by ancients and
moderns. He calls attention to the inconsistency of calling her
the moon when in many countries the moon is masculine. He is
quite positive that if Isis is the moon, Ceres, Proserpine,
Venus, and all the other female gods were the same, which in view