On Isis and Osiris

from these. 3 On the ninth day of the first month, when every other Egyptian eats a roasted fish before their own front door, the priests do not taste them, but burn the fish before their doors. They have two reasons for this, one of which—the sacred and esoteric one—I will take up again later, as it is in harmony with the holy philosophical teachings concerning Osiris and Typhon. The manifest and obvious reason, showing the fish to be a neither necessary nor elaborate food, 4 supports Homer, who represents neither the luxurious Phaeacians, nor the Ithacan islanders, nor even the companions of Odysseus—despite being in such great difficulty at sea—as using fish until they had come to the last

Commentary notes:
3. "First month." Query: whether the name of an Egyptian month lies hidden under the word "first"? Markland.
4. "Showing to be." Other editions all present "to show," which cannot stand here if the construction is to be saved. The manuscript shows "shows," which is no better. Our correction has the approval of Baxter and Markland.
5. "They consider it limited." I have decided that the "and" (kai), which is idle and arises from the last syllable of the preceding word, should be deleted.
6. "Nor a part." It is necessary to add "of the earth" after these words, or at least understand it in the mind. That the Egyptians...
Note: The Latin continues to explain that the Egyptian priests' avoidance of fish was a sign of religious purity and that this practice was not unique to them, as seen in the customs of the Syrians and even some Greeks.