CHAPTER XI.

PYRAMIDS-SPHINX— TOMBS.
HEN first I visited the Pyramids of Egypt it was a far more ifficult task than to-day, as then we had to cross the river Nile in row boats, and on arriving upon the west bank, hire donkeys and ride through the fields to the Pyramids and Sphinx, pestered at every step by the fellaheen, boys and girls, running along beside us, begging and shouting loudly for baksheesh ; but now there is a ver}^ nice route that will take you direct to the Pyramids, lying along a very fine macada- mized road, shaded with beautiful accacia or lebek trees leading directly to the foot of the Great Pyramid. You may take your choice of either a carriage or a donkey with which to make the trip from Cairo to the monuments and back. Should you choose the former, the charges will be about five dollars, and will take about one hour and a half to go and the same time to return. If you should start from the city with a carriage in the early morning, you would be enabled to devote the middle of the day to an examination of the Pyramids, Sphinx and other objects of interest in the immediate vicinity and return to Cairo in time for dinner in the evening ; but, of course, your time would be very limited. Should you decide on a donkey for the trip, the expense would be about a dollar and a half a day and the difference in time will be fully half an hour longer going and coming, than it would be travelling with a carriage. There are a great many people constantly visiting these stupendous specimens of ancient Egyptian Architecture and sculpture, who, after devoting a couple of hours to the examination of the celebrated Pyra- mids, come away with the impression that they know all about them. No greater mistake than this could be made, as it would be utterly impossible for any one, in so short a time, to realize the wonderful proportions and stupendous magnitude of the stones with which they are built, until they have thoroughly examined them in all their parts ; both the exterior
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and interior of their geometrical proportions and astronomical position, then, and then only, can they say "/ know the Pyramids.'''' In order to reach these celebrated fabrics, we cross the river from Cairo by the Kasr- el-Nil bridge, which will lead ns on to the very fine road referred to above, constructed by his Highness, the Khedive, for the express purpose of accomodating the immense throngs continually visiting these cele- brated Pyramids, Sphinx, etc., in the plains of Gizeh.
These wonderful monuments, which I am about to describe, occupy a site about eight or nine miles from the city of Cairo. After crossing the river Nile over the large iron bridge, we continue on and cross its western branch b}' a much smaller one, and then turning to the left enter the beautiful avenue shaded with accacias which leads us to the plains of Gizeh, and to these immense relics of ancient Egyptian Architecture. The view, as we ride along, is simply magnificent, the green fields of waving corn, clover, etc.. presenting quite a contrast to the barren hills and desert sands which bound our horizon, while the pyramids them- selves appear like huge mountains, rising into the clear blue sky above. It is not until we stand beneath their very shadow, looking upward along the gigantic steps leading to the apex, or summit, that we are enabled to full}^ realize 'their stupendous magnitude. Then their clear, sharply defined outlines disappear and their immense proportions break in upon our senses, filling vis with awe, admiration and amazement, for these wonderful monuments of a prehistoric age, now lying before us in all their rugged sublimity and grandeur. Even here the eye can hardly embrace them, nor the mind fully comprehend their gigantic proportions, and we stand bewildered, as it were, before one of the " Wonders of the World." An immense number of stones have been used in building the Great Pyramid weighing over thirty tons, each of which contain hun- dreds of cubic feet. In our ascent up its rough and rugged sides we could form no idea of the time, power, or force used, to quarry, carry across the desert sands, and place in position, such enormous blocks of stone, nor the machinery or number of men required in its construction.
The Pyramids of Gizeh occupy a rocky plateau considerably higher than the flooding waters of the river Nile, and the}' are built with their sides facing the four cardinal points of the universe. TJie first or Great Pyramid is known as Khufu or Cheops. TJic second Khafra and
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The thii'd is called the Pyramid of Men-kau-Ra. Some Greek writers claimed that this pyramid was built for a tomb, wherein was placed the celebrated courtezan Rhedopis^ being built for her, while others state that it was erected for Nitokris\ but the discover}', by Col. H. Vyse, of a wooden mummy case bearing upon it the cartouce of King Men-kau-Ra, proves that he was the founder of this monument, and that it was erected for him. There is a story connected with this pyramid, which very much resembles our modern tale of Cinderella, for Strabo tells us that : " While Rhodopis was bathing, an eagle carried off one of her shoes, carried it to Memphis, and dropped it into the lap of the King, who was then sitting on the judgment seat. The king, admiring the neatness of the shoe, and surprised at the strangeness of the occurrence, sent out messengers to search for the owner of the shoe. She was fouud at Naucratis and brought to the king, who made her his wife and on her death erected the third pyramid to her memory." There are several smaller pyramids and a great many tombs and mummy pits of great interest, quite close to the greater pyramids and Sphinx and the Granite Teviple^ discovered by Mariette Bey in 1853. Campbell's Tomb was discovered by Col. H. Vyse, in 1837, during his exploring excavations, and he named it after the British Consul-General who filled that office at the time. Here we find numberless tombs and an immense quantity of buried tombs and mastabas of the early empire scattered promiscuously around, demon- strating that we are wandering through an ancient city of the dead. The great Pyramids stand about five miles from the river Nile, and the}' are just as much a problem to the human race to-da}' as they were in the days of Herodotus, who visited these celebrated monuments of the ancient Eg3'ptians, and informs us that according to his judgment, the labor required to prepare for the construction of these wonderful fabrics was not less than that required to build the pyramids themselves.
The largest of the group (Cheops) is seven hundred and sixty-four feet at the base and covers thirteen acres of ground. It has a perpen- dicular height of four hundred and fifty feet, with about two hundred and six steps, varying from five feet to eighteen inches, which will bring you to its summit, a flat surface of about forty feet square, from which point a very fine view of the surrounding country may be obtained. Various writers give different dates for the founding of this wonder of the
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world, C/ieops, and Wilkinson places its origin B. c. 2123. The best place to make the ascent is near the northeast angle, as there the stones are in a better condition for climbing, as on the other faces the stones have been broken and displaced, no doubt by the Caliphs, when they tried to destroy them. The steps are about two feet wide, and are all right for making the ascent ; but coming down one does not seem to have sufficient foot room ; but there is really no danger, if you trust yourself to the attendants, who are quite strong and very careful of those under their care.
It was quite a long time before an entrance to the pyramid was discovered, and it was not until the Caliphs had finally established themselves at. Cairo that the entrance was actually known. The Caliphs undertook to force a passage, by quarrying towards the centre, through the solid masonry, when, after reaching a distance of about one hundred feet, the workmen heard a noise like the sound of falling stones, which demonstrated an approach to some chamber or passage, and on con- tinuing their work in the direction of the sounds, about fifteen feet to the left, they came across the original passage, made by the craftsmen, leading to the two interior chambers. They then returned b}^ this discovered passage, clearing away the stones, etc., which had fallen into it during their tunneling. They traversed this passage until the original entrance was found, which formed a pointed arch or pediment on the North side of the pyramid, a little to one side of its centre, and about forty-five feet from the ground. This entrance is three feet eleven inches high, by three feet five inches wide, while the passage-way to the interior descends at an angle of 26° 41' for a dis- tance of three hundred and forty feet, in a perfectly straight line, where it falls upon a horizontal passage of smaller dimensions, about thirty feet in length, terminating in a sepulchral chamber nearly a hundred feet below the base of the pyramid, which is forty feet long by twenty-seven wide and a little over eleven feet in height, ^ though never completed, being left in the rough. From the southern side there is a very narrow passage extending fully fift}^ feet farther on, where it dies in the solid rock beyond. Col. H. Vyse, in his exploration of this chamber, sunk a shaft beneath it to a considerable depth, in the hopes of making some new discoveries, but was disappointed in his expectations.
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At a distance of sixty-three feet from the entrance, down the incline already described, we find a very large block of granite, which closed the entrance leading to the chamber above. The exploring work- men were unable to remove this stone, so they quarried around it to the right (which road we took), and passing over some very rough steps we continued along the inclined passage that is blocked, until we arrived at what is known as the Gi'cat Gallery^ a distance of about one hundred and thirty feet, at an angle of 26° 18' at this point, when a horizontal passage leads us to the " Queen's Chamber," but just before we enter it we have to descend one step.
This chamber is eighteen feet long, sixteen feet wide and twenty feet high in the centre, having a pediment roof, the stones of which are carried quite a distance into the solid masonry, in order to strengthen the roof. We noticed that the stones forming the sides of this chamber fitted so closel}' that it was difficult to discover their joints. This apartment is located directly under the centre of the apex of the p3-ramid and distant from it three hundred and seventy-three feet, or four hundred and seventy from the original summit, before it had been disturbed by the vandal hands of the Caliphs. On each side of this chamber are small holes, for ventilating purposes, and on the East side near the entrance is a recess formed by projecting stones, one above the other, the object of which has never been understood. Nothing was ever found in this apartment, and if anything had been concealed here, so far it has not been discovered.
Now let us return to the junction of the Great Gallery and the horizontal passage, where we shall find a well or inclined shaft two feet four inches square, and one hundred and ninet3'-one feet in depth, reach- ing down to the inclined passage, not far from the sepulchral chamber already described. It was, no doubt, used as a means ,of communication between the upper chambers and the sepulchral chamber after the pas- sage had been closed by the block of granite previously described.
One can readily pass through it by means of the projections, which no doubt were made for this purpose. Right here w^here the horizontal passage leads to the Queen's Chamber is the Great Gallery^ one hundred and fifty feet six inches long, twenty-eight feet high and seven feet wide above the vamp or seat, which extends along both sides of the gallery,
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being two feet high and projecting from the face of the sides nineteen inches, thus leaving a passage three feet ten inches in the clear. Over- head the projecting stones give this gallery the appearance of being arched, on account of the eight courses of stone laid in the side walls, approaching each other in every course. At the end of the Great Gallery we step or crawl upon a narrow horizontal passage way, twenty- two feet long, by three feet eight inches high at the beginning, but widening before reaching the end into a vestibule or ante-chamber to the principal apartment of this pyramid, the King's Chamber^ the dimensions of which are thirtj^-four feet long from East to West, with sides from North to South seventeen feet wide, and its height is nineteen feet.
It is not situated exactly under the apex, but a little to the south- eastward of it. The roof is flat and ceiled with immense granite slabs two feet wide and eighteen feet six inches long, whose ends are supported by the lateral walls. Within this chamber to-day, mutilated and una- dorned, lies the lidless and empty sarcophagus, without name or carving. It is made of beautiful red granite, like the blocks which form the sides of the chamber itself, the joints demonstrating the knowledge and skill of the craftsmen, as they are fitted together so closely and with such perfect exactness that to insert the blade of a penknife between them would be impossible. What an immense amount of time and labor must the polishing of the stones which form the chamber and passages have entailed !
In the side walls of this chamber are tubular holes about three feet from the floor, which, when traced to their outlet, prove to be purely for ventilation. There are four or five rooms, or entresols, above the King's Chamber ; but these are of very much smaller dimensions, being evidently made for the purpose of lessening the tremendous pressure from above upon its flat roof, thus testifying to the knowledge of archi- tecture by the practical operative craftsmen of those days, and proving beyond the shadow of a doubt, as I have before stated, that they had a far greater knowledge of the mechanical arts and sciences than we possess to-day.
Before leaving the pyramids I desire to tell you of a rather amusing incident related in the autobiography of Sir W. Siemens. One day, with some companions, he was standing upon the summit of the Great Pyra-
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mid {Cheops) when " an Arab called his attention to the fact, that when he raised his hand, with fingers outspread, an acute singing note was heard, the sound ceasing as soon as he let his hand fall " " I found his assertion," he writes, '' to be true. As soon as I raised one of my fin- gers above ray head I felt a prickling in the fingers. That this could only be caused by an electrical phenomenon was proved by the slight electric shock, felt on trying to drink out of a wine bottle. So I wrapped a full bottle of wine that I had with me in damp paper, and thus con- verting it into a Leyden-bottle which was soon strongly charged with electricity by the simple device of holding it above my head. The Arabs had already become distrustful, on seeing small lightnings, as it w^ere, issue from the wine bottles held up by myself and companions, and who now held a brief consultation. Suddenly at a given signal each of my companions were seized by the guide who had led him up, and now tried to force him to go down again. I myself was standing at the very top of the pyramid when the sheik of the Arabs came to me and told me, through my interpreter, that the Arabs had determined that we were at once to leave the pyramid, because we were practicing magic and it might damage their chance of making a living. On my refusing to obey this order, the sheik caught hold of my left hand. I had awaited this move- ment and held up m}- right hand with the bottle, in the attitude of a magician, afterwards lowering it slo\vl\' towards the point of the Sheik's nose. When quite close to that feature, I felt a violent shock run through the bottle to m}' own arm and was certain that the sheik must have re- ceived the equivalent. At any rate he fell senseless on the stones and a few anxious moments passed before he rose suddenl}- with a loud cry and sprang down the gigantic steps of the p3'ramid, with long strides. The Arabs, seeing this, and excited by the sheiks constant cries of magic ! magic ! released my companions and followed their leader, leaving us complete masters of the pyramids."
About six hundred 3'ards to the southeast of the Great Pyramid^ crouches the Sphinx, vainly endeavoring to arise from out the drifting sands of the desert, one of the most remarkable objects to be seen in the vicinity of the Pyramids. The age of this monolithic carving is un- known, as very little of the history of this fabulous monster has been handed down to us, for the simple reason that none of the ancient Greek
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authors funiisli any account of it, and the Romans but very little and that unreliable. It is a positive fact that many people may now be found who actually believe that the Pyramids could not have been in existence when Moses led the Israelites from out the " Land of Egypt," and out of the " House of Bondage," simply because the Bible gives no account of them. It is the same with the history of the Sphinx, because no mention is made by ancient writers regarding this extraordinary monster it can have no claim to antiquity, and according to Roman historians, is simply of modern origin compared to the tombs and temples which sur- round it. In fact, Pliny tells us that, during his time, the Romans believed it to be the tomb of Amasis, one of the last kings of the XXVI Dynasty. Not many years ago, according to the investigations of some of our Egyptologists, it was believed to have been created by some one of the Kings of the Middle Empire. But it was not until the Stele was discov- ered by Mariette Bey, bearing upon its stony face a record of certain re- pairs made within the temple of the Sphinx by Thothmes IV, B. c. 1533, that its creation was positively known as due to one of the Kings of the Ancient Empire.
The record upon the Stele is as follows : " The living Horns, the King of Upper and Lower Egj^pt, Khufu, during his lifetime, had cleaned out the Temple of Isis, ruler of the Pyramid, which is situated at the spot where is the Sphinx, on the north-east side of the Temple of Osiris, Lord of Rostau. He had build his P3'ramid where the Temple of this goddess is." There is a great deal more upon this stone that Mariette dis- covered, as well as other discoveries made b}^ him, going to prove that the Sphinx must have existed during the reign of Khufu, or Cheops. Mariette says that : " Around this imposing relic of antiquity, whose origin is wrapped in mysterj', a number of legends and superstitions have clustered in all ages ; but Egyptology has shown, Jirsf, that it was a colossal image of Ra-Harmachis, and therefore of his human representa- tive on earth, the King of Egypt, who had it hewn, and second^ that it was in existence in the time of, and was probably repaired b}^, Cheops or Chephren, who had lived about b. c. 3700." Thothmes IV. placed a stone tablet fully fourteen feet high between the paws of this monolithic monster, whereon was inscribed an account of a vision he had seen during an after-dinner nap. There is also an account of the works and repairs
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done by him at the cities of Heliopolis and Memphis, etc. The Sphinx is carved out of solid rock, and where the rock was too small or hollow to follow the lines of the body, these places were filled with sandstone. The length of this monster is one hundred and forty feet ; its extreme height, from the crown of the head to the pavement below, between its paws is nearly seventy feet ; its extended paws are fifty feet ; from the point of the chin to the top of the head is very nearly thirty feet ; the width of the face is fourteen feet, and the mouth is seven feet long. It has been frightfully mutilated ; but, notwithstanding this fact, one can, when standing in a proper position, still see a calm, peaceful expression upon its face, looking to the East, as it did when the rocky plateau above it reverberated with the sounds made by the craftsman who built the Pyramids in the ancient days of Pharaonic history.
Kenrick, in his "Ancient Egypt," says. Vol. I, page 115: "The design of carving a rock which broke the view of the Pyramids into a gigantic Sphinx was worthy of the grandeur of Egyptian conceptions in Architecture and Sculpture. It was probably the work of the same age as the Pyramids themselves. A Sphinx is the representative of the monarch whose name it bears ; and as the name of Cliafre (Chephren) is found upon the tablet before mentioned, it is natural to suppose that it was fashioned in his honor. (An opinion in which I do not concur.) The Greek mytholog}' has accustomed us to speak of the Sphinx as a female, and the artists who carved, in the Roman times, those figures of Sphinxes from which antiquarians derived their first ideas of Egyptian antiquities, sometimes represented them as female. But in the genuine works of Pharaonic times, it is most rare to meet with a female Sphinx ; and in these exceptional cases a female sovereign is represented, as in the Sphinx of the Museum at Turin, published by Champollion, in his letter to the Duke de Blacas. The junction of the human head, with the body of a lion, denotes the combination of sagacity with strength required in the administration of a King."
Before closing this article on the Sphinx I desire to quote you from Bacon's " Essays XXVIII," " Sphinx or Science," to demonstrate the grandeur of Symbolism, but more especially in the relation to the Sphinx. It demonstrates the necessity of a depth of profound thought and study, in order to obtain a knowledge of such a beautiful solution to this ancient
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symbol, lu our glorious Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Masonry- there are vast numbers of symbols, sublimely grand, which we shall be unable to realize or understand unless we devote time and most profound attention to a study of the beauties that lie imbedded wdthin them. Not until we commence to stud}^, in regular systematic order, the symbols in the various degrees of our most illustrious fraternity, from the 4° to the 32° inclusive, shall we begin to realize the sublimity and grandeur con- tained within them, and comprehend the " Lost ivord^^^ understand the true meaning of The Building of the Temple^ solve The Mystery of the Balance and find the key to the Royal Secret, by which the veil will be reft asunder and all the glories of our beloved Fraternity opened to our view and understanding.
Bacon says: "They relate that Sphinx was a monster, variously formed, having the face and voice of a virgin, the wings of a bird, and the talons of a griflSn. She resided on the top of a mountain, near the city of Thebes, and also beset the highways. Her manner was to lie in ambush and seize the travellers, and having them in her power to propose to them certain dark and perplexing riddles, which it was thought she received from the Muses, and if the wretched captives could not solve and inter- pret these riddles she, with great cruelty, fell upon them in their hesita- tion and tore them to pieces. This plague, having reigned a long time, the Thebans at length offered their kingdom to the man who could inter- pret her riddles, there being no other way to subdue her. ^dipus, a penetrating and prudent man, though lame in his feet, excited by so great a reward, accepted the conditions, and with a good assurance of mind, cheerfully presented himself before the monster, who directly asked him : ' What creature that was, which being born four-footed, afterward became two-footed, then three-footed, and lastly four-footed again ? ' ^dipus, with presence of mind, replied : ' It was man, who, upon his first birth, and in infant state, crawled upon all fours in endeavoring to walk, but not long after went upright upon its two natural feet ; again, in old age walked three-footed with a stick ; and at last growing decrepit, lay four-footed confined to his bed ; ' and having by his exact solution obtained the victory, he slew the monster, and laying the carcass upon an Ass, led her away in triumph, and upon this he was, according to the agreement, made king of Thebes."
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Explanation. — This is an interesting, instructive fable, and seems invented to represent Science, especiall}^ as joined witli practice. For science may, without absurdit}', be called a monster, being strangely- gazed at and admired bj^ the ignorant and unskillful. Her figure and form is various, b}^ reason of the vast variety of subjects that science considers ; her voice and countenance are represented female, b}- reason of her gay appearance and volubility of speech ; wings are added because the sciences and their inventions run and fly about in a moment, for knowledge, like light, communicated from one torch to another, is pres- entl}' caught and copiously diffused ; sharp and hooked talons are elegantl3r attributed to her because the axioms and arguments of science enter the mind, lay hold of it, fix it down, and keep it from moving or slipping awa}'.
This the sacred philosopher observed when he said, " The words of the wise are like goads, or nails driven far in," Eccles. 12 : 11. Again, all science seems placed on high, as it were on the tops of mountains that are hard to climb, for science is justly imagined a sublime and loft}' thing, looking down upon ignorance from an eminence, and at the same time taking an extensive view on all sides, as is usual on tops of mountains.
Science is said to beset the highways, because through all the journey and peregrination of human life, there is matter and occasion offered for contemplation. Sphinx is said to propose various difficult questions and riddles to men which she received from the Muses, and these questions, as long as they originate with the Muses, may very well be unaccompanied with severity, for while there is no other end of contemplation and inqnir}^ but that of knowledge alone, the understand- ing is not oppressed, or driven to straits or difficulties, but expatiates and ranges at large, and even receives a degree of pleasure, form and variety ; but after the Muses have given over their riddles to Sphinx, that is to practice, which urges and impels to action, choice and determination, then it is that the}' become torturing, severe and trying, and unless solved and interpreted, strangely perplex and harass the human mind, rend it every way and perfectly tear it to pieces. All the riddles of Sphinx, therefore, have two conditions annexed, viz. : dilaceration to those who do not solve them, and empire to those who do. 17
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For he who understands the things proposed, obtains his end, and every artificer rnles over his work — (meaning that knowledge and power are reciprocal ; so that to improve in knowledge is to improve in the power of commanding nature by introducing new arts and producing works and eflfects.) Sphinx has no more than two kinds of riddles, one relating to the nature of things, the other to the nature of man, and correspondent to these, the prizes of the solution are two kinds of empire : the empire over nature and the empire over man. For the true and ultimate end of natiiral philosoph}^ is dominion over natural things, natural bodies, remedies, machines and numberless other particulars, though the schools, contented with what spontaneously offers, and swollen with their own discourses, neglect, and in a manner despise, bothi things and works. But the riddle proposed to ^5^dipus, the solution whereof acquired him the Theban kingdom, regarded the nature of man ; for he who has thoroughly looked into and examined human nature, may in a manner command his own fortune, and seems born to acquire dominion and rule. It is with the utmost elegance added in the fable, that when Sphinx was conquered, her carcass was laid upon an ass ; for there is nothing so subtle and abstruse, but after being once made plain, intelligible and common, may be received by the slowest capacity-. We must not omit that the Sphinx was conquered bj'' a lame man, and impotent in his feet ; for men usuallj' make too much haste to the solu- tion of Sphinx's riddles ; whence it happens that she, prevailing, their minds are rather racked and torn b}' disputes than invested with com- mand, b}^ work and effects.
The ancient city of Memphis was founded, according to Herodotiis, by Menes, the first known king of Eg3^pt. It has been called bj^ differ- ent names at various times or periods. Originally it was known as the " City of the White Wall." Later it was called Ha Ptah (house of Ptah), which the Greeks eventuall}' transformed into Hephaistopolis, and finally it received the name of Mcn-nefcr^ " the good place." In the course of time the letter ;• was dropped from Moi-ncfcr^ when the name of this celebrated city became known under the Coptic name of Menfi, or Memfi, which was soon changed to Memphis by the Greeks and Romans, from whom this name has been handed down to us of the twentieth century.
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When Meues first formed the idea of establishing this city he realized that he would have to change the course of the river in order to obtain the amount of land necessary for the upbuilding of such an immense place as he had under contemplation. In order to accomplish his purpose he therefore built a large embankment across the river^ compelling it to flow off in another direction, and by this means reclaim- ing a vast amount of land upon which to lay the foundation of one of the most celebrated and wonderful cities of the world's history — Memphis, the capital of ancient Egypt. At the point where he commenced to turn the course of the river he caused an enormous dyke to be constructed, to protect the city and prevent the river from ever returning into its old course, and to ultimately destroy the city established with so much labor. There is one thing respecting Herodotus and Diodorus, the two historians who wrote so much about this country, which is that Herodotus gives us a very full description of the city of Memphis, the capital of Lower Egypt, and a very poor account of Thebes, not even alluding to the monuments of that wonderful city ; while Diodorus gives a full and com- plete account of the wonderful capital of Upper Egypt, Thebes, and tells but very little about Memphis, which does not even correspond with the account given by Herodotus.
It was within the walls of this city that Menes erected the won- derful " Temple of Ptah," a Temple so vast and so grand, that its fame was known throughout the ancient world. It was the first and probably the largest and most magnificent temple ever constructed by the hand of Man, in this extrordinary valley of the river Nile, and doubtless involved an enormous amount of time, material and labor in its completion. No accurate descriptions have been preserved of this stupendous fabric ; but the best authorities agree that this wonderful Temple Avas begun by Menes, being enlarged and beautified by the various kings of succeeding dynasties, even up to the reign of Amasis, who dedicated therein a recum- bent colossus, seventy-five feet long, the first of its kind known to have existed up to that time.
This famous temple of Hephaistos, or Ptah, was very much larger than the more modern temple of Karnak, which was, no doubt, modelled after this ancient temple of Ptah, in Memphis. There is a very curious story related in the " Library of Entertaining Knowledge," respecting a
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monolithic chamber which formed part of this wonderful temple, where Moses first studied the "Wisdom peculiar to the priests of Memphis : " It was made of a single stone, nine cubits high, eight long, and seven broad, and was called the ' green chamber ' and is described as being found among the ruins ot Memphis. In the middle of the stone, a niche or hole is hollowed out, which leaves two cubits of thickness for the sides as well as for the top and bottom. All the rest forms the interior capacity of the chamber. It is completely covered, both outside and in, with intaglios in I'elief. On the outside is the figure of the Sun in the East and a great number of stars, spheres, men and animals. The men are represented in different attitudes, some stationary, others moving ; some have their dresses tucked up to allow them to work, others carry materials, some are giving orders. It is evident that these representa- tions refer to important things, remarkable actions and profound secrets. This niche was firmly fixed on supports of massive granite and placed in a magnificent temple (Hephaistos) constructed of enormous stones, put together with the most perfect art."
I do not wish to pass from this part of Egypt without speaking of the mastabas in this vast Necropolis of ancient Memphis, for they repre- .sent the tombs of private individuals who lived in the grand old days of Memphian splendor. These tombs of various sizes, range from ten to forty feet in height, differing one from another at about the same ratio. Approaching them from a distance they have the appefirance of small truncated pyramids. These tombs have been thoroughly described by a great many writers, and I had intended giving an account of them myself, from personal observations, instead of which, however, I will substitute a quotation from Maspero's " Egyptian Archjeology," page no, ct scq^ because of special features in his account to which, later on in this work, I desire to call yoiir attention. He states that " The ancient monumental tombs are found in the Necropolis of Memphis, between Aboo Roas/i a?id DasJioor [or Da/ishoor) and belong to the Mastaba type, which is a quadrangiilar building, that from a distance might be taken for a truncated pyramid. They vary in size from thirt}^ to forty feet in height, one hundred and fifty in length, and eighty feet in width ; while others do not exceed ten feet in height. The faces are symmetrically inclined and generall}^ smooth, though sometimes
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the courses retreat like steps. The materials employed in their con- struction are generally of stone or brick. At Gizeh, the Mastabas are distributed according to a symmetrical plan, and ranged in regular streets. At Sakkarah, at Abooseer and at Dashoor, they are scattered irregularly over the surface of the plateau, crowded in some places, and wide apart in others. The Mussulman cemetery at Siout perpetuates the like arrangement and enables us of this day to realize the aspect of the Memphite Necropolis towards the close of the ancient empire. The doors generally face to the East. They do occasionally face towards the North or South, but never towards the West. In theory there should be two doors, one for the dead, the other for the living. In tombs for single, or simply one person, a short passage led to an oblong chamber upon which it opened. In many instances just opposite the entrance, it was recessed and then formed a cross. This oblong chamber was the recep- tion room of the Double. It was there that the relations and friends and priests celebrated the funerary sacrifices on the days prescribed by law ; such as the feast of Thoth, the feast of Uage, the feast of Sothis, etc. The mummy was placed in a vault beneath, that was reached by a shaft, varying from ten to one hundred feet in depth and a low passage in which one could not walk upright. There sleeps the mummy in a massive sarcophagus. The corpse, left to itself, received no visits now save from the Soul which, from time to time, quitted the celestial regions wherein it voyaged with the' Gods and came down to reunite itself with the body. The funerary vault was the abode of the Soul, as the funerary chapel was the abode of the Double."
It is to the latter part of this quotation, as well as another by the same author, whom I again quote in Chapter XIII of this work, that I wish to call the especial attention of my readers, to enable them to reach a better understanding of " Death and After," and why, these ancient peo- ple embalmed their dead.
There are many things one could write about, and so many places of interest worthy a description in this most arable field of observation, " the Valley of the Nile," did time and space permit. These comprise specimens of highest Egyptian Art, fully demonstrating the knowledge of architecture, in addition to thorough understanding of the more abstruse Philosophical Sciences.
262 EGYPT, THE CRADLE OF ANCIENT MASONRY.
This ancient city of Memphis, like Heliopolis, furnished the stones for the upbuilding of Cairo. It constituted an immense quarry, from which those Arabian vandals drew the material with which to adorn and decorate their so-called " Mother of the World." The priceless treasures which have been lost and destroyed by these Arab Caliphs will never be fully known or realized. The whole of this vast Necropolis, from Gizeh to Sakkarah and farther, has been ransacked, torn up, excavated and delved into with the vain hope of recovering from the shrouding desert sands some of the inestimable treasures belonging to the hoary civiliza- tion which existed centuries before Abraham came to this country or Moses laid the foundation of his wisdom within those stupendous temples, among the Priests of Ptah, in Memphis. (Noph of the Scriptures.)
Tliese Priests were noted for their wondrous learning and intellectual qualifications, ages before Greece produced her " Marble Miracles," or Rome led her mighty legions to conquer kingdoms. In those ancient days this grand old city flourished, and her Hierophants taught to those who were found worthy and well qualified, a knowledge of their Science, Arts, and Philosophies, also instructing them in the esoteric teachings of Ancient Egyptian Mysteries that at a far earlier period belonged to the Ancient Wisdom of India. At the time when Abd-el-Latyf, a very learned "Arabian Doctor" visited this country, in A. d. 1190, he found the city of Memphis in utter ruin, and remarked that the number and size of the various idols found among the ruins bafiSe description. He goes on to say that " I saw two lions facing each other within a short distance ; their as- pect inspired awe ; for notwithstanding their colossal size, infinitely larger than that of life, the sculptor had succeeded in preserving the truthfulness of form and of proportion." Strabo also wrote a description of this old city of Memphis, wherein he says : " One finds also (at Mem- phis) a temple of Serapis in a spot so sandy that the wind causes the sand to accumulate in heaps, under which we could see many sphinxes, some of them almost entirely buried, others only partially covered, from which we may conjecture that the route leading to this temple might be attended with danger, if one were surprised by a sudden gust of wind."
This temple of Serapis had been the source of a long-continued search, but was never found until Mariette Bey, in 1S51, having been sent out by his government to make an inventory of the various manuscripts
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in Oriental Languages, then to be found in the various Coptic convents in Egypt, wandered out one day to vSakkarah, when he chanced to pass by the place where the drifting sands had partly exposed to view the head of a sphinx, as he states, " obtruding itself from the sand. This one had never been touched and was certainly in its original position. Close by lay a libation table, on which was engraved, in hieroglyphics, an in- scription to Osiris-Apis. The passage in Strabo suddenly occurred to my mind. The avenue which lay at my feet must be the one which led up to that Serapeum so long and so vainly sought for. But I had been sent to Egypt to make an inventory of manuscripts, not to seek for tem- ples. My mind, however, was soon made up. Regardless of all risks, without saying a word, and almost furtivel}"-, I gathered together a few workmen and the excavation began. The first attempts were hard indeed, but before very long lions, peacocks and the Grecian statues of the dromos, together with the monumental tablets, or s^e/o" of the temple of Nec- tanebo, were drawn out of the sand, and I was able to announce my siiccess to the French Government, informing them at the same time that the funds placed at my disposal for the researches after the manu- scripts were entirely exhausted and that a further grant was indispensible. Thus began the discovery of the Serapeum."
This celebrated temple to-day is not in existence, but when it was, it no doubt resembled in appearance any other temple with its avenue of sphinxes that led up to the pylons which stood in front of it, and this especial avenue was fully six hundred feet long, within whose confines Mariette discovered and cleared from the drifting sands one hundred and forty-one sphinxes and a large number of pedestals whereon had stood many others which had been removed at some earlier period. But what most astonished him, on arriving at the end of this most extraordinary avenue, was to find a semicircle of statues, representing many of the most celebrated philosophers and writers of Greece. It was here, also, he found the mummy of Klia-em-uas^ an ancient Governor of Memphis, and the favorite son of Rameses Second, and a discovery made in this way : While the workmen were exploring the ancient temple an enormous lot of stones and debris fell and blocked their further progress. Pending their removal, and an order being given to get through as quickly as possible, they resorted to blasting, and after the smoke had cleared away discovered this
264 EGYPT, THE CRADLE OF ANCIENT MASONRY.
mummy, witli its golden mask, scarabeus and other emblems of immor- tality, its breast covered witli jewels and precious stones of all kinds, as well as golden chains and amulets of every description with Hieroglyphic writings upon them, all identifying it as Kha-em-uas, the son of Rameses Second.
This celebrated mausoleum was erected for the especial purpose of receiving the dead bulls, which were called Ausar-Hapi, or Serapis, by the Greeks, hence the name of this mausoleum {Serapeiim). But during the life of these so-called gods they were known as Apis^ or Hapi, who were worshipped at Memphis as " The second life of Ptah, and the incarna- tion of Osiris." The marks of Apis, by which he was known, was a perfectly black hide, with a square or triangular white spot upon the forehead, while on his shoulders the resemblance of an Eagle, or Vulture, for some authors differ in their descriptions of this marking ; under his tongue there should be a representation of a scarabeus, and the hairs upon his tail double. Now there is no doubt in my mind but some trickery was used in order to produce such a peculiar combination of markings, or else the populace were easilj^ satisfied with general resem- blances. Sometimes it was very difficult to obtain another Apis, after the death of the oM one, but after it was found a house was built for this so-called god, which had to be built facing the East. The Apis was then placed on a milk diet for four months, after which he would be removed to Memphis on or about the full of the moon, in a boat most magnificently decorated. Amid great rejoicings he would be placed in the Apeum, where special apartments were provided for him and a very fine peristyle court in which he could walk about. Great care was taken in the selec- tion of his food to prevent his getting too fat. He was not allowed to be seen by any one, excepting his attendants and the priest, for a period of forty days, and the women who attended to his wants were perfecth- nude. Apis had free access to all the apartments in the Apeum, as well as to the court. If he passed into one apartment it was considered to be a very lucky omen ; but if into the other it was deemed very unfortunate, in fact every act of Apis was oracular. It was considered a very luck}^ omen if he ate from the hand that offered him food ; but if he refused to eat evil would result to those by whom it was proffered. If Apis did not die before his twenty-fifth year he would be drowned ; but at his death, no matter
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how it occurred, lie would be deeply mourned b}^ the people tbrougbout the whole of Egypt. He would be embalmed with great care and interred in the Serapeum with costly ceremonies. An Apis is to be found upon nearlj' every mummy case, as an emblem of immortality and a symbol of the reincarnation of the spirit.
One of the best specimens of a tomb of the Ancient Empire is the celebrated tomb of Tih, situated to the northeast of Mariette's house, and not far from the road to the p3'ramids of Abooseer. It is still in a remark- able state of preservation, no doubt due to its sandy covering, for the sculptures on the walls, as well as the paintings present a most magnifi- cent series of pictures and carvings, even to-day. This man Tih was of humble birth, but attained to a verj^ high position when he married a Nefer-hotep-s, a relative of one of the kingl}^ rulers under whom he served. This tomb should be visited by all who go into this wonderful valley of the Nile, because the interior decorations illustrate the manners and customs of the dynasty in which he lived {the FiftJi). Here iipon the walls, you ma}' see the man depicted in various scenes of everyda}' life. It would take too long to describe the whole of this remarkable tomb, but I will give 3'ou a general outline of things to be seen upon the walls of this most extraordinary building. Here we are enabled to see mechanics and laborers of all kinds working at their various trades, etc. Tih him- self is depicted in various scenes, one of which seemed ver}^ remarkable to me. He is depicted as hunting in the marshes, and represented as standing in a boat holding in one hand some decoy birds, while with the other he is throwing a boomerang at another flock. The ver}' fact of his having a boomerang in his hand proves that the ancient Egyptians had a knowledge of this most extraordinar}' instrument, one always considered an implement known and used solely by the natives of xA-Ustralia.
It would be nearly impossible to describe all these pictures, in detail, such as hunting, fishing, farming and ship-building, as well as scenes in a court of justice, etc., etc., in a work of this kind; but I wanted to give 3'ou, my dear brothers, a general idea of what these pic- tures represent. They must be seen to be enjoj'ed and appreciated. To- day there are electric cars running to the Pyramids, so that one can go out there in a verj^ little while, without being bothered with donke3^s, or boys.
OFFICERS AND GRAND OFFICERS OF THE SOUTHERN JURISDICTION.
gjolomon-Ileatfi of Hiram-Cross-gjtuastita,
267
Hrd ptlatc vprotc a title, and put it on the cross. Hnd the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS.
— ^JOHN 19 ; 19.
EGYPT, THE CRADLE OF ANCIENT MASONRY. 269