The Base[EAST, SOUTH, WEST, NORTH].
At the bottom of each of the four faces of the obelisk are two horizontal lines of almost totally destroyed hieroglyphs. They bear the cartouches of Ramses II., and are so written as to read from the centre each way. The inscription is
i. e.Longlifetothe gracious god, Ramses II.!i. e.Longlifetothe gracious god, Ramses II.!i. e.Longlifetothe gracious god, Ramses II.!i. e.Longlifetothe gracious god, Ramses II.!
i. e.Longlifetothe gracious god, Ramses II.!
i. e.Longlifetothe gracious god, Ramses II.!
i. e.Longlifetothe gracious god, Ramses II.!
i. e.Longlifetothe gracious god, Ramses II.!
III. Inscriptions of Osarkon I.
Besides the three columns of hieroglyphs on each face of our obelisk, all chiseled in large and bold characters, we find at the lower end of each face near each edge inscriptions by a later king. The hieroglyphs of these inscriptions are so minute and so mutilated as to be scarcely legible. They seem to have started at the first of the lower cartouches and to have extended to the twohorizontal lines at the bottom of the obelisk. As each face has two of these columns, there are eight of these inscriptions on the obelisk. The last half of the inscriptions is destroyed in each case and may have been different on every column. The eastern column on the south face is the most legible one and presumably reads thus
i. e.The king of Upper and Lower Egypt, Osarkon I., the Sun's offspring, Osarkon I., ..........
IV. Inscriptions of Augustus.
There is no name of any other Egyptian ruler, except the three mentioned above, inscribed on our obelisk. When the emperor Augustus, however, had the London and New York Obelisks transported to Alexandria in 12 B. C., he caused his name to be engraved on the crabs which supported them. Only two of these crabs have come down to us and are preserved in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Central Park. On the only remaining claw of one of the crabs are two inscriptions; on the one side in Greek and on the other in Latin, which give the names of the emperor, prefect or governor, and architect. Prof. Augustus Merriam of Columbia College has devoted some time to the study of these inscriptions and has made some very remarkable discoveries, which fixthe eighteenth year of the reign of Augustus as the time of the reërection of the London and New York Obelisks in Alexandria. The inscriptions are herewith given in fac-simile.
The Greek inscription reads
which looks like this in regular Greek types:
i. e.The governorBarbarus erectedthis obeliskin the eighteenth year ofthe reign ofthe emperorAugustus (12 B. C.).Pontius was the architect.
The Latin inscription reads
which is in regular Latin types:
i. e.Barbarus, governor of Egypt, erectedthis obeliskin the eighteenth year ofthe reign ofthe emperorAugustus (12 B. C.).Pontius was the architect.
The Greek letterPsi(Ψ) in the first line of the Latin text seems to have been the initial of the engraver's name, who must have been a Greek, if we can draw this inference from the beautiful Greek and the poor Latin form of the letters in the inscriptions.
The full translation of the obelisk.
As a recapitulation of the translation of the Egyptian inscriptions on our obelisk, which has been given in the preceding pages, we now place the complete translation of each face of the obelisk in a very compact and simple form before our readers. The English translation will be found to correspond to the hieroglyphs, and each word can be easily picked out on the three columns of the original. All the words inItalicsare to be found in the Egyptian text, while those in common Roman types are supplied so as to render the inscriptions intelligible to the reader.
Notes on the translation and the crabs.
§1. On looking over the translation of our obelisk, as set forth in the preceding pages, the reader will perhaps feel disappointed in the substance of its inscriptions. These contain, as has already been stated, only laudatory phrases and vainglorious titles, and furnish us with no historical data nor anything that would be of value to scholars. People have for many centuries suspected them of an utterly different meaning, and have given them the most fanciful and ludicrous explanations. For instance, Athanasius Kircher in his "Œdipus" (published in 1650), when speaking of our obelisk, says: "It[the New York Obelisk]sets forth the activity and functions of the twelve solar genii in the world's government, which result from their protection and presence, and with what rites and ceremonies each of them must be propitiated; for each in his tour around each of the four sides keeps watch over his particular quarter of the world, which he both guards against the attack of the evil genii and preserves". All this, of course, is sheer nonsense. Besides this ridiculous explanation Kircher mentions that at the base of our obelisk were engraved the wordsمسلة فرعون"Pharaoh's Needle", which is both improbable and impossible, though, as a matter of fact, the obelisk always went by that name among the Arabs.
The most silly guess at a translation, however, is probably that of the Mohammedan writer Ibn-el-Vardi, who visited Alexandria and saw our obelisk there in 1340. He writes of it as follows:
"This is on it[the obelisk]: 'I, Yaﻋmer-ben-Shaddād, have founded this city, when old age did not yet overtake nor death disturb nor gray hairs trouble me, when stones were here in abundance, and men did not acknowledge masters. I have built its porticoes, and dug its canals, and planted its trees, and desired to embellish it with wonderful monuments and amazing structures. I have sent my servant El·Thabūt-ben-Marrat, the ﻋAdite, and Maqdām-ibn-El·ﻋAmr-ben-abī-Reﻋāl, the Thamūdite, the caliph, to Mount Tarīm, the red mountain, and they cut out of it two rocks and carried them both on their shoulders. Then one of the ribs of El·Thabūt having been crushed, I caused the people of my kingdom to make reparation. Now these two[obelisks]were erected for me by El·Fatan-ibn-Jārūd, the Mūtafakite, on an auspicious day.'"
The same writer then states: "And this is the very obelisk which is in the corner of the city looking toward the East, while the other is seen further in the interior of the city."
This translation of our obelisk reads very strange and was, of course, only drawn by that ancient author from his own fertile imagination. Still it shows how much importance was even at that early time attached to our monolith. Almost every traveler of note mentions it and gives a description of it. All their scattered notices help us to trace the history of our obelisk through the last few centuries, without, however, our gaining any new or important knowledge from them.
Note. It may be of some interest to know that all the old writers agree in calling theerectobelisk in Alexandria "Cleopatra's Needle"; in other words, this epithet wasonlyapplied to the New York Obelisk in Central Park. The claim of the English that their obelisk in London was ever named after the famous queen rests on no foundation whatever.
§2. When the Romans transported our obelisk to Alexandria, its base was badly damaged. That it might still be erected without planing off the surface of the stone, they filled up the cavities with lead and put bronze crabs in the corners. The reason why they should have selected the crab or scorpion () cannot be definitely given. It may have been due to the strange superstition of the Egyptians of the Ptolemaic period. The figure of the scorpion, the evil genius, plays an important part in the astrological and mythological inscriptions of that time. From what the Romans heard of this evil deity, and from a desire to propitiate it, they thought the crab the most appropriate ornament for the obelisk. They wished to convey a double meaning; first, that the obelisk, the emblem of the good god of light, should restrain and keep down the evil deity of darkness, and secondly, they made it appear, in order to flatter the evil genius, as though it was he who sustained the good god's throne and kept hismonument in proper position. Still, whatever the reason may have been, the crabs are altogether out of place beneath our monolith.
The crabs at present supporting the obelisk are new, and were cast at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. What is left of the old ones is preserved in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Central Park (cf. page72). The following inscriptions were engraved on the eight claws:
First crab, first claw:
[The corrected form and the translation of these inscriptions are given on page73and74.]
[The corrected form and the translation of these inscriptions are given on page73and74.]
First crab, second claw:
Second crab, first claw:
REMOVED TO ALEXANDRIA, EGYPT, AND ERECTEDTHERE B. C. 22 BY THE ROMANS.
REMOVED TO ALEXANDRIA, EGYPT, AND ERECTED
THERE B. C. 22 BY THE ROMANS.
[The date should be B. C. 12. Cf. page73.]
[The date should be B. C. 12. Cf. page73.]
Second crab, second claw:
REMOVED TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA A. D.1880, AND ERECTED IN NEW YORK CITY JANUARY 22,1881.
REMOVED TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA A. D.
1880, AND ERECTED IN NEW YORK CITY JANUARY 22,
1881.
Third crab, first claw:
PRESENTED TO THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENTBY ISMAIL, KHEDIVE OF EGYPT.
PRESENTED TO THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
BY ISMAIL, KHEDIVE OF EGYPT.
Third crab, second claw:
RUTHERFORD BURCHARD HAYES, PRESIDENT; WILLIAMMAXWELL EVARTS, SECRETARY OF STATE OF THEUNITED STATES.
RUTHERFORD BURCHARD HAYES, PRESIDENT; WILLIAM
MAXWELL EVARTS, SECRETARY OF STATE OF THE
UNITED STATES.
Fourth crab, first claw:
THE COST OF REMOVING FROM EGYPT AND PLACINGON THIS SPOT THIS OBELISK, PEDESTAL, AND BASE,WAS BORNE BY WILLIAM H. VANDERBILT.
THE COST OF REMOVING FROM EGYPT AND PLACING
ON THIS SPOT THIS OBELISK, PEDESTAL, AND BASE,
WAS BORNE BY WILLIAM H. VANDERBILT.
Fourth crab, second claw:
LIEUTENANT-COMMANDER HENRY H. GORRINGE,UNITED STATES NAVY, DESIGNED THE PLANS FOR ANDSUPERINTENDED THE REMOVAL AND RE-ERECTION.
LIEUTENANT-COMMANDER HENRY H. GORRINGE,
UNITED STATES NAVY, DESIGNED THE PLANS FOR AND
SUPERINTENDED THE REMOVAL AND RE-ERECTION.
Egypt: its geographical divisions and its cities.
Egypt, called by its former inhabitantsQem·t, "the black land", on account of the richness and color of its soil, and by the GreeksΑἴγυπτος[Aiguptos], has been correctly and appropriately described by the ancients as "a gift of the river Nile", which flows throughout its entire length. Lying between two vast tracts of desert land, and encompassed by immense ranges of mountains, the Nile is its only source of life and means of support. The country was divided from time immemorial into two large sections, Upper and Lower Egypt. The Hebrew name of Egypt,מִצְרַיִם[Mizrayim], being a dual form, forcibly reminds us of this division. These two sections were at various times of Egyptian history independent principalities, and governed by different Pharaohs. Whenever the two sections had one and the same ruler, he was always calledsuten-kaut?, "the king of Upper and Lower Egypt", Upper Egypt as the more important of the two always being mentioned first. These sections were again subdivided into "nomes" (from the Greek wordνομός[nomos] "a province"), and each of them had its capital, governor, local deities, sacred animals, and sacred trees.
Upper Egypt, called by the Egyptianspa ta res"the land of the South", began in the south at the island of Philæ and extended as far as the Delta in the north. It is called "Upper", being bounded by mountains and highlands, as opposed to the low land of the north or "Lower" Egypt. This section of the country comprised 22 nomes. Following the course of the Nile some of the principal places and cities are:
Philæ, in EgyptianAareq·torPireq, one of the southern islands of the First Cataract, with the ruins of the magnificent temple of the goddess Isis, the fragment of an obelisk, and other monumental structures.Elephantine, in EgyptianÂb·t"the ivory-island", the northernmost island in the First Cataract, opposite the modern Assuân. On it was situated the capital bearing the same name,Âb, with the famous Nilometer and a splendid temple of Khnum, the local deity of the island.Syēne, in EgyptianSun·t, now Assuân, which was the site of the vast quarries, from which were taken most of the obelisks and statues scattered throughout Egypt.Ombos, in EgyptianNubi·t, "the gold-city", with the road leading to the Nubian gold mines, was noted for its temple of the crocodile-headed god Sebek-Râ, its local deity. The modern name is Kôm-Omboo.Silsilis, the old EgyptianKhennu, "the sailor-city", is known for its tombs which are cut into the mountain-side, its quarries, and its annual festivals in honor of the rise of the Nile at the time of inundation. The modern name of this part of the country is Jebel Selseleh.Redesieh, a modern village, was formerly the starting-point of an important road leading to Asia and the Red Sea. On this road is a temple of Seti I. and afamous well,ta khnum·t Mâ-men-Râ"the well of Seti I.", constructed by order of the same Pharaoh.Edfu, in EgyptianDeb·t, "the city of transfixion" (referring to the legend of the battle between Horus and Set, the devil, in which the latter was pierced by the avenging spear of the son of Osiris), was the renowned city of the sun-god Horus. Because of his supreme worship it was also calledḤud·t"the city of the winged sun-disk[]". Here are to be found in a tolerably good state of preservation some of the grandest temple-buildings of Egypt. The temple of the hawk-faced sun-god, Horus, rivals in magnificence that of any other god.El-Kab, near the ancient city ofNekheb·t, the Eileithyiapolis of the Greeks, contains the many dedicatory inscriptions to Nekheb, an otherwise rarely mentioned goddess, and a number of tombs.Esneh, in EgyptianSeni·t, was the seat of the Khnum-worship, and still contains the ruins of the temple of the ram-headed god ().Heṙmonthis, in EgyptianȦn-menth, the modern village of Erment, was at one time a most important city of Egypt, surpassing even Thebes. Now we find here only a few ruins of the temple of the sun-god Menthu, the local deity of the place.Thebes, in EgyptianUs·t"the city of the Us-sceptre", orNu·t Ȧmen"the city ofthe godAmen", was situated on the land occupied at present bythe villages of Karnak and Luxor on the east, and Drah-abul-Neggah, Dêr-el-baheri, Qurnah, Medinet-Habu, and others on the west bank of the Nile. It was undoubtedly the largest city of the ancient world, and the principal seat of the worship of Amen or Amen-Râ. During the greater part of Egyptian history it was the capital of all Egypt. Nowhere on the face of the earth are so many ancient monuments gathered together as here. Suffice it to mention the wonderful temples of Karnak and Luxor in the city proper, which was calledȦpiu·t"the city of thrones" (from which with the prefixed feminine articletathe word "Thebes" is derived) and a number of obelisks, and the Tombs of the Kings with their mausolea, especially the Memnonium of Ramses II., the monster statues of Amenophis III., and many other monuments in western Thebes.Coptos, in EgyptianQebti·t, the modern Kuft, at the end of the road leading from Kossêr on the Red Sea, was formerly a place of great commercial activity, and became a mart for the products of Arabia and the far East. On this road to Kossêr are the extensive quarries of Hammamât, the ancientdu en Bekhen"the mountain of the bekhen-stone".Denderah, in EgyptianȦn·t, "the city of pillars", orTa-en-ta-rer·t, with the grand and well-preserved temple of Hathor,.Abydos, in EgyptianȦbduorȦbdu·t, was especially famous for the temple of Seti I. Here also was said to be the tomb of the god Osiris near which it was the highest honor to be buried.
Philæ, in EgyptianAareq·torPireq, one of the southern islands of the First Cataract, with the ruins of the magnificent temple of the goddess Isis, the fragment of an obelisk, and other monumental structures.
Elephantine, in EgyptianÂb·t"the ivory-island", the northernmost island in the First Cataract, opposite the modern Assuân. On it was situated the capital bearing the same name,Âb, with the famous Nilometer and a splendid temple of Khnum, the local deity of the island.
Syēne, in EgyptianSun·t, now Assuân, which was the site of the vast quarries, from which were taken most of the obelisks and statues scattered throughout Egypt.
Ombos, in EgyptianNubi·t, "the gold-city", with the road leading to the Nubian gold mines, was noted for its temple of the crocodile-headed god Sebek-Râ, its local deity. The modern name is Kôm-Omboo.
Silsilis, the old EgyptianKhennu, "the sailor-city", is known for its tombs which are cut into the mountain-side, its quarries, and its annual festivals in honor of the rise of the Nile at the time of inundation. The modern name of this part of the country is Jebel Selseleh.
Redesieh, a modern village, was formerly the starting-point of an important road leading to Asia and the Red Sea. On this road is a temple of Seti I. and afamous well,ta khnum·t Mâ-men-Râ"the well of Seti I.", constructed by order of the same Pharaoh.
Edfu, in EgyptianDeb·t, "the city of transfixion" (referring to the legend of the battle between Horus and Set, the devil, in which the latter was pierced by the avenging spear of the son of Osiris), was the renowned city of the sun-god Horus. Because of his supreme worship it was also calledḤud·t"the city of the winged sun-disk[]". Here are to be found in a tolerably good state of preservation some of the grandest temple-buildings of Egypt. The temple of the hawk-faced sun-god, Horus, rivals in magnificence that of any other god.
El-Kab, near the ancient city ofNekheb·t, the Eileithyiapolis of the Greeks, contains the many dedicatory inscriptions to Nekheb, an otherwise rarely mentioned goddess, and a number of tombs.
Esneh, in EgyptianSeni·t, was the seat of the Khnum-worship, and still contains the ruins of the temple of the ram-headed god ().
Heṙmonthis, in EgyptianȦn-menth, the modern village of Erment, was at one time a most important city of Egypt, surpassing even Thebes. Now we find here only a few ruins of the temple of the sun-god Menthu, the local deity of the place.
Thebes, in EgyptianUs·t"the city of the Us-sceptre", orNu·t Ȧmen"the city ofthe godAmen", was situated on the land occupied at present bythe villages of Karnak and Luxor on the east, and Drah-abul-Neggah, Dêr-el-baheri, Qurnah, Medinet-Habu, and others on the west bank of the Nile. It was undoubtedly the largest city of the ancient world, and the principal seat of the worship of Amen or Amen-Râ. During the greater part of Egyptian history it was the capital of all Egypt. Nowhere on the face of the earth are so many ancient monuments gathered together as here. Suffice it to mention the wonderful temples of Karnak and Luxor in the city proper, which was calledȦpiu·t"the city of thrones" (from which with the prefixed feminine articletathe word "Thebes" is derived) and a number of obelisks, and the Tombs of the Kings with their mausolea, especially the Memnonium of Ramses II., the monster statues of Amenophis III., and many other monuments in western Thebes.
Coptos, in EgyptianQebti·t, the modern Kuft, at the end of the road leading from Kossêr on the Red Sea, was formerly a place of great commercial activity, and became a mart for the products of Arabia and the far East. On this road to Kossêr are the extensive quarries of Hammamât, the ancientdu en Bekhen"the mountain of the bekhen-stone".
Denderah, in EgyptianȦn·t, "the city of pillars", orTa-en-ta-rer·t, with the grand and well-preserved temple of Hathor,.
Abydos, in EgyptianȦbduorȦbdu·t, was especially famous for the temple of Seti I. Here also was said to be the tomb of the god Osiris near which it was the highest honor to be buried.
El-Khargeh, in EgyptianKenem·ti, an oasis to the west of Thebes, at one time belonging to theVIIth nome of Upper Egypt.Thinis, in EgyptianTheni·t, was according to tradition the home of the first Egyptian Pharaoh, Menes. Its site is now probably occupied by the village of El-Tineh.Panopolis, the Greek designation for the city calledPer-khem·t, "the city of the temple of the god Khem", the modern Akhmîm, was the seat of the worship of Khem whose festivals were conducted with various gymnastic exercises, especially that of climbing smooth poles represented thus:.Sioot, the modern name of the ancientSaîu·t, is at present the largest city of Upper Egypt. A number of rock-tombs are in the neighborhood. Its local deity was the jackal-headed god Anubis.Tel-el-Amarnais the present site of a city founded by Amenophis IV., which he namedkhu en Ȧten, "the glorious house of the sun-god Aten". It was this king who introduced the sole worship of the sun-disk and was ever after considered a heretic. Cf. the picture on page30.Bershehis a modern village with the remnants of some tombs. In one of them is the picture showing the mode of transporting a colossus (cf. page15).Beni-Hassanis noteworthy for its beautiful sepulchral grottoes of theXIIth dynasty.The Fayoomis a large tract of fertile landextending into the Libyan desert. It was calledta sheti, "the land of the sea", and the present name is derived from the Coptic word[phiyom], "a sea". In it was the world-famous Lake Mœris, which the Egyptians namedmer ûr, "the great sea" (whence the name "Mœris"). This was really a large reservoir constructed by Amenemhât III. Besides this we find here the ruins of the so-called Labyrinth, the palace of the same king, not far from the pyramid of El-Lahoon. The Greeks called the place Crocodilopolis from the crocodile-headed god Sebek, who was its local deity.Meydoomis situated on the site of the ancientMer-Tum·t, "the favorite city of the god Tum", and is famous for its quaintly terraced pyramid.
El-Khargeh, in EgyptianKenem·ti, an oasis to the west of Thebes, at one time belonging to theVIIth nome of Upper Egypt.
Thinis, in EgyptianTheni·t, was according to tradition the home of the first Egyptian Pharaoh, Menes. Its site is now probably occupied by the village of El-Tineh.
Panopolis, the Greek designation for the city calledPer-khem·t, "the city of the temple of the god Khem", the modern Akhmîm, was the seat of the worship of Khem whose festivals were conducted with various gymnastic exercises, especially that of climbing smooth poles represented thus:.
Sioot, the modern name of the ancientSaîu·t, is at present the largest city of Upper Egypt. A number of rock-tombs are in the neighborhood. Its local deity was the jackal-headed god Anubis.
Tel-el-Amarnais the present site of a city founded by Amenophis IV., which he namedkhu en Ȧten, "the glorious house of the sun-god Aten". It was this king who introduced the sole worship of the sun-disk and was ever after considered a heretic. Cf. the picture on page30.
Bershehis a modern village with the remnants of some tombs. In one of them is the picture showing the mode of transporting a colossus (cf. page15).
Beni-Hassanis noteworthy for its beautiful sepulchral grottoes of theXIIth dynasty.
The Fayoomis a large tract of fertile landextending into the Libyan desert. It was calledta sheti, "the land of the sea", and the present name is derived from the Coptic word[phiyom], "a sea". In it was the world-famous Lake Mœris, which the Egyptians namedmer ûr, "the great sea" (whence the name "Mœris"). This was really a large reservoir constructed by Amenemhât III. Besides this we find here the ruins of the so-called Labyrinth, the palace of the same king, not far from the pyramid of El-Lahoon. The Greeks called the place Crocodilopolis from the crocodile-headed god Sebek, who was its local deity.
Meydoomis situated on the site of the ancientMer-Tum·t, "the favorite city of the god Tum", and is famous for its quaintly terraced pyramid.
Lower Egypt, called by the Egyptiansta meḥî·t, "the land of the flax plant" or only simplymeḥ·t, "the north", comprises the so-called Delta from the city of Cairo to the Mediterranean Sea. The Delta, intersected by the seven arms of the river Nile, was calledpa ta merȧ·t, "the land of the inundation", and was so named from its resemblance to the Greek letter Delta,Δ, our D. It was composed of 20 nomes or provinces.
The following are the principal cities of Lower Egypt:
Memphis, in EgyptianMen-nefer·t, "the good place of rest", which became in Coptic[Memphi], has left us hardly any vestige of its former greatness. It was the capital of Lower Egypt and the main seat of the worship of the god Ptah. Nothing remains to mark the site of the famous Memphis of oldexcept the colossus of Ramses II. at the village of Mîtrahîneh and the mighty pyramids. The latter consist of the following groups: 1) the three great Pyramids, namely, the Great Pyramid, "the Splendid", of king Kheops; the Second Pyramid, "the Great", of king Khefren; the Third Pyramid, "the Superior", of king Mycerinus: all these being at Gizeh: 2) the Pyramids of Abûsîr, four in number; 3) the Pyramids of Saccarah, the largest of which is called the Pyramid of the Steps on account of its strange form; 4) the Pyramids of Lisht and Dashûr. These pyramids served as mausolea or tombs of the kings who erected them. The stones of ancient Memphis were converted into building-stones for modern Cairo.Tura, the present site of the quarries of Memphis from which the stone for the pyramids was taken. It received the name of Troja [Troy] from the Greeks.Heliopolis, the ancientȦnand the modern Matarîyeh, was the famous city of the Sun or the "City of Obelisks". Here stood the New York Obelisk in front of the temple of the Sun [Râ]. The only monument to be seen there still is the obelisk of Usertesen I.Alexandria, the famous city founded by Alexander the Great on the site of the ancientRâqedî·t, the Rhakôtis of the Greeks, is situated near the north-west corner of Egypt. To the south of it is the Lake Mareotis, in EgyptianMerî·t. Alexandria can boast of no ancient monument whatever, as its two obelisks have been conveyed to London and New York, and Pompey's Pillar is not of Egyptian workmanship.Rosettais a considerable town at the mouth of the Rosetta branch of the Nile. Its world-wide fame is dueto the fact that here a French engineer, Boussard, discovered in 1799 the stone which furnished the key for the interpretation of the Egyptian hieroglyphs.Sais, in EgyptianSa·t, whose site is at present marked by the lofty mounds of Sa-el-Hajar, was the seat of the worship of the goddess Neith, and the capital of all Egypt under three dynasties of kings.Busiris, in EgyptianPer-Usȧr·t, "the house of Osiris", now Abu-Sîr, was situated on the Damietta branch of the Nile and had Osiris for its local deity.Tanis, in EgyptianZân·t, was situated to the south of Lake Menzaleh. At present there are only a few remnants of the many magnificent temples left to mark the site of that ancient city. It was the favorite residence of the Shepherd Kings or Hyksos.Mendes, in EgyptianPer-ba-neb-ded·t, "the house of the ram, the lord of stability", was the seat of government under one dynasty of kings. Its sacred animal was the ram, which was the Egyptian emblem of the soul.Bubastis, in EgyptianPer-Bas·t, was the principal seat of the worship of the lion-faced goddess Bast or Pasht (). The ruins of her grand temple can still be partially seen near the present Tel-Basta.Pelusiumlies at the mouth of the most easterly branch of the Nile and was built either on or else near the site of the ancient Avaris, the EgyptianḤa·t-ûar·t. This was the last stronghold of the Hyksos before they were driven out of Egypt.
Memphis, in EgyptianMen-nefer·t, "the good place of rest", which became in Coptic[Memphi], has left us hardly any vestige of its former greatness. It was the capital of Lower Egypt and the main seat of the worship of the god Ptah. Nothing remains to mark the site of the famous Memphis of oldexcept the colossus of Ramses II. at the village of Mîtrahîneh and the mighty pyramids. The latter consist of the following groups: 1) the three great Pyramids, namely, the Great Pyramid, "the Splendid", of king Kheops; the Second Pyramid, "the Great", of king Khefren; the Third Pyramid, "the Superior", of king Mycerinus: all these being at Gizeh: 2) the Pyramids of Abûsîr, four in number; 3) the Pyramids of Saccarah, the largest of which is called the Pyramid of the Steps on account of its strange form; 4) the Pyramids of Lisht and Dashûr. These pyramids served as mausolea or tombs of the kings who erected them. The stones of ancient Memphis were converted into building-stones for modern Cairo.
Tura, the present site of the quarries of Memphis from which the stone for the pyramids was taken. It received the name of Troja [Troy] from the Greeks.
Heliopolis, the ancientȦnand the modern Matarîyeh, was the famous city of the Sun or the "City of Obelisks". Here stood the New York Obelisk in front of the temple of the Sun [Râ]. The only monument to be seen there still is the obelisk of Usertesen I.
Alexandria, the famous city founded by Alexander the Great on the site of the ancientRâqedî·t, the Rhakôtis of the Greeks, is situated near the north-west corner of Egypt. To the south of it is the Lake Mareotis, in EgyptianMerî·t. Alexandria can boast of no ancient monument whatever, as its two obelisks have been conveyed to London and New York, and Pompey's Pillar is not of Egyptian workmanship.
Rosettais a considerable town at the mouth of the Rosetta branch of the Nile. Its world-wide fame is dueto the fact that here a French engineer, Boussard, discovered in 1799 the stone which furnished the key for the interpretation of the Egyptian hieroglyphs.
Sais, in EgyptianSa·t, whose site is at present marked by the lofty mounds of Sa-el-Hajar, was the seat of the worship of the goddess Neith, and the capital of all Egypt under three dynasties of kings.
Busiris, in EgyptianPer-Usȧr·t, "the house of Osiris", now Abu-Sîr, was situated on the Damietta branch of the Nile and had Osiris for its local deity.
Tanis, in EgyptianZân·t, was situated to the south of Lake Menzaleh. At present there are only a few remnants of the many magnificent temples left to mark the site of that ancient city. It was the favorite residence of the Shepherd Kings or Hyksos.
Mendes, in EgyptianPer-ba-neb-ded·t, "the house of the ram, the lord of stability", was the seat of government under one dynasty of kings. Its sacred animal was the ram, which was the Egyptian emblem of the soul.
Bubastis, in EgyptianPer-Bas·t, was the principal seat of the worship of the lion-faced goddess Bast or Pasht (). The ruins of her grand temple can still be partially seen near the present Tel-Basta.
Pelusiumlies at the mouth of the most easterly branch of the Nile and was built either on or else near the site of the ancient Avaris, the EgyptianḤa·t-ûar·t. This was the last stronghold of the Hyksos before they were driven out of Egypt.
A GLOSSARY
OF NAMES AND TERMS OCCURRING IN THIS BOOK AND PERTAINING TO EGYPTOLOGICAL SUBJECTS.
The small numerals at the end of each item refer to the pages of the book.
Aareq·t.The Egyptian name of the island of Philæ.86
Âb, Âb·t,orÂbu·t.The Egyptian name of the city and island of Elephantine.2486
ȦbduorȦbdu·t.The Egyptian name of Abydos.88
Abusimbel.Also called Ipsambul. The ancient Aboccis or Abuncis. A place in Nubia, situated on the Nile, and famous for its stupendous rock-temple of Ramses II., the largest in the world. Each of the four statues at the entrance represents the king himself, and is about seventy feet high.27
Abûsîr.A village near the site of ancient Memphis. Here we find four pyramids, one built by Sahurâ, and another by Userenrâ, kings of the vth dynasty. This place must not be confounded with that of the same name in the Delta.91
Abu-Sîr.The modern name of the ancient Busiris.92
Abydos[pronounced ábĭdos]. The capital of theVIIIth nome of Upper Egypt.88
A. D.The LatinAnno Domini"in the year of our Lord".
ﻋÂdite.A person belonging to the ancient Arabic tribe ofÂd. [The first sign ﻋ is an Arabic gutteral which cannot be pronounced in English.]80
Akhmîm.The present site of the ancient Panopolis.89
Albani Obelisk.A small obelisk of Roman workmanship, formerly in the Villa Albani near Rome, and atpresent preserved in theGlyptothekat Munich, Germany. On it and its companion in Naples, the Borgian Obelisk, we read the Roman names Tacitus (), Sextus (), and Africanus (). It was probably erected in the time of Domitian.10
Alexander the Great,or Alexander III. The son of Philip II., king of Macedon. He was born B. C. 356 and died B. C. 323, and was one of the greatest military conquerors the world has ever seen. His triumphant entry into Egypt took place in 332, when he was welcomed by the Egyptians as their liberator from the Persian yoke. He died while preparing for an expedition against Arabia. His name in Egyptian is3291
Alexandria.The modern name of Rhakôtis, founded by Alexander the Great in B. C. 332. Its main attractions were the tomb of Alexander, the palace of the Ptolemies, a museum, the temple of Serapis (a Græco-Egyptian deity, a combination of Osiris and the bull Apis), the world-famous Library, and the Pharos or light-house, which was 400 feet high and one of the seven wonders of the world. The city flourished until the Mohammedans gained possession of it A. D. 650. On December 22d of that year the Library was burned by Amru, the general of the caliph Omar. All antiquities in the city were then destroyed except the two obelisks and Pompey's Pillar, which have come down to us, the latter, however, being the only object of interest still in Alexandria. The city at present has nothing to attract the antiquarian as it is altogether too modern in appearance.83940414243727379818291