THE LADIES' REPOSITORY. MAY, 1855. EGYPT, ASSYRIA, AND THE BIBLE. and the change of nations as when it was given BY PROFESSOR E. S. LIPPITT. HAT three words in sacred or profane history call up such a crowd of associations as Egypt, Assyria, and the Bible? Egypt, the cradle of learning; a mighty nation when Abraham was an exile and Jacob a wanderer; great when Joseph was a slave and Moses an infant exposed to death; whose monuments to-day, the wonder and admiration of the world, attest her greatness and power, pointing back to a period anterior to the birth of Grecian civilization and Roman dominion! Egypt, in her prowess and power, in her magnificence and wealth, stands out like her own pyramids, with a boldness of outline that has made her the wonder of ages. Assyria, the birthplace of the race, where the garden was planted in beauty, and seraph wings in downward flight scattered heavenly fragrance; the home of mighty cities and powerful nations, whose kings have often desolated Judea, desecrated the temple of God, and felt the avenging hand of Jehovah; where the ark bore its precious burden above a submerged world, and where Noah built his altar of sacrifice spanned by the bow of the covenant! But the Bible is more wonderful than either. Those are in ruins; this survives the wreck of ages, a monument rivaling Egypt's mighty works. Little did the haughty king imagine that the history of his power and greatness should alone be preserved by the records of his despised slaves. Yet so it is. Egyptian history begins on that dark night, when, from their homes in Goshen, the persecuted people of God took their way toward the Red Sea. Assyria rises up from her shroud of death, where she has long slumbered, and Egypt lives in the ruins of her former power, crumbled by the lapse of ages, and shattered by the shock of war; but the Bible is as fresh and undimmed by the passage of time VOL. XV.-17 from the Mount, or laid up in the Temple. The Egyptians were the most zealous race of writers that ever lived. Their homes, their temples, their furniture, even their tombs are covered with historic inscriptions, and yet, strange as it may seem, no history of their nation has come down to us, and all that was known to us previous to the reading of the inscriptions on the monuments was gathered from other sources. Clemens, of Alexandria, who lived about 200 A. D., writes more fully of the ancient Egyptians, and of their language, than any other person. He speaks of ancient Egyptian books, called the "Sacred Books," and consisting of forty volumes. Of these only one is extant, which is called the "Book of the Dead," describing the rites and ceremonies for the burial of the dead. A proof of its great antiquity is in the fact that it is written with the same character as the inscriptions upon the oldest monuments. There is another important work written by Manetho, in the time of Ptolemy Philadelphus, about 180 B. C. The original was in three volumes, and contained the history of the ancient kings and their succession. This work has been lost, but large parts of it are quoted by Josephus, Eusebius, and others. The oldest historian, however, who has written concerning Egypt is Herodotus, the father of Grecian history. Having been expelled from his native country for some offense, he traveled extensively, and spent, during the time, a year in Egypt. The second book of his history is devoted to Egypt, detailing something of its history, and the manners and customs of the people. His knowledge was chiefly derived from the priests, and is not always trustworthy. Herodotus lived 484 B. C. Diodorus Siculus, also a Greek historian, visited Egypt about 58 B. C., and has written largely upon Egyptian history; but he is not r considered as good authority as Herodotus. These comprise all the ancient writings now extant concerning the ancient Egyptians. For the remainder of its history we must apply to the monuments. The line of succession in the kings of Egypt, as given by Manetho, was corroborated by a slab of stone dug out of the ruins of a temple just above Abydos, which formed part of the vestibule. It is called the "Tablet of Abydos," and is now in the British Museum. Although fragmentary, it contains a series of rings inclosing the names of a long line of Egyptian kings, mostly agreeing with the names of Manetho. Pictorial writing seems to be the earliest that prevails in any semi-barbarous nation. It was used by the aboriginals of this country. Pictorial epistles were sent to Montezuma to apprise him of the landing and approach of the bold invader. Such, undoubtedly, was the original form of the Egyptian hieroglyphics, becoming more and more symbolical and alphabetic in their nature, till all similarity to the original was nearly lost, and the character became merely an arbitrary sign. The hieroglyphical language takes the form of some object to represent the initial sound of the Coptic word, which is the name of that animal: as in our language, a lion would stand for L, a boat for B, a church for C, etc. As several words began with the same letter, so there would very naturally happen to be ten objects repre however, were limited in number. In accordance with all the Shemitic languages the vowels were not written, but only the consonants. The following illustration, copied from Gliddon, will give a general idea of hieroglyphical writing. Take the word America, and a column of figures of the following objects would represent the word: A an asp, symbolic of sovereignty. Before going further, it may be interesting to notice the character of the inscriptions upon the monuments of Egypt. It had long been supposed by scholars that the characters cut in the walls of the temples and houses were real historic rec-senting the same letter. These homophones, ords; but no Daniel could be found to read the "handwriting upon the wall." It was not till the time of Napoleon's great expedition into Egypt that any approach was made to the true reading of the hieroglyphics. That expedition was accompanied by a corps of the most learned men in France, and in their survey of the ruins of the Nile they took copies of the inscriptions, aud these were sent to the various learned societies of Europe. A new and increased interest was felt in trying to find the key of these hidden treasures. The first step toward the accomplishment of this object was the satisfactory proof obtained, that the Coptic was the language of the ancient Egyptians. Soon after Young discovered that the characters were not entirely pictorial or symbolical, but alphabetical in their nature, representing Coptic words. The fortunate discovery of the Rosetta Stone, which contained an inscription in three forms, the hieroglyphic, demotic, and Greek, and the rise of Champollion le Jeune, crowned with success the long and patient labors of many renowned scholars. Egypt is no longer a sealed record. As one of the first fruits of this discovery the claims of certain French infidels were hushed. At Dendera is a temple, having beautifully represented upon its ceiling the zodiac, which was declared to be four thousand years old. But the reading of the inscriptions upon it showed that it was built in the time of Augustus. Another temple at Esneh was declared to be not less than seventeen thousand years old, but it was found to have been built in the time of Antoninus, about 140 A. D. And so each succeeding year and each fresh discovery have but increased the proofs of the verity of Scripture history. M a mace, indicative of military dominion. Ca cake or consecrated wafer, symbolical of a civilized region. A an anchor, denoting commerce. Underneath these figures would be a waved line, denoting a country. This is called a determinate, and some sign is always affixed to these words, denoting the class. These would have been the symbols for America if all the letters had been used; but omitting the vowels, and MRC would be the country of America. In time only an outline or a part of the object would be used, instead of a minute representation of the object, and this abridging continued till arbitrary characters were formed, bearing little resemblance to the originals. Thus two other forms of writing were derived from the hieroglyphic, the hieratic, or priestly, and the enchorial, or demotic, or popular language of a later date. The traveler in Egypt is struck with wonder, not only at the titanic character of the ruins, but still more, if possible, at their wonderful preservation. The architecture looks as fresh as if just from the hand of the artisan. Some unfinished blocks in the quarries at Syene look as if the workmen had just left their work, so fresh are the marks of their tools, and yet two thousand years have nearly rolled away since the sound of the hammer ceased. There are temples that have been roofless for centuries, with the paintings as fresh upon the walls as if but just executed. An obelisk, that had stood undecayed and undecaying in Egypt for ages, upon its removal to Paris began to decay so fast that government was obliged to coat it with a preparation of India Rubber to protect it from the ravages of the climate. This wonderful preservation is due to the exceeding dryness of the air. A long and narrow strip of land situated between two deserts, Egypt is never wet by fertilizing showers, but owes its fertility to the annual overflowings of the Nile, the adored river-god of the Pharaohs. The melting of the snow on the mountains of central Africa causes the river to begin to rise about the twenty-first of June. In July it overflows, and subsides in September. A rich deposit of mud is left, and ere the waters subside the husbandman wades over the ground and sows his seed upon the waters, which, as the waters subside, is deposited in the mud, springs up and bears fruit. Hence that beautiful figure, "Cast thy bread upon the waters, and after many days thou shalt find it again." The ruins of Egypt lie scattered along both banks of the Nile, and a voyage up this magnificent stream is one of the most delightful in the world. The clear sky, the pure, dry air, the waving palms, and the oriental character of the whole scene, while the mud huts of the Arabs, mingling with the mighty ruins of the past, so captivate the senses that it seems more the dream from some Arabian Night's Entertainment than a real voyage. There are some drawbacks, however, to the charms. One traveler relates that one night he encamped upon its banks, but could not sleep from the swarms of flies which tormented him. Rising from his couch, restless and nervous, he beheld his tent floor covered with toads. He proceeded forthwith to eject more than sixty from his door. Just as he was again about to lie down he espied in a corner a large toad, which, with imperturbable gravity, winked and snapped his jaws, each time taking captive a fly. Thereupon he arose, and driving the whole sixty toads back into his tent sought sleep once more. the people. The temples were colossal in their structure. Long avenues of sphinxes lead to gigantic gateways or propyla opening into vast halls, whose roofs were supported by rows of columns, sometimes sixty feet high. The walls and gateways, and even the columns, are covered with a multitude of inscriptions and pictures, recording the achievements of their kingly builders. Here a king is seen dragging along captives taken in some war-the distinctions of race are clearly marked in the figures. Accompanying him are men bearing spoils and leading animals peculiar to the captured country. The name and date are written above. "We have here the art of writing as a familiar practice, in the scribes who are numbering stores on every hand. There are ships which would look handsome in Southampton water any sunny day. There are glass-blowers who might be from Newcastle, but for their dress and complexion. There are flax-dressers, spinners, weavers, and a production of cloth, which an English manufacturer would study with interest. There are potters, painters, carpenters, and statuaries. The hunters employ arrows, spears, and the lasso. The lasso is as evident as There is the basti on the Pampas at this day. nado for the men and the flogging of a seated woman. Nothing is more extraordinary than the gymnastics and other games of the women. The great men are attended by dwarfs and buffoons, as in a later age; and it is clear that bodily infirmity was treated with contempt, deformed and decrepit persons appearing in the discharge of the meanest offices. It was an age when this might be looked for; when war would be the most promising occupation, and wrestling the prevailing sport, and probably also the discipline of the soldiery; and when hunting, fishing, and fowling would be very important pursuits. But, then, what a power of representation of these things is here! and what luxury coexisting with these pursuits! Here are harpers, with their harps of seven strings; and garments and boatsails with elegant patterns and borders, where, by the way, angular and regular figures are pointedly preferred; and the ladies' hair, disordered and flying about in their sports, has tails or tassels, very like what may have been seen in London drawing-rooms in no remote times. The incident which most reminds one of the antiquity of these paintings is, that the name of bird, beast, fish, or artificer is written up over the object delineated." The ruins are chiefly of stone, and consist of Miss Martineau. pyramids, obelisks, temples, and tombs. These are covered with inscriptions and scenes representing nearly all the manners and customs of This was the condition of Egypt and the state of the people when the "father of the faithful" visited the country. The Bible does not need the testimony of the Egyptian records to substantiate its claims. It rests upon an impregnable fortress of evidence peculiarly its own, and convincing to every one who carefully examines it. But the unscrupulous assertions of certain infidels, who are continually crying out that the discoveries in Egypt have contradicted the truth of the Bible, demands that the true state of the case be presented. There is some dispute, it is true, about some points in chronology, but this does not invalidate the credibility of the occurrence of the event, since time is not an essential element in the consideration of the facts of the Bible. So in profane history, a wrong date does not lead us to deny the actual occurrence of the event recorded. But while there is this slight difficulty, the discoveries of Egypt and Assyria have added greatly to the means of illustrating the manners of the people who lived at that time, as well as corroborating many important historical facts. We will commence these illustrations by THE LIFE OF ABRAHAM. It is in the person of this great patriarch that we are first brought in connection with Egyptian history. At the command of God he had left Ur, the land of the Chaldeans, and wandering, he knew not whither, he was divinely directed to the land of Canaan, the promised inheritance of his seed. Here we find him a pastoral chief of great substance and renown. At length a famine arose in Palestine, and he was compelled to go down to Egypt to obtain food for his household and flocks. But as he came near the confines of the country he became not a little anxious on account of Sarah, who, although sixty-five years old, was still sufficiently beautiful to be desired by the princes of Egypt, and thereby endangering the life of her husband. Therefore, he persuaded her to pass as his sister during their sojourn in that country. What he feared really came to pass; for the princes of Pharaoh saw her that she was very fair, and reported her to their royal master, who took her to his harem, conferring upon Abraham gifts of "sheep, and oxen, and he asses, and men-servants, and maid-servants, and she asses, and camels." But God interfered and acquainted Pharaoh with the true relation of Sarah to Abraham, by which he restored her with a mild reproof, and sent them away. Now, in this simple narrative there are certain facts stated which the monumental records attest to be true. ference of opinion may exist as to the chronological arrangements of dynasties and reigns, it is certain that Egypt then exhibited "indubitable evidences of mighty genius, abundant wealth, and great cultivation. At that period Thebes was the capital of a district to which it gave its name. The great temple of Karnack was completed in all its majesty and glory. The caves of Beni-Hassan, with their beautiful and elegant catacombs, displaying, even to this day, the most perfect architectural symmetry and arrangement, and ornamented throughout with colored figures and devices, had been excavated and finished. Heliopolis was also founded about this time, and its splendid obelisk, made out of a single block of granite, and covered with the most exquisitely sculptured hieroglyphics, had already been raised. Such works prove the power, wealth, and energy of Egypt, and attest the existence of art and science in great perfection."-Sacred Annals. 2. The kings of Egypt bore the title of Pharaoh at that time. Pharaoh is a misinterpretation of the Hebrew word Phrah. It was used sometimes as a proper name; sometimes the title "king of Egypt" is added; and sometimes the real name is given, as Phrah Necho, Phrah Hophra. It is a Coptic word, and signifies the sun, and is often represented on the monuments, written over the royal banners of some king, by the hawk, the winged globe, and sun, all emblematic of regal power. For as the sun is the ruler of all lesser lights, so in the king was to be found the source of all wisdom and power. The monuments, therefore, fully sustain the assertion of the Bible, that the kings of Egypt, from the earliest ages, were known by the title of Pharaoh. 3. Slavery existed in Egypt at that time. The oldest monuments contain representations of slaves. Indeed, it would be difficult to find any nation, in early times, where slavery did not exist. They were generally captives taken in war. They were both black and white, and they were found in the houses of the priests as well as of the military chiefs. The traffic in slaves was tolerated by the Egyptians, and many persons were engaged in bringing them for sale, as at present. It was a common custom of those days. Joseph was sold to Potiphar; the Jews had their bondsmen bought with money-Lev. xxv, 44— the Phoenicians, who traded in slaves, sold "the children of Judah and Jerusalem " to the Greeks-Amos iii, 6-and the people of Caucasus sent their boys and girls to Persia, as the That such was the case the dates and inscrip- modern Circassians do to that country and Turtions on the ruins amply testify. Whatever dif-key-Herod. iii, 97. 1. Egypt was then a powerful nation. |