Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1844-01-12


diacs arc TO be found in the porticos Of two
temples at Esnek; but there the head of Isis
is altogether wanting, and the dissection of
signs takes place between Virgo and Leo,
instead Of between Leo and Cancer. This
dissection has been supposed by some TO have
IA reference to the places of the snlstices s.
but the snpposiion is considered by others
as entirely arbitrary, and would give to these
temples an antiquity which other circumstan-
ces by no means seem to support. Fourier
con]ecturcs that the head Of Isis, substituted
in the place of Cancer, indicates that Syrius
rose hcliacally, when the sun was in that con-
slellation, which took place more than TWEEN
ty centuries before the Christian era. M.
Blot magines this to indicate that Syrius
rose with the stars Of Cancer, near which the
sun was at the time of the summer solstlce,
and refers the monument to about the year
700 B. C. There is in the interior Of the
temple at Dendereh another Zodiac, sculp-
tured on ceiling, in which the signs are ar
ranged in circle, and here again the Can
Ger is thrown out of its proper line, its place
being occupied by a neurological figure, be-
low which is the symbol of Isis. Blot has at
tempted to prove that this circular Zodiac is
planisphere, representing the appearance
of the heavens at midnight, or the summer
solslice, about seven centuries before the
Christian era. M. Champolion thinks he has
deciphered among the hieroglyphics on the
ceiling of the temple, the word autokrator,
which would seem to indicate that the sculp-
lures in question were as recent as the Roman
empire. But this by no means precIudes the
possibility that they may represent more
ancient sphere. That the tenn pie itself is no,
of great antiquity many circumstances seem
to indicate but the question to be solved is
whether the astronomical phenomena it de-
pcts are, or are not, to be referred to some
more distant epoch, Which it was intended to
record?
1t is generally known, that the French
mathmeticians discovered in the astronomical
drawings, at Dcndereh, compared with the
corresponding embIems at Esnch. proofs OF
an antiquity usually thought inconsistent with
the chronology of the sacred writings. Sig
nor Viscon, published some calculations on
the subject, which drew from LaLande Sc
ries of remarks, Inserted IN the " Commas
sances des Temps" for the year 1907
These authors agree in the conclusion that
the Zodiac of Denderch must have been
era or at least before the year 132 of our
epoch. NJ. Hamilton discovered two facts
which tended greatly TO confirm the opinion
now stated; the one fixing the cycle of IT.
berus as the period TO which may be refer
red the construction of the building; the 9TH
or aflording the most unequivocal proof that
the simmer solstice was in Cancer when the
Zodiac was carved; whence it follows that
the date in question could not be far reno.
we'd from the birth of Christ. The coinc.
dcnce here between the deductions of the as
tronomcr and the observations of the travel
Ter, is very striking and strengthens our con-
/ fdence in both.
But the speculations on the celestial plan
isphcrc as they assume a wider range have
not produced the same unanimity. From
certain figures introduced, La Lande is oil
opinion that it must have been composed a,
the time when the summer sostcc was in the
middle of the sign Cancer, or in other words
about 5000 years ago md he refers US to
the arguments he has adduced in another
work, TO prove that it was about the period
first mentioned, when the system oftlie heav-
ems was constructed, in which Eud0xtus, SOC
years afterwards, and Aratns his follower de-
scrbed the sphere. While however he at.
tributes this antiquity to the Denderch Zodiac
he has no hesitation in allowing the probabili.
~ that the temple itself, within which it is
engraved, may be of IA much later date
From reasonings which we have no time to
detail, NJ. Hamilton nltrs that We cannot as.
sign to this astronomical picture, any anliqui.
" less remote than 1900 years the period
which, the sun must have taken to pass through
the two adjacent signs of Leo and Cancer
according to the annual procession of the
cquinoxcs. He admits, indeed, in a note
tina, by placing the sun in the middle of Lee
at the time of the solsiice when this Zodiac
was constructed, we shall assign to it only the
antiquity of 5000 years; that is, 14O0 year.
before the Christian era. This would leave
a space amply sufficient for the acquisition o
Astronomical knowledge between the deluge
and the date specified.
The reasonings and conclusions of which
the preceding is an outline, have drawn up.
on their authors load of calumny, by NJ
means juslifiable on any of the ground.
which generous and candid criticism i.
wont to assume. The positions, indeed
which they abored to establish, are liable to
attack from various quarters; and especial.
ly because they are founded on very in
correct copy of The astronomical sculpture.
which they were designed to explain. Dc.
non, who copied them appears 10 have spen,
but ore day amidst the ruins of Dendereh
on task which would have furnished ample
employment for several weeks; and accord
ing ly it is now generally admitted that his
drawings do not exhibit an exact representa-
ton either of the Zodiac or the plainsphere
DR.. Richardson who had an opportunity Of
comparing the French work with the orgi-
nal, admits the elegance of the execution,
but declares "that it is perfectly foppish and
not the least Egyptian in its style or manner.
1t is, besides, extremely incorrect both in
the drawing Of the figures and in the hero
glyphcs, as wei! as in the number of stars
which accompany them; which last are both
fewer in number and differently arranged