Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1845-02-22
ANCIENT EGYPT.

ANCIENT EGYPT.
Mr. GLrpoN has recently been delivering a Sc
ries ofinteresting lectures on Ancient Egypt,
in Philadelphia, The following, showing the
connection of the theological dogmas and wor.
ship ofthe Egyptians with scriptural history,
will be read with interest We copy from the
Phila. Ledger -
On Monday week last, Mr.. G. brought his
highly interesting course of lectures to close,
much to the regret Of the numerous intelligent
audience which has attended them The con-
GLIDING lecture was devoted in great measure
to subjects connected with the theological dog
mas and worship OF the Egyptians Mr. G.
commenced by defining the ages Of writing, as
elucldated 10y the recent researches of The Sna-
ogucs and llierologists. These ages are:
l. The igurntve or hierogyphica age, whose
written language consists Of the figured repre-.
sentaton of objects and ideas. This was the
earliest form of the Chinese as well as the E.
gyptiap character, and it is here that they re.
semble one another, diverging as they improve,
as is demonstrated in the Sinico-Egypiiacd Of
Pd-uthier This resemblance arose from the
fact that they both copied from the same origi-
nal, and not from any intercourse between the
two nations Thus, when either wished to en-
press the sun, lie drew an orb it the moon,
| crescent, &c.
H. The altered and conventional representa-
ton of objects. This may be called the transi.
ton age, in which pictorial representations are
more and more mingled with phonetic signs.
To this age belong the Chinese character and
the various forms Of hieroglyphical writing
found on the monuments of Egypt.
Ill. The purely phonetic expression of the
artlcuaions OF the human voice. This is the
alphabetic uge This does not extend back
much beyond Cadmus in the 10th century, B.
c., and was adopted by Moses in the 18th cen.
,ury. At this period it was still imperfect the
vowels and other letters having been added tc
the alphabet at a later date. From these al
Our European alphabets are derived. The auo
maly in the derivation of alphabets is the San
skirt, the parent of several modern lIindos,aniC
alphabets, the antiquity of which ascendS to a
least B. C. 3l5 mOnumentoHy, but how Ions
prior is unknown-certainly TO beyond the liti
century, b. c.
All known alphabe's can be traced back I,
one OF three sources-the Chinese, Egyptian an,
Sanskrit The two former required transplant
ing TO other nations, TO produce purely alpha
betica writing but the San skirt, the most per
feet of all alphabets, seems to have bounded in
to existence at once, at an unknown period q
time
Mr. G. then went on to consider some Of tht
religious symbols found upon the monuments
These emblems belong to the second o:the age
Just indicated,
The winged globe is an emblem Of an attri
butte of the Almighty, personifed under tn
form Of Har-hat, the good genius, correspond
ing to the Agahodoemon of the Greeks. Tn
kings, temples ard habations Of Egypt wer
under his especiul protection. His definition
'scienee and celestial light personlfed." Tn
symbol, as presented, was a compound one
The globe is the disc OF the sun, Pre-. sola
viyifying influence, snrmounted by the horns z
Amun, typical of frontal br intelectua power
Amun symbo'z'd the divine creative wisdom
and is the IAN of the Hebrews, (meanjn
, truth,) whence comes our Amen, $50 BE- i" a
ruth itself The wings are those of vullur,
! representing Maut, the female principle or d
vine mother. Attached To the globe are III
=, asps OF Neph, who signify the spirit Of Go,
. breathcd into our nnstrIls. The asps are Npjca
also, of royal Dominion, and are both crowue,
one with the OuaJSh, the white helmet, an
, the other with IIOSar, the red helmet Thes
:. crowns symbolize the upper and lower regions
# aud, on the head ot these asps, mean dominic
. over heaven and earth. Below these again ar
=, The symbols OF immortal liie--the crosses.
l. Mr., G. suggested that most probably the prc
phet Malachi (v. q alluded 10 this figure whe
n he used the Spression--"'l'he sun ofriehteou
!, ness shall arise with healing in his wings' II
also stated that urtranslalion of Isaiah, XVIII
a is erroneous, and should resd-"Wo, land OF III
a ! winged globe - meaning, eyidently, Egypt, @