Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1847-06-03

This is not the place for even the most
reverentlal inquiry into the relation between
the Egyptian theology and philosophy, and
the system of Moses. That great subject
must be left untouched, nov and here and
must come down at once 10 the time when
Egypt had sunk from her highest pitch of
greatness, and had'been conquered, first by
the Persians and then by Alexander the Great.
| will only observe that Moses was the SON
in-law of a priest, and must therefore have
been Of the pries'ly caste of that caste
which held more power, more knowledge,
more wealth, and higher station than any
other. An cid Egyptian historian declares
that Moses was himself learned priest of
lleliopolis. We cannot suppose this to be
true but it shows how he was connected
in the popular belief with the priesthood,
and how naturally much of his system must
have been derived from the institutions of
the country he was brought up in.
The despsed Israelites spread and con-
quered their enemies, and became a nation
powerful enough to have acknowledged in
ierconrse Of war or peace with the kings of
Egypt. King Solomon married princess
born and reared in the Nile valley; and
when Solomon died, his father-in-law, Shis-
hank, went up against Jerusalem, and brought
home many captives and grevous spoil.
have seen on the walls of The great temple
OF Karnac, at Thebes, sculptured group of
jewish capllves, whom the conqueror was
holding by the hair Of their heads and rails
ing his war-knife over them, while they i'm
plored mercy with uplifted hands.
These battle pieces abound on the walls
and gates of the grand old temples which
are ranged along the Nile valley as far as it
has been explored and they remind every
one who looks at them of the battles of
Homer's poems-except in the great point
that Homer makes the gods take part in
wars, while the Egyptian gods were of too
high an order to be so debased by human
passions. Some scholars think that Homer
had seen the city of Thebes, of which he
gives such magnificent reports, and where
he represents the gods as coming down to
visit the noble inhabitants. 1t is pleasant to
think, while gazing abroad, that the father of
poetry saw what see, and wrought his
Eplcs and his mind from looking on the
sculptured walls that have been studying.
About another great man-the first of his
class-The old hI-l------...h@.,a schoI.rs
Venera'e as the father of history, there is no
such doubt. We have his account ofEgvp,
IN his day and so remarkable is his vene-
ration for the antiquity of the Egyptian
usages and edifces, that shall ever think
OF HIM as standing before the great monu-
ments OF the land-a learner-as we are.
he knew we'll enough, and plainly declared
that the Greeks derived their religion from
the EgyPilans-a thing which it would be
hard TO doubt when we think of their &C.
count of the scene after death-their river
Styx, their ferryman Charon, their dog Ger
berus, and the judges. All this natural, and
solemn amid the funeral scenery of Mem
ph's was borrowed and spoiled by the
Greeks-as was much else which is sup
posed to be their own. If any thing is cal
lea Greek more emphatically than another.
1t IS the philosophy of Plato; but Plato liv-
ed thirteen years at Heliopolis, studying
philosophy under the priests, who were con-
sldered masters of all learning. No one will
undertake to say that we should have had
Plato's philosophy as it is, if he had not
studied under Egyptian sages for thirteen
years: This happened nearly 400 years be-
lore the time of Christ.
Now, after considering these things, and
seeing what Egypt was while the rest of the ,
known world was in an infantne Or barba-
rous state, what becomes of our pride of
knowledge and achievement? 1t is clear t
that the Egyptians Of the time of Abraham, {
and for generations before his day, could do t
hlngs of which we are incapable, and had S
knowledge which is yet concealed from US. S
Amid their abstract religion and high phi t
osophy, they pursued fierce and cruel
warfare, as was mems way in the early ages
Of the world. Amid our nober and purer e
elIglon, and the lights of many thousand h
ears, men and nations now are quarreling P
nd fighting, and cannot even carry the point
hat every member of society shall have suf- n
'cIent food Surely, there is matter for deep 4
consideration here. s.
The land of Egypt is now Inhabited by
Arabs who know nothing, hope nothing,
are tor nothing, but living on as quietly as IS,
hey can under despotism which they can Il
OF resist Parents cut off their children's IA
est finger, that they may be unable to write
+ to ire off musket; and if man earns r
ny thing that he likes, he conceals it lest Z
should be taken from him. They choke S,
the solemn old temples with mud hu,s, III
nd build their novels on the holy roofs.
hey burn statues for lime, split the head
granite colossus to make mIl-stones ii:
hey light fires against the painted walls of tn
1tIque tombs, and, in search of treasure. to
'ush under foot the bones of the kings to
he temples are filling up with the sand of a.,
e desert, and the tombs are decaving I'M
er the ignorance and violence of man. But