Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1863-12-24

The September number Of Blsckwood' 9
Magazine contained a somewhat striking
srticle on this subject, which has lately at
traoied more than usual attention among
European antiquarians snd scholars. The
publication Of number of works has led
to much vigorous and sharp discussion.
There are periods when men seem moved
by peculiar epidemic 10 make assaults on
received history, and on the sacred Scrip
lures. sach period we are now passing
through. 1t is quite fsshionsble among
some classes Of critics to attack the histor-
ieal character Of tho books of Moses, and
the attack usually results in showing the
person who makes it to be equally opposed
to the Gospel and the laws. The man who
rejects Moses is found to have but slim
faith in Paul, and te be q mere theoreic
admirer Of the Messiah himself. There is,
therefore, good deal of infidelity ahoat
among the critics, and it is getting to be
rare 10 meet with q msn who stands up
boldly and says, There is the iPse dizit
Of God and stand by it." The most shall
low arguments pass for strong reasoning
with these men. They would not trust
money, not dollar, on evidence with 50
little strength IS that on which they ask
the world to repose its most vital interests.
A piece of old pottery dug out of deep
hole in the ground is the centre Of circle
Of heads Of wise men, who find in IL am
pie ground for rejecting the Mosaic account
Of the age of the world and the humsn
family. Some bones, found at the foot Of
cliff, over which they may have walked,
8 living man, within century, are the
sufficient evidence to learned gcologists,
that man existed twenty thousand years
ago.
The grand staggering argument, how
ever, which they seek 70 evsde or disprove
or otherwise dispose Of is that the evil
dences Of man's existence, in the work Of
his bands, the product OF his labor on the
surface Of the earth, all serve 10 confrm
the Mosaic account. We go back with hu-
man art to its very origin, and find that
origin at just about the time the Bible tells
US it was The Pyramids Of Egypt was q
fsvorite subject of discussion with those
antiquarisns, and as there is so much doubt
about them, they seek once in while, to
give the idea that they may be vastly older
than they have been supposed, and that
some ten or twelve thousand years may
is no better illustration than this of the
anxiety Of men to obtain some assistance
in the rejection Of the Bible. None Of
them pretend to give any proof Of the ex-
treme antiquity of the Pyramids Against
all the evidence OF their probable date, they
offer eonjectures and theories, but nothing
more. The age Of the Pyramids is indeed
By no means q settled matter. But there
is sufficient evidence 10 bring the Oldest of
them within the postdiluvian historic pc
riod. The writer in Black wood presents a
theory which is peculiarly interesting 1t
suppOBes the Pyramid of Cheops, GO called,
to have been created By e king who was a
worshipper Of the true God, before idolatry
was known to Egypt. In support Of this,
he cites the total absence Of idolatrous
monuments, the traditions CT the priests,
that they we're built by race Of " accurs-
ed kings who desplsed the gods, the
name Saophis tCheops), which Erstosthe-
mes translates " the hairy" indicating
PhenioisD, and not an Egyptian, and va
rious other noteworthy suggestions. 1t
has been frequently remarked that the
Pyramids are not mentioned in the Bible,
yet it is not improbable that in lob the al
lusion to des0late places" which kings
and counsellors Of the earth had built for
themselves, aed in which they were " at
rest" refers to the pyramids and other
Egyptian tombs. The idea that among the
splendid remains Of Egg ptian idolatry that
are lying shattered and broken along the
Nile banks, these silent. solemn monuments
are the remains Of an older and purer
faith, Nh,sh stands firm On the rock as Of
ID. eHtlsstiDg ths decay Of temples and
=; q false gods, is sn idea worth con-
aitaIs altaI9 ~ its very grandeur.-JoErEaI
of q a7Esycs