The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1864-02-18
KEOKUK:
The Pyramids: Who Built Them
And Why!
From Blsckwood's Magazine


evenly more Of inferior size exist in Low
Egypt)--stand in diagonal line from
ortheast to southwest, with the sides of
ach exactly facing the four cardinal
POINTS. The northern is the largest, and
usually called The first, though some con-
ceive The second, or middle one, to be in
truth the 6est These two differ in size
and construction. covering over some
twelve acres of ground, and rising to
height Of four hundred end fifty feet.
They are now the only surviving rem
nanls OF The famous Seven Wonders OF the
World, and are without doubt the Oldest
rs we'll as the largest edi6ces extant.
The third is bat half their size, but OF
superior construction. AL three, as Hero
dotus was informed, were executed by the
hugs whose names they bore, for their
o.n sepnichTes: tie first BY Cheops, who
* sned iity years, the second by bis
brother Gephrenes. who reigaed fifty six
yelrs; tn,. the third By MyceriDus, son
oi Cheops. They were faced with slabs
OF stone carefully formed, from top to
bottom. There was an Inscription on the
side of Che first pyramid, from which
EIrelotuss guide read To him that six
tn hundred talents OF silver had been
espendel IN buying radisbes. onions, and
a.sl 10 ihe wQgkmen
No oiaer writing is mentioned, and
tbs has long since disappeared with the
easing stones. which tie Arabs stripped
of the pyramids 10 use 10 huiiing their
cty D. bEasrei (iahireh (Misraim the Vie
II ious,) by oebelievefs gnorantlY called
iFo. lierodotus learot that this stone
VS. brou shl from The Nile, aud drawn by
q iauseway erected for the purpose from
Tia river the end Of the desert. This
"a lseway, which took ten years IN build.
,-and was formed Of polished stones,
sculpture witt animals was, in his opin-
on. worE lite interior Il the pyramid
itself
Il bat shy tie pyramids themselves
Post they affirm themselves to be totnbs
81 temples Sepuichral vaults have
IS u disc -sered under each, bat there is
Is trace d any religious USES Whatever
The vaults, however, haze no commuui-
csGsons-and never could have any
with the Nile, being all considerably
;teve the level Hence. the story Of
Caaops and his illsurlted tomb only prove
t.. the priests were mt acquainted with
tie interior Of the pyramids At what
TINE they were first opene !, We know not,
apRarently not tiil after llerodolus's visit,
rerasps t-.ofs StraD :, aho lnentions
the entrance INTO the larger one covered
hg . movable stote. they were probl.
bt violated by the Persians, and certain
lF ~ the -Arahian caiphs Of the seventh
century Hence the absence Of body,
of any trace 81 one. IN The larger pyra-
una, doe net amount 80 confederation
- IL leeud that the founders were
ne9r buried there Though the vault is
rY, the Crest Pyrsmid contains ehat
aei'aer uefadotus nor Diodorus ever ex-
pisd, q cbamber-indeed two = in the
rs & ot Tive sunnrstructufe and IN one
q 'aese, ctled the Kings Chamber, a
l'sia eraa',e sarcophagus still remains.
mus! &c Noted that all ,he chambers
ana vaults IRE secured by portculiises Of
So q, witt every preeauiion against dis
tufasnce o. subsequent entry.
Aaothel point 70 be noted is, that the
vsal are inferred by slopng passages
oetaing hieh 10 the northern face Of each
p p aid. ;Wd running ut about the same
auze straight into the bowels Of the
earth. 10 the Great Pyramid the pass.
aee upH rls Of three hundred lcet long.
ani 50 exactly straight that the sky Is
visible from the lower end. ltsancle
VISA the harizo is 9j:4l, which, accord
ine - calculation made bY Sin John
Z rschel, would have pointed four thous-
aaa Sears aeo ID the star in the cons.ei-
latt.a ~ Daea, 'rtieR ,c9s hea t1e norfi
as- This TACT has been called in to as.
sls - deie 1unlng the date Of the strac.
tue 40 alI eveuis, when coupled with
iae exact cmpiacament of the sides. It
proves that some astronomical considera-
ti"as we're in view, though the pyramids
we1s hardly suited for 7bsereatories
laron Bunsen insists on idolatry being
coaFal wish Che language and nationality
81 egypt, a03 VIII allow of no such
chsnees IN TIE religion or monarchy
through al his romantic periods But
inquiries Of a lower flight will find in the
If 4mids themselves the clsarest evidence
% g east an entire revolution. Not only
ate i'iay mani!estly different in character
lsem al othes monuments, but the very
y 81 theaf erigiu was lost. The idol
knew tbing about them. Their
leaa2efs we've impIous, acoursed men who
caseI the carries pbilit;,, ~ o.