The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1877-12-16
THE ALEXANDER LIBRARY,
It's Origin, and Some Historical
Facts in Reference Thereto.
An Interesting Letter Read Before the
Association Here Friday Evening.


An Interesting Letter Read Before the
Association Here Friday Evening.
The Alexandrlan Library was estab-
lished and maintained by the Ptolemys.
The museum was not az it's name mig Int
imply, collection of curiosities, but an
institution of learning, consisting Of a
body of learned men, who devoted their
time to philosophical and scientific pur>
suits. The institution was richly endow-
ed. aud magnificent buildings were erect
I'd tor its use. The King who established
It began Immediately to make collection
OF books Tor the use Of the members
OF the institution. This was attended
with great expense, as every book that
was added TO the collection required to lie
with pen on parchment.
q ceat numbers OF scribes were constant
ly employed upon tins work at the mu-
scum. The Kings who were mostinter-
ested in forming that library would seize
the books that were possessed by indi>
yidlal scholars, or that were deposited
In the various cities of their dominions,
and then causing beautiful copies to be
made by the scribes of the museum they
would retain the originals for the great
Alexandrian Library, and give the cora
les TO the men or the cities that had been
thus despoiled. In the same manner,
they would borrow, as obey called it,
from all travellers who visited Egypt, any
valuable books they might have in their
possessions, and, retaining the originals
give back colics instead. In process OF
time the library increased TO four
hundred thousand volumes. There
was then no longer room In the Museum
for further additions. There was, hOw>
ever, in another part of the city, great
temple called Serapion. This temple was
a very magnificent cdilice, or, rather,
group OF ediilces, dedicated to the & cd
Of Scraps. The origin and history OF
this temple was very remarkable. The
legend was this 1t seems that one of the
ancient and long venera ted gods of the
Egyptians was diety named Scraps.
lie had been among other divlnitles the
object of Egyptian alteration ages before
Alexandria was buit or the Ptoemies
reigned. There was also, by curious
coincidence, q statue OF the same name at
great commercial town named SlnOpe,
which was built upon the extremity of a
promintory which projected from Asia
Minor into the EuXne sea. Sinope was
in some sense the Alexandria of the
North, being the centre and seat OF
great portion Of commerce Of that quar-
ter of the world The Scraps OF Sinope
was considered as the projecting diety of
seamen, and the navigatOrs who came
and went from the city made sacrifices
to him, and offered him prayers and
oblations, believing that they were in a
great measure dependent upon some
mysterious and inscrutabe power which
he exercised for their safety in storms.
They carried the knowledge OF his name,
and tales Of his imaginary interpretations,
to all the places that they visited, and
thus the lame of the god became eX>
tended, first 10 all the coast Of the EuXine
Sea, and subsequently to distant PROV
inces aud kingdoms. The Scraps OF
Sinope began to be considered every~
| where as the protecting god of seamen.
Ii is said that when the first OF the
Ptolimes was forming his various plans
for adjoining and aggrandi-ing Alexan-
dria, he received, he said, one night q
divine intimation in a dream that he was
| to obtain the statue OF Scraps from Sin.
ope, and set it up in Alexandria in a suit.
| able temple which he was in the mean.
time TO erect in honor OF the god. 1t Is
obvious that very great advantages &c
the city would result from the accom-
plishment OF this design. In the frs
place, q temple to the god Scraps would
be new distinction for 1t in the minds o.
the rural population, who would I'M
doubtedly suppose that the deity hons
ored by it was their own ancient god
Then the whole maritime and nautical
interests of the world, which had been
accustomed to adore the god OF Sinope,
would retl,rn to Alexandra as the great
centre of attraction, if their venerated
idol could be carried and placed in new
and magnificent temple made for him
there. Alexandria could never be the
chief naval port and station OF the world
unless il contained the sanctuary and the
shrine Of the god OF seamcn. Ptolemy
sent to the king of Slnope and proposed
to purchase the idol. The embassage
was unsuccessful. The king refused to
give up the god. The negotiations were
continued for two years, but all in vain
At length, on account Of the failure Of
the usual course of seasons on that coast
there was q famine there, which finally
became so severe that the people OF thu
city were induced to give up their deity
to the Egyptians for a supply OF corn
Ptolemy sent the corn and received the
idol. He then built the temple, which
when finished, surpassed in granduer ant
magniGcence almost every sacred struct
ure in the world. 1t was in this temple
that the successive additions to the AL
exandrian library were deposited whel
the apartments at the museum becam
| full. In the end there were tour hundred
thousond rolls or yolumns in the museum