The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1880-07-08
Woman in Ancient EgYpt.

It is not generally understood, by the
way, that woman in Ancient Egypt was
hOnOred and respected equally as man.
There was among the Egyptians lofty
appreciation Of the marriage tie. The
wifeis name was often placed before that
of her husband, and the sons often bore
the names Of the mothers, instead Of
those Of the fathers. Women often sat
upon the throne and administered all
the affairs Of the government. The as
seTtiOn We so often hear in these days,
that woman has always occupied a posi-
tion Of subjeciion to man, is glaringly
false. In Ancient Egypt, he possessed
no important right which was not
equally shared with her. 1t is impossi-
ble 10 look upon the statues of that pe-
riod and not feel what high degree Of
culture was fairly claimed by the race.
The very household furniture is such as
one might buy this day. We find,
among other things, boards for check
ers, paint-boxes, knives, needles, pOma-
tum-bOXes, straw baskets, a child's ball
for playing, made of elastic palm fibres,
dried fruits, fine cakes OF bread, such as
we use to-day, and many of the surgical
instruments are quite identical. Here
tOfOre, the crOwning age of Egypt has
been referred to the reigns of the Pha-
raOhs. This proves to be a mistake.
That was probably the age of the great
est political power; but, compared with
the remains then two thousand years
/ old, we find a great falling off in the arts
Of that time. Between the tenth and
eighteenth dyuasties there is a long pc
/ riOd Of rested progress. The Hyksos, or
/ the Shepherd Kings, invaded Egypt two
thousand years B. c., and ruled the
country for five hundred years. Who
they were was not known until Marryat
discovered some statues OF their Kings,
by which it seems quite certain tnaL
thev were a wandering Tartar race from
Central Asia. The subsequent rebellion
AGAINST them by the Egyptians, after
r1Ie of five hundred years, affords a
noWerfuI illustration Of the vitality Of
national sentiment among the Egyp-
tiaus. King AmOses began a later en-
nfre TO which the earlier ones we're in
every way inferior. Egypt it was that
gave letters TO the Phenicians, astron-
8my TO the Chaldeans, art to the Greeks,
aud the right of circumcision to the
| Hebrews. After the rebellion against
/ the Shepherds, there grew up a second
power. The descendants Of the old rulers
| re-ascended the throne and became con-
qGerors in return. Their kings went
abroad themselves in search of conquest,
/ but they closely guarded their territory
at home against the intrusion of foreign
ers. Even the Israelites who followed
Joseph into Egypt were confined to the
laud Of Goshen. The prevention of q
/ new invasion was at the bottom Of their
exclusive policy. When this policy be-
came weakened afterward, the last and
fatal invasion soon followed. After the
conquest Of Cambyses, Egypt never pos
sessed more than the mere shadow Of
her former existence. An age Of devel-
opment must be accompanied by intel
lectual freedom. We have, therefore,
the best right to assume that the forces
Of the main elements Of civilization
were stronger in the earlier than 10 the
later dynasties Of Ancient Egypt.-Bdy-
ard Taylor.