The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-04-13

views OF the latest and most eminent
writer on the subject. We propose,
therefore, for moment to examine the
figures which he propounds as furnishing
us approximately the correct date for the
beginning of the Egyptian monarchy.
The thorough Investigations, he says,
which have been made "have shown the
absolute necessity of supposing in the
list Of Manetho contemporary and col
lateral dynasties, and thus of diminish
ing considerably the total duration of the
thirty Dynasties." "His figures" he
adds are Gin deplorable state" He
rejects all the previous attempts at con-
structing chronology for Egypt, either
from Manetho or from the lists of the
kings on the monuments and papyri, or
from astronomical calculations.
We have it still in our power, how
ever, according to our author, to arrive
approximately at the dates of the dynas-
ties and the monarchs that belong to
them. This is done in the following
manner. The new Table of Abydus, dis
covered eleven years ago in corridor OF
the temple of Seti I. at Harabat-el-M
founeh, gives succession of IS kings
from Mena, founder of the line, down to
the last reign of the Twelfth Dynasty.
From the Eighteenth Dynasty down to
Ramses II. of the Nineteenth Dynasty
are, according to the same table, II kings
Then there were 19 court-architects, lin
eally succeeding each other, from the
reign of Ramses II. to the reign of Darius
1. (B. @. $3.50, second king of the Twenty
Seventh Dynasty. 1t will be observed
that SO far there is gap between the
Twelfth and Eighteenth Dynasties.
DIR. Brugsch-Bey remarks, that "as-
Stunning now, according to the well-known
calculation of the father of history, Hero
dotus, the round number of century
for three consecutive human lives, we
possess a means of determining approx
mately the periods of time which have
elapsed on the one hand from king Mena
to the end of the Twelfth Dynasty, and
again from the beginning of the Eigh-
tenth Dynasty to the end of the Twenty
Sixth" Thus we have for the 65 kings
from Mena to the close of the Twelfth
Dynasty On ultiplying IS by 333) period
of 2, l66 years. The 81 generations from
the beginning of the Eighteenth Dynasty
down to Darius I. give 1888 years. For
the gap from the. Twelfth to the E gh-
teenth Dynasty, Dr. Brugsch conjectures
period of some 500 years Adding these
figures together with 525 more years from
Ramses II. to Darius) he concludes that
the historical beginning of the Egyptian
Empire would fall about the year 1924
BIC.
This is theory: now for fact. Does
any line of kings give an average reign
OF 80 years for each king? We can test
it by referring to history that aOe do knoaO.
Let US take the kings of England from
William the Conqueror to Victoria-A.
D. 1860 to A. D. 1837-(771 years.
There have been 50 sovereigns in this
time-average duration of reign % years.
Let us take the kings of France for the
same period, from Philip I. to Louis
Phillipe-1060 to 1830-(77O years..
There were 80 kings-average reign a
little over % years. Take Germany from
Henry ~. to Ferdinand of Austria
1866 to 1935-(779 years.) There were
43 emperors-average reign 19 years.
For the same period, beginning with San
cho II. of CASTLE in 1865, and coming
down to Isabella II, in 1843, Spain had
a succession of 80 kings-their average
reigns being over % years. Taking all
OF these examples, the average duration
OF reign has been about 81 years. Now
let US multiply the kings on the Egyp-
tan lists (and the architects)-96 in all
by q instead of by 33b, and we have
as the product 2O16 years. Add the
500 years fer the gap from the Twelfth
to the Eighteenth Dynasty, and we have
25l6 years from Mena to Darius l., in
stead of 1924 But instead of 500 years
for the gap referred to- let us substitute
$50 years, which will cover the period
of the Hyksos kings, and we have as the