The sun., 1881-06-26

successor. tho fourth King. Egyptian history
becomes involved in profound darkness. which
concoas oven tho sliEhtcat vestices Of tho exist
ence OF sovoreigns. whose names. however.
have been preserved on tho walls OF Abydus |
and Saduarah. There is reason to believe that |
during tho next 800 years. period nominally |
occupied by flvo dynastios tho old empire was |
really split up into petty kingdoms. afflicted |
with civil wars and royal murders. and that |
rntrogresson occurred from tho high state OF |
civilization reached under the fourth and nith |
dynastlcs. u rctrogression from which Egypt |
never recovered ns regards the conception and |
execution OF works Of art The only names |
worth mentioning In this long period are those
OF Mentu- -hotcp and Sankh-ka-ra. The former.
who was OF Thoban origin. reunited Egypt and
set the royal seat in the future metropolis OF
Thebes. 1t is also recorded Of him that he sank
doep well ton cubits In diameter in the arid
desert traversed by tho caravan route between
Koptos and the Rod Sen. Under Sankh- kara
took place the first voyage to Ophir. which In
Egyptian annals should be identified with tho
present coast Of the land OF Somauli. opposite
to Arabia.
Tho twelfth dynasty. whose princes were OF
Theban origin. covers II period OF about 200
yo2ys from 24G6 to 1888 b. G. The high dis
tinction OF this age rests not only on tho great
ness OF the sovereigns. although 1t was illus
trated by the wisdom OF their government at
home and by victories abroad. Art also re-
| vived under these rulers. and from the hands
| OF skilful masters there proceeded an immense
| number OF beautiful works and pictures. A
| memorial stone which now may be seen in Lon
| don. bears witness that tho power OF this dy-
misty was extended toward tho south beyond
the normal bounds OF the empire into the land
| OF tho The Obnliskz prnntod by
tho kings OF this family at He'll
| opolls wore supposed to be the oldest
I in the world till the discovery OF
those OF the eleventh dynasty. 1t is from on In
scription Of this age that we learn how dill
| gently the learned men on the banks OF the
| Nile were occupied in watching the course of
tho stars and viewing their complete cycles in
| connection with the regularly recurring phc-
nomena OF the cultivated earth. Tho rich
paintings which cover the wall surfaces OF the
tombs of this epoch have an inestimable value
for our knowledge Of the arts and trades. as
well US OF the domestic and public life
of the Egyptians OF this time. 1t was one
| OF this dynasty, by tho way. who con-
structed tho wonderful lake Moeris. that
incompatible reservoir OF whose vastness
and utility the ancients could not say
enough. 1t has recently been proved that this
basin was excavated in tho southeastern part OF
the Fayoum. where the depression OF the
| ground and the ruins OF ancient dykes exactly
designate its site. The same king built In the
neiGhborhood OF the lake the labyrinth SO eel
ebrated in antiquity. According to Srabo. this
labyrinth. like the great kingdom in miniature
was composed OF as many palaces as there were
homes in Egypt. Nothing remains OF 1t at the
present day but small heaps OF stone.
UnGer the Middle Empire. rs the kingdom OF
the twelfth dyyasty ia called. the Egyptians
| kept up very active commerce. not only with
tho south and west. but with the inhabitants Of
Palestine and adjoining countries in the East.
To the world at that time the Nile land ap-
| peared the centre OF civilization. and during
the anarchy which followed the disappearance
OF the twelfth dynasty It became the object Of
frequent predatory inroads from tho East.
During large part. indeed. Of tho 500 years
between 2233 and 1888 b. c. new lords OF
foreign origin settled in the eastern part OF tho
| Egyptian lowlapds. and gradually drove back
the old race OF sovereigns. These foreign con-
auerors were the so-called Hyksos or Shepherd
Kings. Tho dominance OF Semitic invaders in
Egypt is unQuestonably one OF tho most curious
episodes in the ancient historY Of the Nile val
ley. On tho eastern boundary OF the Delta.
Semitic tribes had always been conterminous
with inhabitants OF pure Egyptian race. and
under the twelfth dynasty this district had been
fortresses, once taken. became for centuries
the stronghold OF the Hyksos invaders AL
though the period Of the Shepherd Kings s
one OF the most obscure in Egyptian history.
tho present state OF research enables DR..
Drugsch to answer n number Of pertinent and
interesting questions. 1t is known that the
Semitic princes. who undoubtedly came from
Syria, chose as the capitals OF their Egyptian
dominions the city OF Zoan on the northeast
ern frontier. and the town OF Avarls. on the
east side OF the Pelusac arm OF the Nile. 1t
appears that the foreigners adopted not only
the customs and manners OF me Egyptians. but
also their official language and writing. They
were also patrons OF art. but although tho
Egyptian artists. working for their new mas
tiers. kept in their architecture to the patterns
OF their forefathers. yet in their statues they
were Obliged TO reproduce the expression OF the
foreign physiognomy. the peculiar arrangement
OF the beard. the head dress and other char
acteristics OF the Semitic costume. 1t is note-
worthy that the Syrian invaders honored as the
Supreme God OF thor newly acquired country.
not Osiris but Set. who. according to tho
Egyptian conception was Satan. the origin OF
all that is evil and perverso in the visible and
invisible world 1t is also probable that tho
foreign lords introduced new era which.
down to tho reign OF the second Ramses. 400
years later. was employed by the Egyptians
themselves in the reckoning OF time. Prof.
Brugsch has no doubt that the Egyptians were
indebted for much useful knowledge to
their contact with their Semitic masters; (;
in particular. the horizon OF their artistic
views was expanded. and new forms wore in
troduced into Egyptian art whose Semitic ori-
gin is obvious from single glance. No doubt
the traces OF the Hyksos domination would be
much moro distinGushable had not the kings
OF tho eighteenth dynasty. who wore OF pure
Egyptian race made 1t their chief business TO
obliterate every remembrance OF the hated in
truders. There is little reason to question the
current opinion that tho immigration OF Jacob
into Egypt took place under the Hyksos domi-
| "a 10 InsaIh ann nlnvnl