The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1882-02-18
Woman in Ancient Egypt.

General statements are often modified by
the discovery of disturbing fact. 1t lis Gus
tomary to suppose that woman in the East
and in the ancient time was oppressed al
most to the position of a nonentity. Re
cent curious discoveries show that this was
so far from being the case in Ancient Egypt
that "Woman's Rights had there a devel-
opment to which the most exalted claims
of the modern school of reformers cannot
aspire. The writing of the ancient Egyp-
tians was of three kinds the hieroglyphie,
hieratic and demotic. The first two date
from remote antiquity, the last is traced
back only to the seventh century B. G. 1t
is the most difficult to decipher, and its
satisfactory translation may be said to have
been fairly entered upon only within the
last dozen years NJ Reyillout, a distin-
guished Psychological and Coptic scholar,
in 1877 commenced an examination of the
French National Collection of Egyptian
manuscripts. He continued his search
through all accessible European collections,
analyzing and copying several thousand
documents, and for the first time gauging
and appraising the demotic treasures of
Europe These proved to be of unsuspect-s
ed interest and Importance, comprising deeds
Of sale, Of transfer, of gift, of partnership,
Of endowment; leases of houses and lands;
mortgages, bonds, receipts for taxes and
other payments; marriage contracts, mar
siage settlements, title-deeds, inventories
and other such documents He found, also
such miscellanies as "Moral Precepts,
Manual of Witehcraft, books of fables
aud romances. These papers cover pc
rod of about five centuries prior to the
Roman conquest.
The most curious find Is in the papers
which throw light upon the marriage Gus
toms and social life Of the middle classes of
the Egyptians BY the marriage contracts
il appears that the succession to property
was in the woman, and the man wrote him
self as follows :-~Hor son of Petnef hop,
whose mother &. e the mother Of Horusl
is Senerius. In the contract, or rather
deed Of gift, Horas aecepts Set-ef-Ankh. as
his wife. This acceptance was provisional
ry, for one year. and in that year he Gov
enanted to pay her certain moneyS. The
eldest son of the marriage j. declared alb
solute heir of all his POSSESSIONS. II he
.'iissiains' his wife or takes another, be
binds himself 30 add about ten times the
amount Of the bridal gift, and 10 pay the
value Of the wardrobe which she brings.
At the end Of the year he promises to es-
tahlizh the woman as his wife. and the tie
then becomes indissoEihle Whether The
marriage Is thus confirmed or not, the eldest
son, il there be enc, Is heir to all his faith
er's possessions II the marriage Is con-
kruletl. the husband must, in her favor,
relinquish the FIRE control of his property.
For il amounted to ncthiRg lesz than that.
His wife once established, he Aecame do
messicaIly disfranehisod House and land
and securities were hers 10 dispose of al hsr
sole will and pleasure, and II the man de-
sired TO sen any part If his own estate. be
could only d. 80 IN the name Of his eldest
son. The only conditions on the wife 5
part are contained in the fellowiRg meek
pruyiso. which eonelatles one If these mar
rage settlements --AIt Is incumbent upon
thee 10 take care uf ase during my life, and
to charge thysclf with the expenses oE nay
emhalHanent and my memorial chapel after
my death. Neither son nor dAa-hteF hiss
any concern in this deed II y for me to
protect thee against claims Of theirs. Take,
therefore, this surrender If my property
forever - philadelphia Ledger,