The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1882-03-18
rryptian Idea Of Immortality.

me following curious Theory q life
.Is death. which influenced the IN
sn1t Esyptiops in the construction Of
tien;. ,,,ils, il taken from an illustrated
tbes. IN "Oricmtal and Early Greek
ral!.,."re. !" by Mrs. Lucy N. Mitchell,
scu .rp. January Century:
in t"I ryypt. from the very earliest time.
IL nn,i, was Of the greatest signifi-
the W t,,r sculpture. OF temple ruins on
eaneSS;, from, that hoariest past be-
Inc ;, ,h. First and Eleventh Dynas-
t"te"t ,..,,. is scarcely trace. How
tHs. ,h.. witness borne to the scpul-
'v'I =, on the plains Of Memphis, the
eIIa' If oldest Egypt! Along the
e"Pn of the desert stretches the vast
!''..nli.. with = hidden population Of
N"," ,I s.n.inclcd by tiiOse stupen-
,''." rosa, to,nl's. the Pyramids.
d 9,.,.,r. else have such preparations
W." WI" made Tor the final rest of the dead
f; in ibis great cdMl,O stlnfO Of the an
.i.n e.nli.r::'
'" rT'io.,.h mingled with much that was
Ind material. how vivid were the
'' a..,,t;,,,, nl that ancient people con-
'" '";n, the futur. world! They I've
, t, III, lie hut al:' episode in an
'e' ',',, existence. Death to them was
t n. real lie. only evil spirits being
,.,trn ~ * dead. The coffin was cal:-
T,i, ..ri. It OF the living" But to the
80 .;.ut Egyptian the immortal part,
a." .na,i r. death. WAS IN some mysteri-
- ,,..,v .i-,. ,,.i.I,t inr its contentcti ex-
.,.u,,. ,..r,n III. preservation Of the
,,.,,. hence the Importance Of enllEslln-
;,r liz, care taken ~ keep the l,tnly as
T.",.,;t,. n, possible and secure from
n,r,, during the long period o: the
'" ..,,'. ,,r relation. The ''ctcrnal dwell
,;n", :" \. II in the solid rock, high
';,.,. lie floods, We're in strong con-
,,,,; 20 the :,;ns;.,S nf the living, built
.;,I,;u real, Of the swelling ri e, and
~: which scarcely :. vcstigc remains.
T'h.. n,a.>iv. chamber Of this tomb
ul.r,. lies he nIll,nnly is piciureiess,
.r., rs entrance is closed Ivy solid ma
',ury. From il shaft lead. up, which
Wen. nj many place, thirty meters deep,
en-, WAS filed wi u u dense BASS Of
Earth and stone, making more inviolate
IN. m,..,my's rest. Over the concealed
.ntran.c 81 this shaft there rises that
ahcr essential part Of the tomb. the s:.-
cred chapel (nlusttibu) Of equally solid
construction.
Ina dark recess lsorv2u6) aside from
this chapel, are found many statues
walled up. These are usually twenty
or more in nuni,cr, and represent the
,e,,.,<r.l with great diversity. TO what
.,r,ose arr they here? Singular I've
ipEs. prevalent among the Egyptians
and read from the hicro:ylypilics by
Na-,er,, furnish US with the key to this
pr'blcm.
An immortal second self, kn, some
what resembling the ''eitlOlOM" Of the
tricks and the shade Of the Romans
VIA believed to spring into being with
every mortal, grow with his growth, and
srcvnlany him after death. SO close
was the relationship Of this strange dOu-
HE kn to mans proper being, that it was
"fthe greatest Importance to provide 1t
with u material AMI imperisl,able body
which it should occu py after death,
sharing with the mummy the security
Of the ''etrrlal dwel!ing." It was l'e-
level that the shade Eu could come out
Of this statue and peranlbula!e among
men in true ,:In,>tly fashion, returning
+" it 1T will. I'h;., stony body for the
lead mans i,s was naturally made in
hi, exact likeness, and also bore an in
aription stating his name and qualities.
But single statue might perish, and
future happiness liz thus forfeited.
Hence tina: most unique feature Of
Egyptian S,a'M.ry, the multiplication
n; the portrait. ot the deceased IN his
tomb.