Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1889-11-29
VERY ANCIENT HISTORY.
an Event Of which fh- World Ha. Re-
NAMED ignorant 1000 Years.

an Event Of which thu World Ha, Re-
manned Ignorant 1000 Years.
Inc momentous fact now bursts upon
The world that In the fourteenth year
Of the reign OF ftolemy Pbiladclphus
one OF the royal goose herds wrote
'etter stating that he could not supply
Twelve ge pc wanted for the Kings fes-
tlval. OF this simple fact the world
las been In ignorancs for over four
thousand years; yet we are now as
sured OF IL on as irrefragibls historical
evidence as that which tells us that the
rharaoh OF Joseph's time imprisoned
MS chief butler and chief baker for
probably as small an offense. 1t comes
about in this way: The state paper
concerning the royal geese was duly
pigeon-holed. and after the lapse OF
years. perhaps, was disposed OF az
waste papyrus. 1t fell into the hands
u the undertakers. who used 1t along
with lot OF similar material in MAX
ing the cartonnage head-case for a
mummy.
This mummy was entombed in the
metropolis OF little town (the cite Is
called Iell Gurob at this day. which
began to fall into decay about the time
OF Menepthab. the supposed Pharaoh
OF the Exodus. 1t has been disin-
TERED by Mr.. Petrie in the course OF
his last seasons excavations in the
fayoum. The head-case, with a thin
covering OF plaster over all, was soaked
In water. and the papyri of which it
was composed bee ane separated with
out injury to the original writing.
thus we come to know about fhe
gooseherd and about as many other
Tar more interesting facts in connec-
ton with everyday life and affairs of
the Egyptians of that epoch. For
there are lots of mummies and quite
a crop OF Ptolemaic documents. and
many of them will soon be in the
actual custody OF the British Museum
authorities. Considering the progress
that has been made in Egyptology DUR
ing the present century. and the
abundance of fresh material that has
been brought to light of recent years,
the next generation may be able to
learn as much about Egyptian an
Equities as the present one can about
Grecian or Roman.
From records previously discovered
it appears to be established that
AEGEAN Greeks visited Egypt quite A.
800 years ago During his last sea-
sons explorations Mr. Petrie exhurned
at lllabun some pottery of that period
stamped with alphabetical characters
which are neither hieroglyphic nor
hieratic. There is nothing to show
that these two facts are in any way
connected. But he exhumbed at Tell
Gurob quantity OF pottery of un-
doubted Cypriote and Mycenaan
types, and which belongs to a period
somewhat anterior to the Exodus
These, curiously enough. are incised
with characters of a very similar de-
scription. The obvious inference is
that these alphabetic characters are
very early Greek or Phnnician.
Should this conjecture prove to be
we'll founded it would lead to some
very startling conclusions. 1t has
generally been accepted that the Ho-
meric epics were preserved by oral
tradition and edited. if not added to,
at later period. But these discover
les OF Mr.. Petrie suggest the astound-
ing possibility that the Illiad may have
been reduced 10 writing at blind Ho-
mer's own dictation. -Levant Herald