The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1891-11-11

with historical deeds Of forty or sixty
centuries Oh, what 8 Book the Bible
is when read on the Nile.
while sailing on this river or stop
ping at one Of the villages we see peo-
pie on the banks who verify the Bible
description, for they are now as they
were in Bible times Shoes are now
taken off in reverence to sacred places
Children carried astride the mothers
shoulder, as in Hagar's time. Women
with profusion of jewelry, as when Re-
becca was affianced. Lentils shelled
into the potage as when Esau sold his
birthright to get such a dish. The same
habits of salutation as when Joseph and
his brethren fell on each others necks.
Courts OF law held under big trees, as in
olden times People making bricks with
out straw, compelled by circumstances
to use stubble instead of straw. Fly.
ing over or standing on the banks, as
in Scripture days, are famingoes, os-
preys, eagles, pelicans, herons, cuckoos,
and bullfinches. On all sides OF this
river sepulchers, villages of sepulchers,
cities of sepulchers, nations of sepul-
cheers, and one is tempted to call it an
empire of tombs never saw such
place as Egypt is for graves. And now
we understand the complaining sarcasm
of the Israelites when they were on the
way from Egypt to Canaan: Because
there are no graves in Egypt hast thou
taken us away to die in the wilder
ness?" Down the river bank come the
buffalo and the cattle or kline to drink
And it was the ancestors of these cattle
that inspired Pharaoh's dream of the
lean kline and the fat kline.
Here we disembark little while for
Memphis, off from the Nile to the
right Memphis, founded by the first
king of Egypt, and for long while the
capital. A city of marble and gold.
Home OF the Pharaohs. City nineteen
miles in circumference. Vast colon
nades, through which imposing process.
sions marched. Here stood the Temple
of the Sun, itself in brilliancy a sun
shone on by another sun. Memphis, in
power over thousand one hundred
years, or nearly ten times as long as the
United States have existed. Here is a
recumbent statue seventy-five feet
long. Bronzed gateways. A metropolis
called the Haven of the Blest." Here
Joseph was prime minister. Here Pha-
raoh received Jacob. All possible splen-
doris were built up in this royal city.
Hosea, Ezekiel, jeremiah and Isaiah
speak of it as something wonderful.
r. Never did visit city with such ex-
allied expectations and never did my
anticipations drop so fiat. Not pillar
stands Not a wall is unbroken Not
q fountain losses in the sun. Even the
ruins have been ruined and all that re-
mains are chips of marble, small pieces
of fractured sculpture and splintered
human bones. Here and there letter
of some elaborate inscription. A toe
or ear of statue that once
had stood in niche of palace
wall. Ezekiel prophesied its blot
ting out, and the prophecy has been
fulfilled. ride on" said to our party,
land don't wait for me-" And as /
stood there alone the city of Memphis
the glory of past centuries returned.
4 And l heard the rush of her chariots
and the dash Of her fountains and the
conviviality of her palaces and saw the
drunken mobiles roll on the floors OF
mosaic, while in startling contrast
amid all the royalties of the place :.
saw Pharaoh look up into the face OF
aged, rustic Jacob, the shepherd, say
ing: "How old art thou?"
But back to the Nile and on and W
till you reach Thebes, in Scriptures
called the City of No. Hundred-gated
Thebes. quadrangular city fou,
miles from limit to limit Four great
temples, two of them Karnick anG
I Luxor, once mountains of exquisite
I sculpture and gorgeous dreams solidi
, fed in stone. Statue of Rameses
1 II. Ss7 tons in weight and seventy-five
feet high, but now fallen and scat
tered Walls abloom with the battle
| fields of centuries. The surrounding
hills Of rock followed into sepuichers
on the walls of which are chiseled ir
. picture and hieroglyphics the confirma
.. ton of Bible story in regard to the
. treatment Of the Israelites in Egypt sc
!. that, as explorations 60 on with the
work. the walls of these sepulchers be
come commentaries of the Bible, ths
Scriptures originally written upon
parchment here cut into everlasting
stone. Thebes mighty and dominan,
500 years.
Then she went down in fulfillment Of
|, Ezekiers prophecy concerning the City
, of No, which was another name fol
!. Thebes: II will execute judgment il
No l will cut off the multitudes o
No" jeremiah also prophesied: ''rhu
!. saith the Lord, will punish the multi
tudes OF No." This city of Thetes ant
. all the other dead cities of Egypt, tier
ate and reiterate the veracity of the
Scriptures, telling the same story
! which Moses and the prophets told
!, Have you noticed how God KEEP
: back these archaeological confirmation:
of the Bible until our time, when tn,
!. air is full of unbelief about truthfulnes
: of the dear old book? He waited un
til the printing press had been set up il
its perfected shape, and the submarine
cable was laid. and the world was int!
> ligent enough to appreciate the testi
mony, and then He resurrected the dea'
!, cities of the earth, and commands them
y saying: "Open your long-sealed lip
and speak! Memphis and Thebes
Is the Bible true?" "True!" respond
!. Memphis and Thebes. Babylon! is tn
u Book of Daniel true?" 'True! respond