The sun., 1894-03-11
III.

| years before this period
III.
What are the conclusions to which Prof
| Lockyer's researches seem to polnt1 II re
suits from his Investigation OF the dawn o.
astronomy In Egypt that from the earliest
| times there were astronomical observations
carried on. and that practically there were
three schools Of thought. two OF these being
| original. while the third was an amalRam oi
| the others. To all three schools sun WORSHIP
| was common, but they may be clearly seps-
| rated by the associated star worship There
are found in ancient Egypt. as we proceed ur
tho Nile. first worshippers Of northern stars
next worshippers OF east and west stars. and
then worshippeIs OF southern stars The
northern star worshippers are associated
with the northeastern corner OF the
delta; the east and west star cult with the
pyramid fields at Gizeh. and the southern
star worshippers with upper Egypt. But are
We to stop at the places named and acknowl-
edgo Egypt to bo the true cradle OF astronomi-
cal science. or do the facts compel us to go a
stage further back and to recognize that the
true origin was elsewhere: that. in short. as
tronomy. instead Of taking its rise In Egypt.
was simply i'm ported thither2 As regards the
northern star worship. OF which there are
traces IN northeastern Egypt. this might
easily hnvo been introduced from Babylonia.
where northern star worship obtain ed at the
epoch required for the hypothesis OF an emf
grafton thence to lower Egypt. 1t must. how
ever. bo noted that Babylonia itself was tho
meeting ground OF at least two different
schools OF astronomical thought. one OF which,
corresponding with the worship OF southern
stars. can only bo explained upon the
theory that 1t was brought to Chaldea by
g..
equator and therefore. probably East Africa.
As II happens. the samc worship OF southern
stars which could only arise south OF the equa-
tor characterizes the dawn OF astronomy In up
per Egypt. little reflection. h owever. will dem
onstrate that an ASTRONOMERS system adapted
to q people dwelling south ofthe equator would
not suit . people dwelling north Of IT, and
the latter would. accordingly. have to adapt it
to its own climatoloRic and Agricultural con-
ditions. Tho mainspring OF earlier astronom
must have been utility. or application to prac-
tical needs. and among all primitive peoples
the most important times Of the year must
necessarily have been those connected with
seed time and harvest In each locality. Now
the spring equinox and summer solstice
south OF the equator correspond to the nu-
tumnal equinox and the winter solstice north
OF 1t. Nthe colonists who are said to have
come to Eridu. at the head OF the Persian Gulf.
In very remote times came from q region
south Of the equator. they would naturally
have brought not only their southern stars
but their southern seasons with them. They
would at once discover. however. that their
sprinRtime was the northern autumn, and
their summer solstice the northern winter
=, o., a, SSs 80. anu, ""s'of
s.i.. - ia' "e'e
.'u e,seni' anu
....st VI
49, nst eonu'-
,.Sa 80 " eas u'o ne"
,hs -. ~. -. 49,. s W .uinins
VIZ. hs a. ,,. uu sou'
,.rs.,a ,h. nn-.h. 80. s,', "o'p
IN Fevnt \, was ,,itina.., ,onnd ,ns. s,.n es
..Da, "as t' ~ e" iounu 'na' nenhet
~ .a.,n y. .s @ ,,''. upon vac iae'
..s,. nsa.,ss ., ~ pna o"vA, WN uof 'he
H. go nnoa s., ~ ."o .bu ,Ahes ana
-. -, a. s,., oan'noA'
81 :, 49, ~ H,p''
~. 80 ,Je 80 ,ooA pace
a ss...... vo' "ou'u
N ~ '0 YUAN 'eaf'
~.
What light Is thrown by the Astronomical
evidence brought forward In this book on the
history Of early Egypt that is TO say upon the
lDteracttOn anu resultant mythology of thu
north aud south star worshippers2 The follow
ing are the clements OF the working bvpotba-
sis evolved by Prof. Lockyer from data sitber
ascertained or considered probable. About
the year U4OO b. c. there came down the river
Nile from the south a swarm OF inyaders bear.
Ing with them three moon gods. Osiris Tbotb
and Khonsu, and q sun god. Chnsmu. The in
vaders found already settled In tho valley a
population worshipplng Ia and Atmu POSI-
bly, these aborigines were merely worshippers
Of the dawn and twilight The moon wor-
ship was accepted as an addition.
and the divine dynasty OF Osiris
began. The swarm OF Invaders from the
south brought with them n lunar year of 3GO |
days. and 1t was then that the Egyptian caIen- |
dar beginning l. Thoth commenced. Tho |
newcomers built temples at Amada. Semneh,
PhilG. Edfu. and probably AbydosL All these
we're probably Osiris temples. SO called be-
cause Osiris. the moon god. was the chief |
deity. and they were used for the determine. |
lion OF the suns place at the autumnaI |
equinox. at which time the imported lunar