The sun., 1894-03-11

nomioai ideas,sdopted in southern Egypt
The purpose OF the present volume 10 TO give
an account OF the endoavors made By the au-
thor during tho last three years to sec whether
any Trustworthy conclusions could be reached
rs to the early astronomical views Of the EgTp-
tians from . study Of their temples and the
mythology connected with their various cults.
How Prot Lookyer came to undertake the in
yestiRation is worth recounting from the bear
ing OF the statement on .hs question Of priority
Of discovery. It ssems that when he visited
Greece in March. 1880. he was struck By the
curious direction In which the Parthenon was
built; and the many changes In direction
OF the foundations OF the temple at Eleu-
sis revealed By the French excavations
seemed likewise so suggestive that he
thought It worth while to note. by means
of q pocket compass. the bearings. so as to see
whether there was any possible astron omical
origin for the direction Of the temple. and the
various changes In direction observable. What
the author had In his mind. he tells us. was
the familiar assertion that. in England. the
eastern windows OF churches generally face to
the place Of sunrisinR on the festival OF the
patron saint: this 10 why. for instance. the
churches Of st. John the Baptist. face very
nearly the northeast This direction toward
the sunrising In tho origin OF the term orienta-
tion. which. however. has come to be applied
lust as frequently to other buildings. the
direction Of which Is toward the west. or
north. or south. When Prof. Lockyer re-
turned to England he endeavorsd to ascer-
tain whether this subject had been worked
out. but was led to believe that It had not been
discussed In relation to ancient temples. and
scarcely even with regard TO churches. outside
England and Germany. Accordingly. he en-
tered on the inquiry. and remembering that
tho temples Of Egypt had been carefully exam
tnsd and oriented both By the French in 1903
and By the Prussians in 1874. he determined
to see whether Il was possible to get from them
any Information on tho general question. He
soon found that. although neither the French
nor the Germans had paid any heed to the
possible astronomical ideas OF the temple
builders. thero was little doubt that astronom-
ical considerations had . great deal to do
with the direction toward which these
temples faced. In q Reries OF lectures
given In November. 1890. he pointed out
that By pursuing this line Of investi-
CATION. archfeologists and others might ul-
be enabled to arrive at dates In re-
gard to the foundation OF temples. and possi-
bly, to advance knowledge In several other
Ways. After the lectures were over the author
was iniottuou Dy one OF MS huuionco tnat PrOL
Nilsson in Germany had published some papers
on the orientation Of ancient TEN ples. These
were at once ordered. but before they were
received Prof. Lockyer went to Egypt to mako
some personal researches on the spot with
reference to certain points which It was neces-
sary to elucidate. for the reason that whom
The ordinations were observed and recorded
L was not known what use would be made OF
hem. ana consequently certain data required
Tor the astronomers purpose we're want
ing. In Cairo much interest was taken In the
matter By Brugsoh Bey who looked up some
,f the old inscriptions. and one day informed
he author that he had found . very interest |
ng one concerning the foundation OF the |
.smple at Edfu. From this inscription II is |
slsAr that Prot Lockyer's idea was not new:
On the contrary. 1t was some six thousand |
Iears old. Aftsrward. the author went up the |
Sils and made some observations which coz |
'inced him that. for the orientation not only |
II Edfu. but Of all the larger temples. there |
vas an astronomical basis. Returning to Eng |
and In March. 1891 Prof Lockyer received |
Prof Nisssn's papers. and discovered that a |
part OF the subject OF the lectures delivered In |
1870 By himself had been previously discussed |
~ Prof. Nissen. who had employed the same |
II is. therefore. frankly acknowl-
'dgsd By the author that to Prof Nissen be- |
ongs the credit Of having frst made the sug-
Isstion that ancient temples were oriented on
N astronomical basis.
The determination of the stars to which
ome OF the Egyptian temples. sacred TO u
,aoHu divinity Wara dirAetad onanad