Delaware gazette and state journal., 1895-12-19
THEBES, IN UPPER EGYPT.
Rev, W. W. Taylor.

VI hluS5. IL Itdcuti IT'S uIBnebb bTdhueuT
under the eighteenth, maintained ii
in part through tho nineteenth and
twentieth and during the eighteenth
and nineteenth dynasties, called "great
aud glorious" its monumental struct-
ures were mostly erected. This is the
city celebrated by Homer and called
Hecatompylae, for its hundred gates;
from each of which ii could send 90,
900 fighting men and 200 war charots.
1t was built on both sides of the Nile,
about 500 miles from its mouth and
was 27 miles in circumference. Besides
its streets of royal and private palaces,
it was most eminent for its sacred
structures. There were Luxor and
Karnac on the east side of the river.
mile and half apart, but joined by
an avenue of sphipxes, with Medinet
Abou fronting Luxor and the Memnon-
ium fronting Karnac on the west side
and these on the west, whilst not so
extensive as their opposite neighbors,
we're equal, il not superior in their
style Of architecture; the whole uniting
to make up the unrivalled grandeur of
the ancient capital. 1t is true they all
lie in ruins, but Just as Owen could
construct an animal frame from cone
OF which it was part, 30 architectural
genius has reproduced these old tenn
pies; from scattered fragments Of the
foundations, finding the old lines and
dimensions and determining the char
acter of the structures Thebes is made
notable from the speaking statue of
Memnon, many persons testifying that
about sunrise they heard sounding
iflFa fhn fttyu ,rt, ne hn,,1 ~,
parently issuing from the stony lips of
this great massing of temples and
palaces, Luxor, in coming from the
north is first approached and entered
by magnificent gateways, 200 feet
wide and 81 feet above the present level
of the soil. Passing through it's courts
and corridors and walking the long
avenue of sphinxes, we come in front
of Karnac. Whilst these vast collections
of structures excite sensations of
wonder, travellers tell us, that cannot
be described, Karnac is pronounced
by Prof. Rawlinson, l, 230, 1.-THE
grandest Of all the Egyptian struct-
ures;" "the noblest effort of architec-
tural magnificence ever produced by
the hand of man.
1t covers 10 acres of ground; the vari-
GUS parts running l, 1870 feet from front
TO rear. A gateway lifts itself 140 feet,
stretches $40 feet across and is 80 feet
in thickness. By this portal court
is reached, 275 feet square, with rows
of columns and each side graced by
narrow open galleries, supported by pill.
lars. Another portal, set between two
massive Pylons In the shape of pyra-
mids, lead up short flight of steps,
then under "a grand vestibule and
through broad and lofty passage into
an apartment that proves to be the
chief glory of the whole edifice, on
which Egyptian effort, by supreme
skill, here eliminates and reaches its
grandest achievement. Ii is 1.-THE Hall
of Columns;" $50 feet long and 10
wide, with a roof 76 feet aloft. One
hundred and sixty-four most graceful
stone columns, 33 feet in circumferer ce,
are set in several avenues, standing so
thick and close as to overwhelm us
with their majesty and SO placed as
gradually to fade away and hide in the
Obscurity of their own "lights and
shadows. =" We have not yet, however,
passed over half the wonders.
New Pylons open into another corri-
feet high at the further end, as if
guarding another portal. And this
opens into another, vast cloistered
court, adorned with two more obelisks,
tapering for 100 feet. Then comes
another, larger court, open to the sky.
~ winch is built a separate temple or
chapel; and this is divided into two
parts, as if a holy and most holy place /!
Beyond this we must still travel to find
another pillared hall and still forward,
to stand among the ruins of innumer.
able rooms and chambers, given to the
priests and guards; all within the mas
slve walls of the temple area. But
when the measures and numbers and
weight of karnac have been contem-
plated, little has been done towards
gaining Just impression even of the
material building, to say nothing of
the soul-genius that designed it and
the power and resources of the hand
that put all together. The massive
style, the fairy grouping, the enchant-
ing coloring, the gigantic proportions
compared with the human stature; all
must be brought to bear upon the effect
1t must be studied as whole and in
its parts, 10 take in the stately, calm
and solemn impression of its infinite
combinations
Come, then, and let us walk the
courts and stand in the aisles and cor
rldors, when hathed by the rising sun
under the mellowed light of declininp
day and when turning into evening
duskiness. Stand under those glorious
arches as the last CLINT Of sunbeam
gathers from the sky, to leave the
mighty masses to the still majesty of
the. midnight hour; and through such
q dlurnal inspection, you realize some.
thing OF tho power and glory of old
Egypt
Edward l.. Clark, in a book called
Israel IN Egypt" 1874 gives valuable
notices of the temples and the modes
OF worship.
The temples are mainly designed fo,
professions, yet arc furnished with
altars for worship. In their religion,
servlce they sacrifice bulls, sheen,
goats and oxen; the bodies heinp burn.
ed, flled with consecratcd cakes, honey,
ralsons, tlgs, perfumes and oil: ano
when laid upon the altar, wine and oi
are poured over them and incense zoe.
up with the ascending smoke. Ii i,
easy to Imagine the pomp of this oil
time worship! We may watch the Ions
lines of white-robcd nrlcsts az the1
wind in and out Of the mighty gates,
under the lofty arches and up ant
down the pillared avenues; across The
platforms, through thu long corridors
and around the vast open courts; al
alive; IN every football, IN every hanl
movement, by every word of PRAYER
fulfilling the well.advised liturgy to tn,
sound of harps and bells, of flutes ant
trumpets!
To the researches Of thc same writel
we are further indebted. We take from
his hand Il mighty electric roi tbt
touch of which brings back from theil