The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-05-10
TIE ETERN4L MONIES or KISaS.
The Philosophy or the tonstruction OF the
Great Egyptian r.

Great Egyptian r.
iNom the baltimore sun.
CAIno, Egypt, March 20. -Theortsts have dis
covered. or think they have discovered. many
wonderful properties about the Pyramids, but
we should not lose s,-ht Of the main fact that
they are merely vast hcap rs OF stone. exquisitclv
built indeed, that mari; the graves OF Eionarchs
who wished to Lcep their mummic bodies in-
violate for all time.
The Egyptians built their houses for the liv-
Ing OF pcrIshablc brick; they built their houses
for the denl of immortal granite. There was q
reason for THIS, founded upm their theory OF
human life and death. They regarded man as
com pOseu Oi several entities. each having it's
separate life aud functions. First was the body:
Thea the M. or double. which was an ethereal
duplicate, feature for feature. of the corporcal
represented ns a human-hcnlrd bird. and after
the soul came the "luninous.' n spark from
by process ofembalmncnt they.could suspend
for ages the dccompo~ltinn Of the body. and by
means of prayer and offerings the other conpo-
ncnt parts were save! from the second death.
thus causing prolongntion OF existence. The
'douhle' never LETT the body, but the soul and
the "lu;utnou," went forth to follow the gods,
return!ng now and then to the resting place Of
tiS body. Thu, the tomb was called the "eter-
Which the houses Of. the living were
but wayside inns, and. therefore,. IL pos
durable rs all time. The tomb must contain =
private room for the soul. which was closed at
the time OF burial not TO bo opened under any
passage or reception room. whore priests and
friends made offerings Tor the dead. Indeed,
dwelling, and it WAS built to promote the WELL
being and insure the preservation OF the dead.
imposing tombs illustrate this idea. and the
success with which these ancient Egyptians
preserved the mortal remains OF their royal
dead is seen in the munmies that retain their
facial expressions after thousands Of years.
The great Pyramid Of Cheops at Gizeh, the
most prodisious Of all human constructions
covers thirteen, acres at tho base and weighs
feet high. and it is estimated that the materials
that were used for Its construction would build
over 20. 900 eight-roomed cottages and house q
population of 100000.
Like most OF its fellows. it stands exactly
square to the four points OF the compass. The
broad and high and thirty feet long. were
brought from distant quarries. and propelled.
doubtless. on rollers from the river along a WELL
laid canseway to their present site. Mechanical
appliances, MS well, rs the art OF cutting and
these Egyptians of 5000 years ago.
Twenty years, Herodotus tells us, the great
pleied, instead OF presenting the rough series Of
steps it does now. the whole editice was cased
cataract. 500 mile, away. which caused it to
glisten SO brightly that 1t was known as tho
"Pyrnmld OF LiEhts." Until the Arab conquest
joined as to appear like one block from base to
summit.
In the inside everything was arranged so as to
hide the exact place o ftle sarcophagus and thus
battle all would-be spoilers Of the royal tomb.
~ WhS ttSSSh htol W LLAC ran
under the casing. which masked II, This was
found to be nearly. in the middle of the north
forty-tive feet from the ground, When at last
the casing was torn of and tho block of stone
inclined passage Al . inches wide and 47.G inches
high was revealed. the lower part of which was
passed through an unfnishe dchamber,u and ended
sixty feet further In IA blind passage. Although
the spoilers were disappointed here, by careful
examination i'll the root, sixty-two feet distant
from the door. n block of granite WAS found
which shut from view another passage. Hav-
cending passage which divides into two
branches one running into a limestone cham.
continuing upward. becomes a gallery l4s feet
long and IS feet high. built Of Mpkattam stone,
so polished and finely wrought that we are told
1t was difficult to put a needle or even a hair
Arothcr diniculty must now be surmoun,ed.
The final passage leading to the chamber of the
sarcophngus was closed by n slab of granite,
which must be broken. When at last It was
reached the royal sepulchre was found to BIO Q
granite chamber 10 feet high. IA feet long, and
II feet wide.
THUS we may SEQ how painstaking these old
of the great ono among them. and in this and
other cases they kept IL untouched by human
ages. Tho mummy Of the founder has long
since been removed, but his stone coffin Is on
The second Pyramid of Gizeh. built by tho
brother OF the builder of the first according to
lierodotNSl, retains some or It's Original casing
at the top; and round the third, the Red Pyramid
OF Menkara, whereof II is supposed once lay the
body Of the beautiful Queen Nitocrls, a Loreley
legend has grown up. The Queens b!ushins face
caused her 10 DO confounded with the rosy
khodopis. the Greek favorite of King
Amnsis. and superstition inagines that q fair
hut trenrhcrous woman haunts the Red PyrA-
mid and hewltchcs travellers:
Fair Rhofopc, as sorry tells
Mid sunless gold and jewels hid.
The Lady uf the Pyramid.
A short walk from the great Pyramid brfnRa
us face to face with n statue, the most ancient
known. that il moro of n mystery. II not moro
Of q wonder, than the royal omit tho Great
1t WAS already in existence in the time OF tho
builder Of the great Pyramid, but its real age is
II is hewn In the living rock; It's
body presents hut the general form of
the PtOleGlics and the Caesars. retain but a part
OF the stone facing with which they were. orig
clothed, The lower part Of the headdress
has fallen and the neck Is badly broken; tho
nose and the beard have been cut away, and tho
red hue which enliyened the features is almost
wholly gone.
It has nm expression OF strength and
greatness. The eyes gaze out upon tho waste -
desert sand with intense thoughtfulneSs the
mouth wears q smile. and the whole Counte-
nance possesses power ara repose.
The body Ia about $50 feet long, the head Is 80
long. the face Is IA feet wide, and from the
top Of the head to the base OF the ~monumentths
which II now appears is due IN the hArbarous
Of its features by the Mohammedau
rulers OF Egypt, some of whom caused II I'd b
lsed for a target.
We turn from these masterpieces OF ancient
kill with the unanswered and
question in our mind: How long did 1t take TO
arrive AT this degreo0f maturity and peTfoctionf
Ma Turned. Ia