The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-05-24
THE ETERNAL HOMES OF KINGS.
Philosophy Of the Construction Of the
Great Egyptian Pyramids.
Cairo Letter in Baltimore Sun.

CAIRO Letter, In BaltlmOre sun.
have discovered ne many wonderful properties s
about the pyramids. but we should not lose
sight OF the main fact that they are merely
deed. that marks the graves OF monarchs
who wished to keep their mummihed bodies
inviolate for all time.
living OF perishable brick; they built their
houses for the dead OF immortal granite.
There was reason for this, founded upon
regarded man as composed OF several en-
titles, each having its separate life and
functions b rss was the e9Sy then 1ne ta
feature for feature, OF the corporeal form;
then was the soul, which was popularity
after the souI came the ..iuminous. sparS
from the divine fire.
By process of embalmment they could sus-
and by means of prayer and offerings the
other component parts were saved from the
second death; thus causing pr9iongssion OF
but the soul and the luminous went forth
to follow the gods. returning now and then
to the resting place OF the BODY; ;,s Thus the the
dead, compared with which the houses OF
the living were but wayside inns, and. there
S5 # Ss1aSs these s ms Tss tSm
must contain q private room for the soul,
which was closed at the time of burial. not
must also contain a vice passage or recep-
ton room, where the priests and the friends
made offerings for the dead. Indeed. the
ing, and it was built to promote the we'll
being and insure the preservation OF the
The construction OF the Pyramids and
other imposing tombs illustrates this idea
and the success with which these ancient
their royal dead is seen in the mdmmies
| that retain their facial expression after
| thousands Of years.
| the most prodigious Of all human construc--
| tons. covers thirteen acres at the base and
| weighs about 100000 tons Originally II
the materials Used for its construction
would build over 10000 eight-room cottages.
an like es of its so~s & Stands exact
| ly square to the four points OF the COM
pass. The great limestone blocks; some of
were brought from distant Quarries, and
propelled. doubtless. on rollers from the the
a0s ste @
hardest stone. were familiar to these Egyp-
Twenty years, Herodotus tells US. the
great Pyramid was s.i bu,ldlps and when ,t i
rosh % stsns f. o 81 a Is
edifcs was cased with shining red syenite.
brought. from the FIRST cataract, fivs hum
SO brightly that It was known as the ''Pyr-
It preserved this stone casing. so wonder
FULLY joined as to appear Ike one block
In the inside everything was arranged so
as to hide the ,s exact place q the sarcopha;
discover the entrance under the casing,
naaTy masked IKE middle Of s Sss nox 1nd .t to BE
| the level of the eighteenth course about for
| ty-five feet from the ground. When at last
stone was displaced which covered the en-
trance, an inclined passage Az inches wide
and 47s inches high was revealed. the lower
scended for sl7 feet. passed s through am am un
| finished chamber and ended sixty feet fur
nsr In sS Sy the spoil
animation in the roof, slxty-two feet distant
| from the floor, block of granite was found
ing passed the obstacle, they came to an
ascending passage which divides into two
branches.one running into a limestone
1iS feet long and Is feet high. built Of Mo-
od Il Mss dc1t r 70 yu
die or even a hair into the ,oints.
Another difficulty must now be surmount-
Der OF the sarcophagus was closed by a sab
OF granite; and further on was a small
vss;ieIle divided IN equal spaces BY four
When at last II was reached the royal sep
ulchre was found to be granite chamber
| - reet nlgh, "a Ieet long ana Ia feet wide.
Thus we may see how painstaking these
old Egyptians were to guard the safety of
| the body OF the great one among them. and
In this and other cases they kept IL I'M
| touched by human hands and unseen by
human eyes for ages and ages. The num-
my or the founder has long since been re-
moved. but his stone coffin Is on exhibition.
The second pyramid OF Gizeh. butt by the
brother of the builder OF the first accord
| ing to Herodotus). reteins some OF fits orig
inal casing at the top; and round the third
| supposed once lay tfa body of the beautiful
Queen Nitocris, Loreley legend has grown
up. The Queens blushing face caused her TO
| be COMPOUNDED with the rosy-cheeked Rhod-
ophis, the Greek favorite OF King Amasis,
| and superstition imagines that q fair but
| treacherous woman haunts the Red Pyra-
mid and bewitches Travellers:
Fair Rhodope. as story tells,
The bright unearthly nymph who dwells
| Mid sunless gold and jewels hid.
| The Lady Of the Pyramid