The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-11-09
THE MIDDLE EMPIRE
THIS WAS DIR. BRElsTED's THEME
At THE COLLEGE LAST NIGHT
An Interesting and Instructive Discourse
Heard by Large Audience-IheI Lee
turer at the woman's Club

Another very large audience greeted DR..
James Henry Breasted at Richmond Col
Iege last night to hear the second OF MS
series OF lectures on Egyptology. Inc
chapel was crowded to the limit ana ,he
lecturer was given the closest attention
throughout.
Dr. Breasted's subject was The Middle
Empire" and he treated in most inter-
estlng manner the following divisions OF
his theme:
social Life in the Time Of Abraham;
Recent Discoveries I'm the Dashur Pyra-
mids; First Foreign Conquests and Scien-
tic Visitors in Egypt
AFTER a brief introduction. In which he
referred TO a period OF history preceding
the reign of the four Amenemets and
Userteseus, he told OF the State, and gave
an interesting explanation OF the relation
between Pharaoh and the Nobility. IL
was a feudal state. said the lecturer.
formed by federation OF local barons I'M
der control Of the Pharaoh. 1t Is precisely
those conditions which we find in the feu-
DIAL age I'm Europe.
Dr. Breasted told Of the Barony, and in
this connection said that Ameny the
Lord or Benihasen saws: There was no
iow-born daughter whom i troubled:
there was no widow whom i oppressed
there was no peasant whom | repulsed:
there was no shepherd whom / drove
away; there was no overseer OF workmen
whose people / took away while at work;
there was none wretched i'm my time;
there was none hungry in my day.
When years OF famine came plowed all
the fieids OF the province as far as its
southern and Northern boundary. / kept
a ~. T.1.l L..
there was none hungry therein. I gave
20 the widow as TO the married woman;
7 did not exalt the great above the humble
in all gave.
SOCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL.
The speaker dwelt at some length upon
the social and Industrial life and condi-
lions Of the age. bringing out In an inter-
esting way the remarkable thrift and YER
satility OF the Egyptians who said they
manufactured al that time nearly every
thing we now manufacture. except things
made by means Of steam. electricity and
other forces then unknown.
DR.. Breasted next referred 10 the public
works during that ancient period. and in
THIS connection he spoke of that famous
building erected at the mouth Of the Fay
nm by Amenemhet III. and which the
Greeks called the Labymilt. II was all
quarried out, said he. probably by the Ro-
mans, and now there IS not a stone left
on the spot 10 tell the tale. 10 was 800 by
900 feet, but Of course the design is lost
forever
The pyramids OF the XIIth dynasty we're
referred to by DR.. Breasted, who said that
they are located at Dashur and that a
sensation was caused by their discovery
less than two years ago. The discovery
was the work Of Director General de
4 "a
discovered by the French Engineer had
been pTundered. but the iewelry Of Prin-
cess Set Haltor was found in a casket
sunk I'm a floor where IT had escaped the
eyes OF the robbers. In a pyramid OF
stone de Morgan found several tOmbs Of
the royal family containing a second lot
OF Jewelry. The find numbers $50 pieces
and it's gold weight alone is 30 pounds. II
belongs to the reign Of Amenehet II.
Much OF the demolition of pyramids that
once existed was wrought by later Egyp-
tian kings. Rameses IL of the XIX dynasty
demolished the funeral chapel Of User
tesen's CID pyramid at Illahun 10 obtain
material for buildings OF his own.
THEIR FOREIGN RELATIONS.
The foreign relations of the people OF
the period under discussion were next
taken up by the lecturer who explain
ed in a clear mannerithe communication
between Egypt and at least one other
country during this early age.
IL is interesting TO know. said he. that
at this remote period Egypt was in close
connection with Palestine. Under the
reign Of Amenemhet T. the first King Of
the XIIth dynasty papyrus Of the period
tells us OF a nobleman who for political
reasons was obliged to fly from Egypt.
He takes refuge in Palestine. becomes
- % IL.
narrative. IL Is stated that he hears the
tongue of Egypt from messengers who
come from the court meaning the court
of the Pharaoh.
Returning for a moment 10 the estate
Of Khnemhotep we will note another evil
dence of the connection with Palestine.
Ii Is another day Of general Inspection.
the overseers Of his domains approved
with their reports. the cattle are brought
up I'm long lines as we have seen them,
and the scribes are busy preparing their
memoranda as usual. even going out
among the herds to do the necessary
counting. But among all these there are
strangers whom we have never noticed
before. They are introduced by two
scribes of Khenemhotep who present him
with the ever ready report. This report
states that thirty-seven Asiatics have
arrived bringing cosmetic for the eyes.
THE TIME OF ABRAHAM
IL is certainly interesting to note that
this is the time of Abraham and thus
we see that Abraham's migration TO
Egypt was nothing unusual. for in the
same way this Canaanite Absha leaves
his country for visit to Egypt. 1t is
very probable that the arrival of Abra-
ham was not very different in aspect
from the arrival of this Canaanite as we
sec it here.
DR. Breasted's lecture was illustrated
in a most entertaining and instructive
manner by stereopticon views.
Tonight his subject will be tThe New
Empire. the Rise OF Thebes. the Conquer
ors OF Asia. the First World Empire. the
Worlds First Reformer. the Possible
Date Of the Exodus, the Final Fall Of the
Native Pharaohs."
Tomorrow night there VIII be no lee
ture, but on Thursday night the last of
the series will be delivered. The subject
will be: Egyptian Art. its Lesson and its
Legacy to Later Nations. the Master
pieces in the Great Museums, Tour
Among the Temples Of the Nile. the In
dustrial Arts"