Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-06-05
LAND OF THE LOTUS.
DIR. JAMES wELLs's RESEARCHES
AMONG THE RUINS OF EGYPT.
FACTS DUG FROM MUSTY TREASURES

gardinE the Judgment-Dny, thu
Future Life of Man, and the Pun
ishment of the wicked.
k*&4&%A%&+44%&@ &&&&&%&&4%
= Fresh from his tireless researches Z
y among musty papyrus, and his in z
= dustrious burrowing among the dust =
y of ancient Egypt, James Wells, +
y ID. D.. the well-known explorer, re- =
> turns 70 the light OF civilization to =
p enrich the museums with treasures Z
p discovered amid the mouldering \
= remains OF mighty monarchs dead Z
= for unknown centuries. The result 4
y OF Explorer Wells's latest expedi- =
y ton has been long looked for. Here =
= it is at last, told in his own fas- =
y cinating way. and carrying us ire 2
= sistably to the land or the Lotus, =
y 10 revel in the mysteries OF mum =
= myland. 4
A%%%%%%4%4 %%%%&&@@@R@@\&%
(For the Dispatch)
The ruins of Thebes, the old city of one
hundred gates, lie on both banks Of the
Nile. about eO) miles from the Mediter-
ranean. 1t was the capital Of Egypt in
its golden prime. It's East End" was oc-
cupied by the living; the "West End" was
the city OF the dead or. as they called it,
tho land OF life; and the river flowed
between. The west end Of Thebes is de-
Tended against the sands Of tho Lybian
desert by Gebel Asas circus OF bare
limestone rocks, rising 10 COO or so feet,
at a distance Of from one TO three miles
from the Nile. In the gorge behind the
cliffs lie tho rock -hewn tombs Of the
kings. in a region which desolation has
claimed as its own. The modern traveller
usually crosses the Nile from the east.
gees around the south end Of the cliffs,
visits few of the tombs, and returns by
a fcotpsth over tie top OF the rocky hill.
Tho Wow from the top IS one of the
never-to-be-forgotten events in his
life He there looks down upon many
more than forty centuries. Moses, very
probably, stood on that spot when Thebes
was the mistress Of the world, as Rome
was LOO years later. No other city ever
possessed such buildings before or since
One of these, the temple 'at Karnak, had
q front elevation Of nearly mile. and IL
contained the most splendid chamber ever
built-so the highest authorities assert.
These ruins still rank among the chief
wonders OF the world. Behind Moses. as
he stood there, lay the utterly barren
desert; In front OF him stretched enor-
nous temples and palaces, colossal sta
tues, and long avenues OF sphynXes; all
gaily painted and glowing in the sun
shine OF Egypt; all so arranged as to be
in harmony. The City Of the Dead had
then many splendid temples, around
which nestled famous schools and coll
leges, where "all the wisdom of the
Egyptians was taught" Upon every tenn
pie gate were tan palm-tree masts, from
which red and blue flags iluttered. These
mastg were tipped with brass, and served
as lightning conductors.
Funeral barges were always crossing the
river, each with group OF wailing wo-
men: and professions were moving from
the shore 10 the tombs. Ruin reigns tri-
umphant over that scene to-day. Brown
staring walls here and there mark the
sites OF Itinerary sanctuaries, where the
Egyptians paid the last rites TO their
dead. To not a few travellers the most
interesting OF these is the elegant little
temple called r-el-Medeceneh-that Is,
the monastery Of the city. Its name init
mates that, like many other temples, IL
had been appropriated by the Christian
gopts. IL Is well preserved and ciinss to
the shelter of the rocks. il is but OF yes
terday for Egypt as it was built about I'D
y. c.: but Il Is on the site, and q repro
ductfon, of an ancient temple. Its walls
preserve one Of the most perfect pictures
of the Judgment scene. 1t is borrowed
from the Theban book of the dead, tho
pictoriaIly illustrated Bible OF the ancient
Egyptians. which is very probably the
Oldest book I'm tho world. They had go
MUS for book illustration
THEIR BIBLE.
Almost every chapter OF their Bible had
vignette, which was usually executed
with great skill. and which equally en-
beiiisfed the page and illustrated the text.
The best known specimens Of these sacred
object lessons are from the Papyrus of
AMI. one Of the chief treasures of the
British Museum, This Ami, about $500
years ago, was chancellor or the eccle-
siastlcal revenues OF Abydos and Thebes |
We may regard him as the archbishop OF !
al Egypt. Ebers, In his "Uarda," gives
him the very position which Joseph had |
lie makes him Resent while Ramses H. |
wes at the wars in Syria, and also de- |
scendant OF the Pharoahs whose title to |
the throne was better than that OF |
Rarnses himself. and whose soheming led |
ultimately 20 the revolution which placed /
a priest on the throne OF Egypt. lie may 1
have foregathered with Moses in the /
Palace OF Thebes, and may even have |
regarded him an his riyal. The copy OF |
this far-famed papyrus was wrapped VI |
with the mummy Of Ant. Pictures from
n have been faithfully reproduced by our
Rrtist. who, however has omitted many |
u tho accompanying hieroglyphics. These
pictures. along with extracts from their
Bible. ara found everywhere on the tombs
and collins. and among the bandages OF
the mummies.
They ara among the most precious
sems-.the most precious gem, many
would sayN-which this land OF wonders
has bequeatheG 20 as. They plainly set |
forth 20 mind and eye their working
faith. and they were probably as well