The Savannah morning news., 1901-04-17

are enough to show that the cat had a
pace in the religious symbolism of the
Egyptians. The lion, the serpent, the
crocodile. the bull and other animals
each had its special significance The
bull was so important that a sacred bull
called the Apis, was kept at Memphis
and treated with great respect. Bot he
was not allowed to live more than
twenty-five years; and the most likely
reason is that he represented a lunar
cycle of twenty five years. when must
terminate punctually When ne was
taken through the city in annual prcc5s-
sion people would ask ana tell how old
he was, and he would thus he a waking
almanac. If ne di1 not 1r naturally he
was drowned at the age of twenty-five,
because the new cycle had to begin, aud
a new divine Apis must be found. But
he was honored by being embalned. and
buried in granite sarcophagus. in the
nieghborhood of the Pyramids. The burial
place of the sacred bulls was discovere
by Marietta in 1851, and every visitor to
Egypt goes to see these tombs. Each
of the stone collins had it's memorial in
scrption. For example In the TWEEN
tieth year, the month Mesori, the TWEEN
tieth day, under the reign o. King
Pasmetik I, the Majesty of the living
Apis departed to haven. This god VS.
beautiful land of the West"
Now, there was a burial place for
sacred cats as well as sacred bulls and
the reason was no doubt the same--name-
ly, that they had place in the symbolic
worship. cemetery of cats existed near
Bubastis, which is the modern Tel Basta,
not far from Zaz-a-zig Junction. on the
railway. Buried in the mound. NJ. Naville
few years ago found the ruined temple
of Bast Of Pasht, the cat goddess VINO
gave her name to the city. The founda-
ton of Bubastis carries us back to the
beginning OF the historical times of Egypt
and is contemporary with the Pyramids
the oldest monuments. Herodotus says
THE temple stands in the middle OF the
city, and Is visible on all sides as one
walks round 1t; for, as the city mas oevn
raised up by an embankment, WHY
the temple has been left untouched III
its original condition, you look down up,
on 1t wherever you are. a low wan
runs around the Enclosure, having hguee9
engraved upon IT, and inside there j.
grove of beautiful tall trees growing
round the shrine which contains the
image of the goddess" and concernlns
the goddess herself he says: THE bu.
bastis OF the Egyptians is the same az
the Artemis of the Greeks" To this W.
may add that the Artemis of the Gre'N'
is generally said to be the same a. Wv
Diana OF the Romans. a goddess OF Hs"'
representing the moon.
Thus we see that Bast, or Pasht' va,
connected with the cat on the one he."
and the moon on the other So II is gun
feasible that puss. when she nguree "s
symbol in the Egyptian worship
sents something IN the domain OF o."
amy and the calender. Ovid cabs
cat the sister Of the moon. nna s'.
that Paeht took the form Of car
avoid T'yphOn. According TO Pluiafe"'
cat placed In lustrum denoirp
moon. II IL a night animal, ana re- =,
giisten IN the dark. Hyde clnfh,
marks that there aTe phenomena ~
riodieity in the cat. which ore spll M,
10 have given rise 20 a. relap'N
10 the moon. Whet ! think hat' nv.
ooyersd-or % Least made clearer
Ia was befOre--is. that che cot 80. 49,,
lptsrcalary month. addcd in the
year. 90 fectify ths calendar