Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-02
RIM OF GHEOPS
PRICELESS CIRCLE1,s WORN BY
ANCIENT KINGS .AND QUEENS.
The Golden Finger Jewel That Deck
ed Hand Of Pharaoh, Friend
Of Joseph.

From the New York Herald
Most precious and ancient of all the relics
of the Pharaohs is the signet ring or seal
of the great Suphis. better known as
Cheops, the Pharaoh who erected the great
pyramid at Gizeh for his tomb centuries be-
fore Abraham was born Joseph was sold
by his brethren to become the prime
minister of one of Cheops successors. 1t is
a heavy, solid mass of gold. with fat
top, engraved in Observation-Disclosures bios
SONS. a crocodile, figures of Isis. Osiris
and other gods Of Egyptian mythology.
The seal is oval in shape, about one inch
across the widest part and five-eighths of
an inch across the center.
This ring was used to sign or attest all
DEGREES of the great Suphis, King of
Memphis and every order and contract
connected with the erection of the great
pyramid was supposed to have been sealed
with this signet. Cheops buried In
chamber in the center of that, the largest
of human structures, but his burial cham
Der was looted by the Persians under
Cambyses, father of Cyrus the Great,
about five hundred years before Christ.
The sarcophagus was torn open, the body
was thrown out and stripped of the jew
els and other ornaments with which 1t was
adorned. This ring. however. seems to
have dropped from his finger unnotfced,
for early in the last century it was found
in the debris of the burial chamber by
Col Vyse, from whom it was purchased
by DR.. Abbott.
Pharaoh Thothmes II.
The next most interesting and valuable
ring in the world-if 1t is genuine-is in
the collection of the Earl of Ashburnfam,
at his palace, Hyde Park, London 1t is
a rectangular block Of gold. and Is en-
graved on both sides with hieroglyphics.
On one side is the cartouche of Thothmes
H. the Pharaoh, who was the friend or
Joseph. On the other side the hierogiyphics
have been translated and read: "Revealer
of secrets; preserver of the world; pro-
tector of Egypt" which were the titles
given to Joseph.
This ring was discovered in 1924 In the
Necropolis of Sakkara, near the ruins OF
the ancient city of Memphis on the bank
of the Nile. and many anuquarians pc
iieye 1t Is the actual ring re1erfeo To III
Genesis xii: 42-43:
And Pharaoh took OFF his ring from his
hand and put 1t upon Joseph's hand. and
arrayed him in vestures OF fine iinen and
nut a gold chain about his neck, and ne
made him ride in the second chariot, which
he had, and they cried before him, BOW
the knee and he made him ruler OF aA
the land of Egypt. 81
covered In 1929 in a secondhand shop IN
Geneva by Mime. Michael Girod and Is now
at Waldenberg. 1t Is made OF silver gut
and is believed to have been designed by
Cranach and probably was wrought with
his own hands for he was one of the three
men selected by Luther as witnesses or MS
marriage. The design is complicated ana
includes the several symbols OF the Fas-
sion.
In the center is figure of the cruclhed
Saviour; on one side Is the spear with
which His side was pierced and on the
other side the ladder used at the cruel
1yion, also the pillar to which He was bound
and scourged. There is a leaf of hyssop,
the dice with which the soldiers cast lots
for His garments. three nails, a crown OF
thorns and other symbols connected with
the last act of the Atonement, so grouped
as to form cross, with tiny ruby at the
joint, which represents drop OF blood. 1t
is inscribed ID MARITIME Luthero - Cath
erinan Boren, 10 June, 1880 Luther's
bride was Catherine Won Bora, one of nine
nuns who under his influence, resigned
from their order and became Protestants.
Mrs. John w Foster of Washington had
a duplicate of this ring, which she bought
in Madrid while Mr.. Foster was at the
head of the legation there. 1t was
tributed by the chaplain of the German en-
bassy, to be sold at a charity bazaar Mrs.
Foster brought 1t to Washington upon her
return to this country and placed 1t in
cabinet in the drawing room of her former
| residence on 1 street. From there 1t was
stolen several years ago by a guest at one
of her receptions and never could be traced.
Fisherman's Ring Lost.
Inc fISHernlan ring, as II Is cdLeQ, Is
worn by the pope, and used TO seal i'm
portant papers of the Holy See. No apos-
tolic act is legal without it, and for that
reason the ring becomes an object of great
Importance upon the death of the pope.
AS soon as such a sad event is announced
the dean of the Sacred College followed
by all of the cardinals in Rome and the
other dgnitaries of the papal court, pro-
ceeds Immediately to the room where the
body lies, and knocking on the door calls
three times, in the case of the late
pope: Leo, come forth! Leo come FORTH
Leo. come FORTH"
There being no response he steps to the
bedside and taps the forehead of the corpse
three times with a golden hammer, re-
peating as before: Leo aWakei Leo
awake Leo. awakeI'
Again there being no response the senior
cardinal takes from the finger of the dead
pope the Ffshermans ring and destroys
or defaces the engraved stone with his
golden hammer. Sometimes a file must be
used IL the stone is hard. From the mo-
ment of the destruction Of the seal the SUI
preme authority rests with the sacred con-
clave or the College of Cardinals until the
election of a new pope.
The Fishermans ring is more than 700
years old, but the setting containing the
seal has been changed with every pope.
A new ring had to be procured for Plus
x, because the old one mysteriously dis
appeared from the death chamber of Leo
XIII and has not yet been recovered Nor
Is there any clue to It, The responsibility
lies between the doctor In attendance Pho
Contra, the late pope's valet and two Of
the Pecci brothers, nephews of Leo XIII.
1t appears that the fingers of the dying
pope became SO emaciated that the ring
was taken from 1t by the doctor and
handed to the valet with instructions to
put 1T in safe place. The DOCTOR the
valet and the nephews are said to be the
only persons who knew where it was hid
den, but they deny all knowledge of its
disappearance.
All cardinals. archbishops and bishops
of the Roman Church wear rings that are
placed upon their fingers at conservation
and adherents recognize this symbol Of
spiritual authority by kissing 1t. The set
tings of an episcopal ring may be either
sapphires, rubies, emeralds or amethysts
The present pope wears beautiful en-
erald, which was presented to him soon
after conservation.
Poison rings are old as history. De-
mosthenes wore one, but did not use 1t.
When the police came from Athens to ar