The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-06-30
Explanations q Historic Coun-
try Near Thsbss Results n.
Restoration 81 Great Temple.
Of Amen. Work : q Histo ],
ians Crowned with Success.


One OF the greatest works Of arch
geological exploration Of recent years
u that which the Egypt Exploration
Fund has been for more than tan
years engaged upon-the clearing and
partial restoration OF the great tenn
PIE OF Amen and Hathor, at Dier.el-
Bahari, near Thebes. It has been a
most expensive work, having cost
more than G10, 900, but the results
have been, both from q historical ana:
artistic point Of view, OF the greatest
Importance. The work has from the
commencement been under the direc-
ton OF Professor Edward Naville. who
during the last three seasons has had;
the assistance Of that able Egyptolo-
gist. n. r. Hall, OF the Egyptian de-
partment OF the British museum.
There were two temples at Dier-el-
sBahari-tfe older the funeral temple
OF King Mentuhetep III, OF the twelfth
dynasty, about b. G. $500; the later
the splendid fame erected by the great
Queen Hatshepsu, about B. G. 1900,
This latter temple is the one on which
30 much time and money have been
expended. But the outlay has not
been wasted, for we have restored to
us the memorials Of the life and deeds.
of one of the most remarkable women
the Orient has ever produced, and one
who from her resemblance in mental
capacity and enterprise to our own
Virgin Queen may be fifty styled the;
Elizabeth Of Egypt. ss. 3! &
The daughter of Thothmes /. by his
beautiful wife. Queen Ashmes, she was
early associated with her father, and
on the walls OF the birth chamber Of
the temple we see the scenes repre-,
:senting her birth as divine incarna-i
ton OF her father. Amen a- An
'monaTchs Of the great Theban dynas-
ties were supposed TO be children of
Amen. On another wall Is depicted
the ceremony of her coronation as
king. for she assumed male attire.
even false beard, and used all the
'kingly titles In her inscriptions. One
very important series OF sculptures
is that which represents the return
of the great naval expedition which
she sent to the incense producing land
of Punt, probably Somaliland, which,
under Nashi, rher admiral, the Raleigh
OF the period, returned laden with rich
treasure and strange animals, birds
and plants. The new volume Of the
exploration, which has Just been is-
sued by the exploration fund, contains
some very interesting matter, for 1t
relates to the shrine of Amen-Ra and
the forecourt, all of which were richly
decorated with sculptures. The
shrine, which consists Of two rooms,
was entered by a lofty granite door
way, and on either side of the door
are representations of the man-queen,
wearing. the crowns of Upper and
Lower Egypt. A specially interesting
scene here represents the Queen being
brought before Amen, and the God
Thoth, or Hermes, acts as priest, and
introduces her with a curious address:
She salutes thee, she speaks Ito
thee). She cOOls thee with water, she
gives thee incense. The double is salts
fed when she fumigates thee with the
eye of thy own body, her incense. o
Amen, lord Of the throes of the two
lands, when thou resteth In thy abode,
where thy beauties are worshipped,
grant her life, strength and happin-
tess.
Such is the threshold prayer. The
shrine no doubt contained the two
sacred boats OF the morning and eve
ming, boats In which he sailed across
the sky. In the inner and dark shrine
Chamber was the splendid shrine of
ebony, in which the statue of the God
was kept. A portion OF this shrine
was discovered In 1894 by M. Nayille,
and It is most interesting to mention
Egypt, unlike other lands except
AK <aRe 3ox,, $50