Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-05-25
ANCIENT EGYPTIAN BELIEFS.

Influence of Magic on Their lives-
Ideas Of Heaven and He'll.
No nation in the world devoted SC
much attention to the subject Of the
future life as the ancient Egyptians
and yet, strangely enough, with so lit
tie effect upon their daily life In this
world. It had, however, no morbid ef-
feet upon him, for unlike any other
nation of antiquity. the Egyptian had
fully convinced himself that this life
was but the antechamber to a life OF
eternity and everlastingness."
Egypt was essentially the land OF
magic, and fully justified the Ta!mudic
saying that when magic was created
out Of ten parts, nine were assigned
to Egypt" 1t Is in magic that we find
the whole key to the Egyptian ideas
of heaven and hell.
The greatest work on the future
state was that known as the Book oi
the Dead"-a marvellous compendium
Of magic, religion and folklore. Its be-
ginning Is lost in the dark regions OF
the prehistoric age, for there is now nc
doubt that it had taken definite liter
ary form long before the fourth dy-
nasty, B. c., 1900, and was old by the
time of the sixth, some centuries later
The Egyptians ideas of future life
were the outcome Of his magical belief
that everything material or immateri-
al had its immortal double. The lano
itself, the Nile, the chief religious
cities, the king, and the people, all had
their doubles In the next world. Ou'
of this grew the idea Of a life In the
future state of perfect happiness, the
best on earth, in the Fields Of Peace
There can be no doubt that this regior
of the blessed was regarded by the
early Egyptians, and, indeed, for
long time by the common people, moi
as a celestial region, but as situated
in the fertile and well watered regions
of the Nile delta in the northwest Of
Egypt, where the blessed ever breathec
the cool north wind.
Here he lived an ideal form Of his
life upon earth. He ploughed his
fields and grew the grain which sup
piled him with bread that grew moi
stale, and beer that never became
sour" Here was situated the dupli-
cate of his earthly town or village, and
heaven would, indeed, be a home tc
him.
The belief In ancestor worship, nc
doubt, was an important element ir
the religion of the Egyptians-bui
would the deceased meet and be recog-
nized by those who had preceded him
On this point DR.. Bulge describes how
the deceased meets and is recognized
by all who are near and dear to him.
AS he truly remarks, 1t Is an exact
picture Of the return Of a long absen'
wanderer to his native land, such as
may be seen any day in the Nile valley
1t explains, also, the reason why the fu-
neral inscriptions make so strong a
feature of the family and social rec
titude of the dead. Thus the express
sion: II was one reverent to my faith
er, favored of my mother, devoted to
my brothers and sisters and united In
heart with the people Of my town"
The underworld was a region of fire
lakes Of fire, rivers of fire, and the
damned were treated as captives
bound, beheaded, and each day brought
to life to undergo fresh torture. Space
will not permit us to deal with this
subject here, but in these terrible pic
lures we have, no doubt, the source
from which the early Christian writer's
drew their vivid descriptions of the
tortures Of the wicked.-London GLOBE.
6I' Pushcart merchants are always be-
hnd hietiir business.