Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-07-13
MUMMIES OF ANTIQUE.
Rich Discoveries by French Explorer.

| brilliantly and that the body should
| be wrapped In thick bands until it's
| outlines were wholly concealed As
| that would have made the head APP
| pear disproportionately small the head
was bound about with linen. Upon
both head and breast were placed the
| combined mask and cuirnsse modelled
| IN this case of painted stucco The
| portrait Of the departed represents him
as holding IN his hand the emblematic
sheaf oe wheat and the crown OF the
elect.
One of these mummies has his right
hand pressed TO his bosom with the
forefinger and the thumb outstretched
In the M Attic gesture that recalled TO
the faithful the monogram OF Christ
while the left hand holds the crown.
Above his head runs a urRus, the barge
Of Ra. the figures OF Isis, Nephthys
Anubis and Thoth, Those Of the Greek
worship are represented by little fig-
ures. barely more than sketches, in
which one recognizes the familiar inn
ages OF paganism. Finally. Christianl-
~ claims not only the sheaf. the chal-
ice and the crown, but an arrangement
that places the head within a frame
formed like the hahltral representation
of the gate of heaven.
-Four tombs OF temple fninistrants of
Osiris-Antionus have been opened vhis
year. One conforms to the Egyptian
precepts that recognize In the person
OF Anttnous the ancient Osiris and
shows him celebrating the Pharaonic
office. Another is related to the Olyrn-
pic mysteries more or less remodelled
so as TO connect the legend of Bacchus
torn IN pieces by the TiGans with
that of Osiris torn in pieces by HE
brother Seth and consequently to adapt
1t to the religion OF Osiris Antinous.
here figuring as Bacchus-Antinous
Both these munmies are those Of pro-
phetesses--Nouter hont. No doubt they
pronounced oracular dtcta in the Phar-
aonic temple in which Antinous was
worshipped as Osiris Though buried
in accordance with the rites prevalent
throughout Egypt, they were probably
not Egyptians themselves. One you
recognize as a Greek--her face has
nothing Egyptian about 1t. Her name
was Nedjemau.
The other two priestesses. were Greeks
beyond q doubt. One is described as a
"Dionysiac," o royal favorite of Osiris
Antinous. The other bears the title OF
Nouter hont, just as do the temple min
istrants OF the Pharaonic worship. and
was probably required to prophesy In
the name OF the god in the pagan tenn
pie.
The designation "Dionysiac" is hard
to explain. In order to make it clear
one must go somewhat into details re-
garding the worship OF Bacchus as
celebrated upon the Acronolis by the
festival OF the Anthesteris. This rite
was performed in the temple OF Limna.
which was open on the 18th and lSth of
the month of Anthesterion, whence the
name OF the festival. During those
days all the other temples of Olympia
were closed and the statues of the gods
yelled. The ceremony there had fun
ereal Significance. and was based upon
q mystery of death and the resurrec-
ton. The celebrant was the wife OF
the archon and was therefore called the
basilina, or queen. Around her IA mys-
tic offerings upon IA affairs represented
the IA fragments of the body of Bac-
chus This mystery was based upon