Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1907-08-23


tellect The best Egyptian teachers
were his. The greatest knowledge OF
the then known world was concentrate
ed in Egypt. And Moses was educated
IN the most famous schools OF that
land. Who can fully estimate the
knowledge of those ancient Egyptians?
Some time ago l saw one OF the most
dramatic pictures ever published In
newspaper. Its title was 1.-The Body
Of an Ancient Pharaoh Under the
Electric Light There In his sarcoph-
agus lay the mummy of Amenophis
H., who reigned In Egypt i'm 1866 Il.
c., about fifty years before Moses was
born. The face OF the ancient ruler
was just as perfect as on the day
when the embslmer laid him away
Tor his last sleep. Right over his fore
head in the picture was a modern cleo
trio light. shining full upon the face
of the ancient king There In the back
ground of the picture was a band OF
tourists looking down upon the quiet
sleeper. AS 1 looked at that picture
that electric light seemed to be saying
to the old king: Awake, Amenophis!
Wake up! Look about and see how
much the twentieth century has ac-
complished-" Then In Imagination I
saw the old mummy open his eyes and
look around. He seemed out of place,
as did old Rip Van Wrinkle when he
came down from the mountains after
his long sleep. Then in imagination I
saw one Of the tourists as a guide take
the hand of the old king and lead him
about Cairo. He pointed to this won
der and that wonder of the twentieth
century. Then 1 fancied 1 heard the
aged ruler say: Yes, you have mar
velous wonders here. but want to tell
you that my people were a race Of
giants. Where is old Egypt? Where
is old Egypt, of which these pyramids
and monuments are mere remnants of
her former grandeur? Why. old Egypt
has forgotten almost as much as the
twentieth century has ever developed.
Egypt was a storehouse of arts which
today are lost forever" Was 1t only
dream? Was not the Egypt of an
cient Amenophis the home OF erudi-
ton and knowledge?
If the ancient Egyptians were not
erudite. how can you account for the
great pyramid of Cheops, which was
without any doubt built as an astro-
nomical observatory? SO great are the
massive stones of. this pyramid that
to this day scientists are unable to un.
derstand how they were lifted into
place. How can you account for the
vast canal and irrigation system OF
Egypt. thousands OF years old, yet a
system from which modern irrIgators
can well learn their lessons at the
present time?
Egyptians Not Ignorant.
The Egyptians were not an ignorant
people. II is very grave question
whether they did not know rs much
In their line as we know In ours.
They had their written forms for the
conveying OF knowledge just as we
have now. y. II. Sayce. one of the
most famous modern Egyptian ar
chaeologists. tells us in his wonderful
book. entitled Monument Facts and
Higher Critical Fancies." that "the
Babylonia of the age of Abraham was
more highly educated country thah
the England Of George Ill" Then he
goes on TO show that Egyptian litera-
turc dates back 10 the time of king
Menes, I'm 5702 Il. c.. or over 1000
years before Moses was born. He
goes further and shows that no
Egyptian in the third and fourth
period was looked upon as n gentleman
unless he knew how TO read. The
business men. the farmers, the over
seers, as we'll as the priests and
scribes, were conversant with Egyp-
tan literature. $50 universal was
knowledge among the ancient Egyp-
dans OF Moses time that they did not
believe there was immortality for any
Egyptian unless he, as a resurrected
spirit. could read the sentences which
were carved upon his own tomb"
Thus IL is not only Moses as a prince
who is testifying to US today about
the ways OF God; It is Moses the sage
as well; IL is Moses who had studied
all the PHILOSOPHERS OF his day: 1t is
Moses the erudlte scholar. with the
vast libraries of his time by his side.
who comes to testify to us of Christ.
Do not the words OF my text have a
deeper significance when you realize
the transcendent intellectually Of this
Egyptian prince than when you sim
ply look upon him as the adopted son
or Pharaoh's daughter and the heir
apparent OF the Egyptian throne? BY
character and by attachments he is en-
titled to our attention. And he said
unto him. II they hear not Moses and
Che prophets, neither will they be per.
suaded. though one rose from tho
dead"
His Creative Brain.
But Moses brain was not simply re-
ceptive. He had a creative as we'll as
An absorbing intellect. He could give
cut as well as take in. You know that
there are certain intellectual men who
seem to lack the creative faculty.
They learn az parrots learn. When
they take a book they can read 1t
through and repeat the pages almost
verbatim. They can index their minds
SO that you can hardly ask them a
question which they cannot answer.
Ihey are like some of the honor stu
dents OF our college days who always
stood at the head of their classes vet
when they entered life's struggle they
were abJect failures because they new
er could create any new ideas of their
own. Like sheep, they may be led.
but, unlike the shepherds, they cannot
hunt up new pastures, and when lost
they have not intelligence enough to
pioneer their way into a safe fold.
NOW, Moses had a creative as well
as an absorbing intellect AS we study
this gigantic genius we know not
wRich TO admire the most-the power
by which he absorbs knowledge or rho