Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-05-20
Mystery

b C In this dynasty the pyramids
were built
? The middle empire. embracing the
nth TO the 18th dynasties, from $3.50
B. c. to 1900 3. c. To this period be-
long the Ryksos or shepherd kings.
who oppressed Egypt for 500 years.
8. The new empire, embracing the 18th
to 31st dynasties, from 100 B. c. to 332
b. c. This is the period of Thotmes III,
the Alexander of Egypt" the builder
of Karnak; of Setti 1, who gave orders
that the male children of the Israelites
should be put to DEATH; of Ramases II,
the Pharaoh Of the oppression, and of
Meneptah, the Pharaoh of the exodus.
4. The lower period embracing the
S2d to S4th dynasties, from 332 B. c. to
$50 A. d. The sgd dynasty was the Ma
cedonian, and the oath the Roman. To
these we might add
8. Modern Egypt, $50 A. D. to the
present.
The following will give these dynastles
in brief:
l. Ancient Empire, Ito dynasties; 1904
B. c., $3.50 B. c.; characterized by Pyra-
mids.
3 Middle Empire, 11-17 dynasites; 1850
B. c., 100 B. c.; characterized by
Hyksos.
s. New Empire, 1891 dynasites; 100 B.
c., SS2 B. c.. characterized by Thotmes
III, Seti I, Ramses II, Meneptah.
l. Lower Period, S2-S4 dynasties; SS2
B. c., $50 A D.; characterized by Mace
DOMAIN and Roman.
s. Modern Egypt, $50 A. D. to present.
1t would be well to fix these different
periods in mind in the study of Egypt.
They will have a bearing on everything
H. g. &Nav. Ton a. "
have to say with reference to the coun-
try.
ITS ANCIENTNESS.
Perhaps the most striking thing with
regard to Egypt is it's ancientness. The
writer's fix 1904 B. c. as the date when
1t appeared in history. That was nearly
1000 years ago. But does not that con-
travene the Bible, which says that the
world was only created 5000 years ago?
No, it only contravenes the chronology
of Archbishop Usher, who fixed 1000 B. c.
as the date of the creation of the world.
and adjusted different periods in the
worlds history to fit that date. King
James men adopted his chronology and
put 1t in their translation of the Bible,
which has been in common use by Eng
disappearing people since its publication
in 1911, and which is still generally used
America.
this way the chronology of Archbishop
Usher has come to be commonly accept
ed. But the Canterbury Revision gives
no chronology. Students of the Bible
recognize the difficulty of giving any def
mite chronology, and few attemtp TO do
so.
At any rate. It seems beyond doubt that
to find the beginning of the worlds his
tory we shall have to go back more than
5000 years. In fact, in the case of Egypt
we must go back at least 1000 years. And
II should be remembered that when
Egypt first appeared on the stage of his
tory, 1000 years ago, 1t had a highly de-
veloped civilization, as civilization went
in ancient times. with. says Dr. Josiah
Strong. "a written language. q grammar.
a literature. a philosophical religion, a
school OF art, a knowledge OF mathemat-
ics and of the mechanical arts, an estab-
lished hierarchy and a social system"
Having all these when we first know
anything about It, IT must, of course,
have been in existence, not only as a
land. but as a nation, for a good many
years before that. And the history of
Egypt. as Bancroft said about the his
tory of the Baptists, els lost In the depths
of antiquity" only the antiquity of
Egypt is much greater than that of the
Baptists.
THE LAND OF THE RIVER
Why? Why should Egypt have so
early been populated. and have become a
civilized country? The answer is easy.
1t is that which has determined all other
civilizations-water. It is an interesting
question to ask about any land or city,
Why? There is always what the French
call raison d'etre, reason for the ex-
istence OF any place. And the answer is
nearly always the same-water. The hu-
man family must have water-for trans
portation, for irrigation, for drinking for
bathing. They always hunt for water.
The same reason which determined our
grandfathers to locate their homes near
spring determined the location of cities,
of countries, of races. Atlanta ahd In
dianapolis are rather conspicuous execep-
lions to this rule, but the exceptions are
comparatively rare. For instance: why
Nashville? Sulphur spring near the
Cumberland river. Why Memphis? The
Mississippi river and the bluffs at that
point affording protection from overflow.
Why Knoxville? The confluence of the
Holston and the French Broad. Why
Pittsburg? The confluence of the Mo-
nongahela and the Allegheny. Why New
York? The bay. Why Boston? The
harbor. Why Norfolk? Hampton Roads.