Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-06-07
|ASOUTHERN PILGRIM
IN EASTERN LANDS

CAROL have several times referred
10 Memphis. II was located about Is
miles farther up the river Nile from the
present Cairo. on the opposite side OF
the river, but extended down the river
nearly. IL not quite. to the limits Of
Cairo. IL is said TO have been founded
by Nenes. the first historical ruler OF
Egypt, as a fortress on the border Of
the northern and southern kingdoms. %
keep the conquered inhabitants OF lower
Egypt In subsection. My, readers in
Memphis, Tenn. which 1 presume was
named in honor OF this Memphis, will
be interested In the origin of the name,
which Is given as follows: Having grown
from a fortress to an important city.
because OF its superior situation at the
head OF the delta, and on account OF
the location there OF the temple OF Ptah.
the patron god OF the city. whose wor-
ship became quite popular, the kings OF
the early dynRsites sometimes planted
their courts there. Under the sixth dy-
nasty, King Phiops I founded a new
quarter OF the city. in which he fixed the
residence OF his court. This quarter was
called Men-nefru-M ire-which meant 1.-The
beauty of King Mire." or PhiOps- This
name was afterwards abbreviated 10
Menfe and applied to the whole city. The
Greek form OF Menfe is Memphis. which
came 20 be generally used. Memphis at
tanned its greatest popularity under the
ancient empire. Its kings made IL their
residence. The worship Of the god Ptah
attracted devotees from all over-Egypt.
IL is several times spoken OF in the
Bible as follows: Isaiah, 1913; Jer., 2:15;
Exek., S0:1S. Is; Hosea. SO. In the King
James version 1t Is called Naph. except
IN Hos. sc. where the word Memphis
Is used In the revised version Memphis
Is used everywhere On the Greek coins
Il is called Memphis.
Cairo Is on the eastern bank of the
Nile. while Memphis was on the western
bank The railroad from Cairo to Luxor
runs on the western bank and passes
through what was probably the site OF
the old city. The usual way OF reaching
IL is by railroad 1t had been arranged.
however. that we should go by boat up
the Nile. much to our delight II was
certainly a very enjoyable ride we had
up the river. on the way we passed in
sight OF the English quarters OF Cairo.
a new and beautiful part OF the city: by
O lovely public park; near Napoleons
windmills. OF which I spoke in my last
Here is a Coptic convent, said to have
been built In the first century, and evil
IDENTIFY In a good state OF preservation.
On our left. looming up large for many
miles. are the Mokattam hills, from
which the stones for the first or great
pyramids were taken; the Torah hills
which furnished the stones for the second
pyramid In the sides OF these hills can
be distinctly seen holes which are said
20 be the caves in which the workmen
who were gathering these stones lived
On the east or Cairo bank there are sit
uated also the penitentiary for Egypt,
q sugar factory and a soap factory. Here
are lot OF cows grazing on the banks
OF the river. looking for all the world
like the seven cows OF Pharaoh-whether
the fat or the lean ones 1 could not
quite make out. though they looked more
like the latter
The site OF ancient Memphis is a vast
plain between the river and the desert
To look at IL how one would hardly imag-
Inc that one OF the great cities Of the
world once stood there. All traces OF the
city have been almost entirely obliterat-
ed The prophet Ezekiel CEzek, s0:1s)
was right about IL. Memphis had "ad-
yersaries in the day time" In SIS BIC
Cambyses Of Persia captured II and did
his best 70 utterly destroy IL. so that 1t
should give him and his successors no
further trouble. II grew again. though.
and IN the time OF Augustus II was
nourtshing city. But by edict of the
emperor Theod0sius, about so AID, the
temples and statues were DESTROYED.
What Cambyses and Theodosius failed
70 do In the way OF destruction. the hano
OF nature completed. Many OF the houses
were built OF sun-drieo bricks, which
nave long since crumbled to their original
oust or mud The stones in the houses
OF the more wealthy. or the palaces OF
the Pnaraohs. or the public. buildings
were utilized In building Cairo by the
fatimite Khalifs. loo years ago. MANY
q the monuments also were carried
away But the chief cause OF its inter
ooiiteratiOn probably was the repeated
oseIHoNs OF the Nile burying the ruined
city deep beneath a sea OF mud.
But in the last few years Mr.. Flinders
Petrie has been making excavations nv,
the site % the old city, and has nm
e4rueo many things OF interest, chief
among them two gigantic statues OF
Hamsess ii, usually called Ramses the
Great He was the Pharaoh Of the on
PRESTON He IL was who compelled the
eniidren or Israel to make bricks with
OUT straw. He was probably the great
est King Egypt ever produced, or GER
tainly one Of the greatest. He reignea
81 years. and while he engaged in some
wars. OF which he made boasts far he
yond the actual accomplishments, vet his
greatest work was as a builder and a
developer Of internal AFFAIRS. TO this
end he utilized the Israelites in erecting
his numerous buildings. With their
forced labor and that OF the slaves can
tured in war, he could erect buildings
at comparatively small cost His home
was probably at Thebes, and I shall have
more TO say about him when L come
20 speak OF my visits there But he
ruled over ali Egypt. and seems to have
had secondary capital at Memphis. AT
any rate, they have unearthed these two
large statues Of him at Memphis. They
80. T.r k-~
be carried away or even destroyed. They
once marked the entrance to the temple
az Memphis. similar. though not so
large. statues OF him did at the tenn
pie Of Luxor.
The 1rst Of these statues was discov-