San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-04-10

his persuasion have given voice in their
comments upon the explorations and
death of the Englishman who sponsored
the expedition that resulted in the I'M
earthing and opening of King Tut-Ankh-
Amen's tomb. 1t is their habit TO apply
reason, or what they define as reason,
to such matters. The only idea per-
tanning to the prophecy which their rea-
son will permit them to accept is that
such forecasts of death for those who
open the tonbs of Pharaohs might pos
sibly produce in the minds OF such per-
sons such an unwholesome psychological
condition as would eventually prove
fatal to them. For it has been fairly
we'll demonstrated that it is injurious
to ones mental. and consequently to his
physical, health to let his mind dwell
upon supposedly harmful things that
exist even in the imagination only.
Howard Carter, Lord Carnarvon's as
sociate in the archaeological expedition
in Egypt, is not immortal. He will Dire
some day, and whether that day be near
or far it will be marked by the Ibfahim
Syranas and Conan Doyles who may
then be among the living as one ct ven
gcance for the Pharaohs. 1t is easy to
assign in advance cause Tor an event
that is naturally inevitable; when the
event takes place, some people will be-
lieve that it is the effect of the pre-
assigned cause. And who can explain
why opponents Of beliefs pertaining to
the hereafter, or to the unknown, can
gain more attentive and receptive audi
ences than explainers of the present and
the known can attract? Perhaps it is
merely a manifestation of the Eniteness
of mans mind.
The reference to Conan Doyle in con-
nection with the prophecy Of the Egyp-
tan priest is not altogether irrelevant.
Shortly after Lord Carnarvon's death
was announced, the creator of Sherlock
Holmes tuned in with the prophets of
the Ibrahim Syrana type, saying that
"of course" the Englshman's fatal illness
was the execution of sentence from the
spirit world. Had Sir Arthur forgotten
the cheering message he had given to
Americans during his recent visit to this
country-spccifically his assertion that
law Of the spirit world forbids the
harming of earth-bound humans?
A similar inconsistency-similar in de-
gree, at least-appears in the implied
assumption of Syrana and others that
the god of the Pharaohs rules the earth.
The Pharaohs had conflicting beliefs
concerning religious matters. Not all OF
them worshiped the same deity. At
least one of them authorized the practice
of several different beliefs as to the
identity and character of the TRUE
deity" If this was not Tut-Ankh-Amen,
then it was his father-so many stories
have been published on this subject that
the average person is likely to become a
bit confused as to the habits of monarchs
of 5000 years ago. What the layman
can't get is why the Pharaohs, some
of whom are supposed to have been any
thing but virtuous and kind, should be
the particular wards of any deity. Is
it to be accepted that the Pharaohs took
with them into the spirit world their
authority and power to rule the earth ?
In any case, prophecy like that of
the Egyptian high priest makes good
story" Everybody, believer OF not, reads
such stories. They appeal to one of
mans ill-defined instincts. giving wing
to the imagination and thus transport
ing him to scenes such as that re-created
by Texas poet. Hilton r. Greer, in
his description of Mission San Jose:
"In this hushed heart of ruin the dead
Past sleeps,
Needless that Times inccssant, slow,
soft feet
Are beating stone on stone to drifting
| drst"