Egypt The Eternal (1970).pdf

Rosicrudan

Egyptian Museum v:.

m u s e u m o f a n t i q u i t i e s p r o v i d e s a n e x c e l l e n t p l a c e f o r a n i n q u i r y i n t o the past. It is only fitting, therefore, th at the Rosierucian O rder, A M O R C , a nonsectarian, w orldw ide, philosophic fraternity—active for centuries in d iffu s­ ing knowledge pertain in g to m an ’s nature, his place in the universe, and his accom plishm ents—m ain tain an institution for the preservation of those things which depict the achievem ents and the record of errors of our forebears. T h e Rosicrucian E gyp tian M useum w as therefore established by the R osierucian O rder, A M O R C , under the authority of D r. H . Spencer Lew is, its form er chief executive, to house such a collection of E gyptian and O riental antiquities as would prove instructive and interesting to the m em bership of the O rder an d the general public alike. T h ou gh the m useum is entirely financed and m ain tain ed by the R osicrucian O rder, an exam ination of its exhibits and enjoym ent of its facilities are m ade possible to the public w ithout fee or obligation.

{Z X Z C lltiu E .

£.*15.0

JA M E S C. F R E N C H R A L P H M. L E W IS

CURATO R D IR E C T O R

A S S Y R IO L O G IS T E G Y P T O L O G IS T

S A M U E L A. B. M E R C E R . D R. M A X G U IL M O T

A M E R IC A N A S S O C IA T IO N O F M U S E U M S E G Y P T IA N E X P L O R A T IO N S O C IE T Y P A T R O N O F S M IT H S O N IA N I N S T I T U T I O N F O N D A T IO N E G Y P T O L O G IQ U E R E IN E E L IS A B E T H T H E IN T E R N A T IO N A L I N S T I T U T E F O R T H E C O N S E R V A T IO N O F M U S E U M O B JE C T S O p e n D a i l y —N o A d m i s s i o n C h a r g e

R O S IC R U C IA N P A R K

S A N JO S E , C A L IF O R N IA 95114, U . S. A .

Copyright 1968 by the Supreme Grand Lodge of AMORC, Inc.

p

o

J lo a a t i o n o j

a n d Sxhitjit±

the convenience of visitors, the floor p lan of the m u se u m ’s galleries, w ith the location of the principal display cases and exhibits, is shown below. G alleries are indicated by letters of the alph abet, and cases and exhibits by num ber. For m ethod of locating exhibits, see explan ation opposite.

F

Page 4

o r

iJnd&x of’ ^PzLncLjiaL cZxlulrLt± r-pHF. principal exhibits only arc show n in the follow ing index. T h ese exhibits JL are first divided into general classifications and then by p articu lar objects. For exam ple, to locate h um an m um m ies, by referring to the general classifica­ tion h ead in g of F u n e r e a l and ru n n in g dow n the follow ing list, w e com e to the caption M um m ies. O pposite, we find the letter “ B ” which indicates the gallery, and. follow ing that is given the letter of the gallery area (n -n orth , eeast, w-w est, s-so u th ). N ow , by looking at the floor p lan of the galleries on the opposite page and locating the corresponding gallery and area letter, the exhibit can be found. P R E H IS T O R IC D io r a m a s o f p reh isto ric h a b ita ts (B -w ) F lin ts an d to o ls (B -w ) E G Y P T IA N A lta rs (o ffe r in g ) (C -n ) A m u lets an d S c a r a b s (C -n , C-w, D -w ) D io r a m a s (S c e n e s o f D a ily L ife ) ( D - e ) G re a t S p h in x T a b le t ( A - e ) Jew elry

Necklaces, rings, heads, etc. (C-w. D-w) Scarabs (D-w) P a in tin g s

“ Preparing a Mummy for Burial,” by Dr. H. Spencer Lewis (B-s) “ The Love Idol, Queen N efertiti,” by Dr. H . Spencer Lewis (C -n ) P ottery

Collection of earlv Dynasty pottery,

(D-e) Predynastie to Grecian period (D -e) Fragments of colored faience pottery (A-w) S ta tu a ry

Statue of Akhnaton (C-e) Bust of Queen Nefertiti (C -n) Am arna Exhibits (C-e) Priest with W isdom Text (C-e) Red granite figure of Horus, the hawkbeaded god (C-e) Sacred Ram of Atnon Ra (Lobby) Heroic size of Amenhotep. Ill (D-w) Bust of R.ameses II (C-e) Sekhmet, lion-headed goddess (C -n) Priest of the temple of Ptah (A-n) Two carved lions of the 18th Dynasty (Lobby) Rui, the Priest (C-e) Egyptian Goddess, black granite (C-n) Kneeling Figure of Amencmheb (C-e) S te in d o rff C o llectio n (C -w ) T o m b s an d T e m p le s

Full-size reproduction of an Egyptian rock tomb (B-w) Model of King Tutankham en’s tomb (B-s) Model of the great pyramid of Cheops (A-w)

Model of King Zoser’s Pyramid (D-e) Egyptian V illa (C-e) T o y s (A -w ) U tility an d B e au ty O b je cts

Bronze arrowheads, knife, mirrors, nee­ dles, awls, razor, adz, alabaster cos­ metic jars, etc. (A-w, C-w) F U N E R E A L E X H IB IT S

Canopic jars (used to contain the vis­ cera of embalmed body) (B-e) Cartonnage (gilded and painted mumm y m asks) (B-c) M ummies (human and anim al) (B) Mummy Shroud (B-w) Sarcophagi (mumm y cases) (B) Statuettes (of carved wood, cl ay, faience, bronze and stone) (A-n) I Jshebtis—tomb figurines of bronze, stone, wood, and clay (A-w) Funereal boat models (A-s) Funereal models depicting scenes from daily life (A-s) R O SETTA STO N E

(Replica) (C-w ) T E X T IL E S

Coptic embroideries (D-w, walls) A S S Y R IA N

Bas-reliefs (A-e) Cones and tablets, household gods, mask, seals—lapidary work (A-e) Basalt Obelisks inscribed in cuneiform (A-e) B A B Y L O N IA N

Basalt inscription stone of N ebuchad­ nezzar II, cJay bricks from the H anging Gardens, contract and lit­ erary tablets, cylindrical cone of Nebuchadnezzar II, fragments of glazed brick (A-e) Tower of Babel (m odel) (A-e) O R IE N T A L T A

Standing Buddha Statue (C-w ) Multi-headed sacred image from India (C-w ) Tibetan sacred objects (C-w ) Miscellaneous O rientalia (C-w )

Page 5

Copyright 1939 under title T h e M agn ificent T rin ity

by the Supreme Grand Lodge of AMORC, Inc. FIRST ED ITIO N SECO N D ED ITIO N TH IR D ED IT IO N FOURTH ED ITIO N

JANUARY, D EC EM BER , JU LY , O C T O B ER ,

1939 1943 1946 19.50

Copyright 1955 under title E g y p t, the E tern a l

FIFTH ED ITIO N SIXT H ED ITIO N SEV EN TH ED ITIO N EIG H TH ED ITIO N . N IN T H ED IT IO N T E N T H ED ITIO N ELEV EN TH ED ITIO N TW ELFT H ED ITIO N

M ARCH, M ARCH, JU N E , MAY, JANUARY, JANUARY, JU LY , SEPTEM BER,

1955 1958 1960 1962 1964 1967 1968 1970

R O SIC R U C IA N EG Y PTIA N M U SE U M welcomes contributions and bequests for the Museum and for special projects in the field for acquiring further arti­ facts and for research. Such contribu­ tions and bequests are tax deductible for both state and federal income tax purposes in the United States. Checks should be made payable to Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum.

G -39

970

R O S IC R U C IA N P R ES S, L T D ., SA N JOSE

LITHO IN U.S.A.

PARADE of H U M A N EV EN T S d ig itiz a tio n on d ^ z u iz v j is a p r e v a i l i n g tendency to d isp arage the valu e of history. Since the JL events and thoughts are of the past, m an y persons arc often of the opinion that history’s contribution to contem porary times is of little consequence. T h eir view point m ay be sum m arized as: aside from providing an academ ic pursuit, how does the know ledge of w h at m en did or believed centuries ago serve our m odern society? ^pH ER E

U p o n first consideration, it m ay seem th at the past sh ould rem ain so. It would ap p ear that men should w holly concern them selves with current events and the sh ap in g of the future. A ctually, however, those who think thus are m aking the fundam ental m istake of considering the past, present, and future as absolutely separated divisions of time. T h ere is no sudden transition, that is, change, from the past to the present or from the now to tomorrow. H istory, w hether of events or of thought, is a continuous chain of ideas or incidents. As w e review history, w’e observe eras which appear to be in severe con­ trast with each other, ju st as though one had sh arply term inated when the other began. W h at we are observing, however, are the m ajor developm ents which stand out in prom inence. W h at lies betw een such extrem es in history and caused the changes m ay be a w'holc series of m inor incidents; either h is­ tory has no record of them or they are not em phasized; and. as a result, we are not aw are of them . As wre look back upon the civilizations of the past, their stan d ard s of living, m any of them seem to be crude. It m ay ap p ear that all the products of our times are m ostly the consequence of the genius of our laboratories and great industrial organizations. W e will find that a great m ajority of the principles em ployed in our industrial arts arc the result of discoveries m ade from decades to centuries ago. M athem atics is the great instrum ent of all the sciences. W ith out it, but little of our present-day achievem ents would be possible. H ow ever, the basic p rin ­ ciples of m ath em atics were undoubtedly discovered by the ancient E gyptians. W e know, as a m atter of history, that they wrere highly evolved and that much of their know ledge w as put in its present form by the ancient Greeks. O ur alphabet, architecture, m orals and ethics, religion and philosophy, also have their roots deep in the past. In studyin g the past, in looking at the artifacts and the various objects in this M useum , you w ill do so not with any m audlin sentim ent but with a cre­ ative and progressive spirit. You will rediscover the realities of each age and w’h at each has contributed to our present civilization. You will realize that we owe m u ch to the great civilizations which have preceded ours, poised as we are between a trem endous S u m e ria n ta b le t fro m past and a vast, unseen future. th e ru in s o f a tem p le It behooves us to know m ore o f an cien t L a g a sh . It of this foun dation upon w hich d a te s to th e ru le o f we rest. K in g E n te m e n a of B ab y lo n . I t is in early lin e a r sc rip t (b e fo r e 3 0 0 0 B .C .) ( G a lle r y

A -e)

Page 7

T h e g re a t N ile river, th e virtu al life b lo o d o f E g y p t. In an cien t tim es it w as v en erated a s a g o d d ess.

The Valley of the Nile ^ l ^ H E N i l e V a l l e y , in which there cam e forth J l zations, w as conducive to the attainm ent ol

one of (he greatest of all civiliculture. On the east and west of the valley and to the north of it are vast, alm ost u n in h abitab le deserts. T h e valley consists of som e seven hundred m iles ol rich black soil. T h is terrain is replenished by the alluvial earth brought from equ atorial Africa by periodic inundation of the region by the N ile River. H ere, then, w as a favorable cli­ m ate, rich soil, and an abun dance of water. W hen m en first entered this bountiful N ile V alley, w e, of course, do not know. It wras undoubtedly at a time w hen all of Europe w as still in the Stone Age. C onsequently, it w as at a tim e when m en, far to the north across the M editerran ean, were still struggling with the frigid clim ate of that period. T h ese p roto-E gyp tian s definitely had an advantage. T h ey were soon to find time to think. As Dr. Jam es B reasted has said, the N ile V alley w as a great “ social laboratory,” in which the first great society had its birth. Most certain­ ly, n atu re had produced in the N ile Valley a kind of G ard en of Eden. T h e history of Egypt, before R om an limes, h as been divided by historians into varyin g periods. For our purpose we w ill divide it into the follow ing three periods. H ow ever, we must realize that before the first period show n, there were older and lesser kingdom s in existence. O ld K in gd om -3100-2181 B.C. M iddle K ingdom —2181 -1567 B.C. N ew K ingdom —1567-1080 B.C. E ach period consisted of dynasties. A dynasty is a succession of kings by fam ily descent, the authority of suprem e rule being transm itted from one m em ber of the fam ily to another at death. You will note that each period of Egypt w as for A p rin ce, p ro b ab ly a great length of time. T h e period of so n o f M en es, who the O ld K ingdom , for exam ple, was a w as th e first k in g o f thousand years longer than the exis­ Egypt (a b o u t 3092 tence of the Rom an Em pire. B .C .) (G a lle r y C -w ) Page 8

A d io ra m a o f an cien t E g y p tia n c arp e n te rs at w ork. T o o ls o f th e p e ­ rio d m ay b e seen. (G a lle r y D -e )

The Products of Necessity (

Wsajioni.,

'

I Lts.ns.iLi., fJnijj.tEms.nti.

a d a g e , “ necessity is the m other of invention,” is also a truism . It is the X need for things w hich has caused m an to seek w ays and m eans to provide them. M an existed for m illen n iu m s before he h ad even the sim plest form of w eapon or tool. In all probability, during that daw n age w hen century after century rolled by w ithout any appreciable ch ange in his status, when he roam ed like the beasts around him, he would reach instinctively for a stone at his feet and perhaps hurl it at an enem y, an im al or h u m an, in defense. T o a great extent, we can trace the progress o f m an by the developm ent of his w eapons and im plem ents. At first he sought flints, n atu rally hard but brittle stones, w hich were more or less of a sh ap e w hich he could conveniently hold in his fist and which had a sh arp end. It w as not until considerably later that he w as able to affix a w ooden h an dle to such hatchets or knives. F in ally he learned how to sh ap e these im plem ents to his liking by striking off their rough edges with a larger stone. T h is m ethod is known as percussion. M uch time elapsed before he discovered the m eans of sh arpening and sh ap in g tools by pressure, that is, p lacin g a larger stone alon g the edges of the flint and breaking off its undesired projections. E v en tu ally h e learned the m ethod of grinding, which is still used in our times. T h e breaking of points of sticks, which he had sharpened to use as spears, caused him to invent the method —or perhaps he discovered it by accident—of h eating the tip in the fire, which considerably hardened it. Egyptian crafts evolving from these prim itive beginnings cam e to produce some of the m ost beautiful h an dicrafts and objects of art known to m an, P red y n astic w i n e j a r F lin t o f th e P aleo lith ic o f E g y p t , estim ated m any exam ples of which m ay be P erio d , p e rh a p s o f the p e rio d 3 5 0 0 B .C . ( S e e seen in this new' m useum . M o u s t e r ia n cu ltu re

'n p i i E

ap p ro x im a te ly 4 0 ,0 0 0 y ears ag o . ( S e e co llec­ tion o f flints in G a l­ lery B-w, R o sicru cian E g y p tia n M u se u m .)

pottery co llectio n in G a lle ry D -e, in R o s i­ c ru cian E g y p tia n M u ­ se u m .)

Page 9

T h e fa m e d R am e sseum , rem a in s o f a on ce sp le n d id tem p le b u ilt by R a m e se s I I ( 1 3 3 3 B .C .) on th e w est ban k o f the N ile a c ro ss fro m L u x o r.

Civilization a rf-xt, ' 1 1'xituzcj,

rcfiitEctuzE

e a r l y t i m e s , during the end of the Pleistocene Epoch, w hen gian t crea­ tures still stalked the earth, m an w as ill-equipped to com bat them and he m ust have found it far better to have the support of his kind in hunting woolly m am m oth s or giant, tusked rhinoceroses for their hides, than to undertake kill­ ing them sin gle-handed. T h is m utual protection again st actual and im agined enem ies bound the n atural, instinctive fam ily groups together. Civilization, how ever, comes when m an is conscious of his society; that is, when he no longer desires to live with those of his kind like a herd of anim als, but attem pts to order his m ethod of living for their m utual good. C u ltu re arises from the n atu ral segregation of those possessing skills and abilities, and en ­ couraging them to exchange the products of their aptitudes for necessities, so th at others not so fortunately possessed of talents m ay enjoy their effccts. Before civilization, as we know it, speech an d lan gu age de­ veloped from the n atu ral cries of fear, surprise, and pain which m an uttered. V ocal sounds wTere com bined until m an becam e sufficiently articulate to convey his ideas verbally to another. T h e rudim ents of speech m ust have existed for a great u n ­ known period before m an began his crudest form of w riting. T h e object of lan guage, spoken or wTittcn, is the com m unica­ tion of ideas. W e think in pictures, th at is, m entally, in our m ind's eye, wre see the thing we w an t to express. It is natural, therefore, to try to create som ething w hich will convey that picture in m ind to the m ind of another. Before lan gu age w as sufficiently d e­ veloped for conversation to express a

I

n

S ta tu e o f A m e n h o tep III, P h arao h of E gypt in 1 4 1 1 -1 3 7 5 B .C ., 18th D y n asty . E x a m ­ p le o f e arly E m p ire P e rio d s c u l p t u r i n g . ( S e e statu e in R o sic ru ­ cian E g y p tia n M u se ­ u m .) ( G a lle r y D -w )

Page 10

P alette an d p a in tb o x u sed by E g y p tia n scrib es as co m m on w ritin g m a ­ te ria ls o f th e p erio d . (G a lle r y C-w )

thought, m an resorted to d raw ing and p ain tin g crude form s, which told the story of his thoughts better than his words, T h e first w riting, therefore, w as picture writing. F u rth er devclopm ent reached a point when there w as no visual relation between the strokes and the original picture from w hich they evolved, yet the im port rem ained the sam e. C onsequently, the strokes becam e sym bols out of w hich later developed the early alphabets.

lio o k ^ o f th e ™ D e a d , which co n tain s the ritu als an d fu n e ra l litu rg ies o f the a n cien t

Religion Liti. tzj-j-zat ' I Ljion (2 u±tom± as we know it today is m ainly organized thought. T h e fu n d am en tal spirit of religion is the recognition or presentim ent that there exists som e su p ern atu ral pow er or force th at is greater than those things w hich m an con ­ trols, and which is also the creator of certain things or conditions. T h e early religions, like som e still in existence today, were polytheistic. T hey included m any gods. Further, the gods w ere not anthropom orphic, that is, the}' did not have, to the m ind of m an, the form or person of m an. Som e of these gods were the elem ents, such as the w ind, lightning, rain, and even the sun, the m oon, and the stars. In fact, most agencies of nature w hich were feared were w orshiped. E arly religion w as not altogether reverential tow ard its gods. Men did not alw ays love them. e lig io n

R

In 1358 B. C ., in Egypt, P h araoh A khnaton, as if divinely infused with the concept, declared for the first tim e in the w orld's history, that there w as but one sole, everliving G od. W ith this m onothe­ istic religion, a trem endous effect w as had upon the custom s and practices of the people, which w as never entirely lost, even to the tim e of C hristian ity. W ith one god ruling the earth, m an no longer had the belief that there w as a conflict between the gods, as between m en. G od cam e to represent the suprem e virtues and absolute good. M an, there­ fore, desired to be godlike and em ulate the ideals he h ad of his God. U sh e b ti o r “ re sp o n d ­ en t,” a statu ette w hich w as su p p o se d to do th e m enial w ork fo r th e d e p a rte d in the n ex t w orld. ( S e e co l­ lection o f U sh e b tis in G a lle ry A -s in the R o sicru c ia n E g y p tia n M u se u m .)

T h e an cien t E g y p tia n s co m m on ly d ep icted the sou l B a as a b ird with a h u m an h ead . T h e b ird sy m b o lized th e in d ep e n d en ce an d a s­ cen d an cy o f the sou l. (G a lle r y C -w )

Page 11

Egyptian Burial Customs O U x ( VaLus. to cJ-fL i-toiu cannot sec the need of expeditions being conducted at great to excavate tombs, the last resting place of kings, queens, pharaohs, and lesser personages of centuries ago. T o m any, it seem s a desecration w ithout sufficient justification. H ow ever, the tom bs of the ancients, particularly those of the E gyp tian s, arc virtu al storehouses of articles which clearly tell how peoples of that m agnificent civilization lived, w hat they be­ lieved, w hom they w orshipped, w hat they wore, ate, drank, and m ost im por­ tant, w h at they learned of fife and the world in w hich they lived. T h e tom bs an d w h at they contain are the result of the an cien t E g y p tian s’ religious con­ cepts. T h e E gyp tian s believed in im m ortality and the d u ality of m an. A vital life force w as said to enter m an ’s body at birth and rem ain w ith him as his double, and this inner guide w as called K a, and w as som ew h at equivalent to w h at we term conscience. In addition, m an possessed a Soul. At death, K a w as liberated and wrent to the hereafter as did the Soul. In the hereafter it would live not unlike it lived on earth, possessing m any of its earthly treasures. At a future time, K a would return to take up residence once again in the body it h ad left behind. “ Etern al H ou ses,” or pyram ids, were erected to pre­ serve the body and store the treasures which w'ere for use in the afterw orld, and ag ain in this one w hen K a should return. Placed in these tom bs were not only beautiful vases, necklaces, rings, gold platters, glass utensils, alabaster

M expense an y

la y m e n

V iew o f section o f F u n ereal G a lle r y B-s. T h e se v eral ca se s in th is G a lle r y co n tain h u ­ m an a n d an im al m u m m ies, an d o b jects p la c e d in th e an c ien t tom b s.

______________________

statuary, bronze w eapons, tools, and elaborately carved furniture, m ade from hardw ood and in laid with gold, but on their w alls were paintin gs depicting the accom plishm ents of the d eparted —stories w ritten in the hieroglyphic lan gu ages of the time, relating the events of the deceased’s life. Still more im portant were m u ­ rals, beautifully painted, show ing how the fields w'ere tilled for sow ing and the grain w as reaped; how the grapes were pressed for wine; scenes revealing goldsm iths, cabinetm akers, and other craftsm en at w'ork with the tools com mon to their period. C onsequently it w as these influences of the E gyp tian religion w hich m ade it possible for us today to know more not only ab ou t our own origin, and the m igration of races, but also about our custom s and habits.

F a lse d o o rs su ch as th is w ere erected in th e to m b s o f E g y p t. T h r o u g h them it w as th o u g h t “ B a ,” the soul o f th e m u m m y , co u ld p a ss a t w ill (G a lle r y A -w )

M u m m ies o f th e S a ite P e rio d o f E g y p t. ( B o th h u m an an d a n i­ m al m u m m ies can b e seen in G a lle r y B , in th e R o sic ru c ia n E g y p tia n M u se u m .)

C a n o p ic ja r s , e a c h w ith a differen t d e­ sig n e d to p , co n tain in g th e v iscera, o rg a n s, o f th e m u m m ified person . (G a lle r y B-e, C -e)

Page 13

The Cedars of Lebanon incongruous as it m ay seem , geologists in form us there existed on w hat is now the plateau of the S ah ara D esert, a m agnificent forest of g ian t hardw oods. T h is forest, of course, never existed in th e memory of m an, and the prim itive E gyp tian s, w ho th ousands of years later settled along the N ile V alley, found no trees except date palm s and som e acacias, and a few of other varieties alon g the great river's banks. D u rin g the Feudal and E m pire periods of E gyp tian history, wood w as very much in dem and, especially such woods as could resist the terrific heat of the N ile V alley and its arid clim ate. E xpeditions were sent far up the N ile to equatorial Africa to bring back hardw oods from the great tropical forests. In Syria, in northwestern A sia M inor, not a great distance from the city of D am ascu s, were the great forests of cedar, renowned in history as the C ed ars of Leban on . T h is wood w as found to be most suitable for the purposes of the E g y p tian s and could be brought by w ay of the M editerran ean Sea, alon g the coast, and up the N ile m ore easily than tim ber could be brou ght from the forests of equatorial A frica.

I

n p r e g l a c i a l tim e s ,

D em an d s w ere therefore m ade by the P h araoh s on the princes of Leban on to prepare great quantities of the tim ber for export to Egypt. Sarcophagi (m um m y coffins) in particu lar were m ade from these cedars. T h a t the Egyp-

T h e e a rliest fo rm o f sa r c o p h a g u s (m u m m y c o ffin ). T h e se were erected in the fo rm o f a h o u se, rep resen tin g th e “ etern al d w ellin g .” T h e b o d y w as p lac ed in it in a co n tracted p o sitio n . V e r y early d yn asty , ab o u t 4 0 0 0 B .C . (G a lle r y B ) The sarco p h ag u s (m u m m y co ffin ) o f a n o b le p e rso n ag e . T h e p a in tin g s an d in scrip ­ tio n s are from the B o o k o f the D e a d , a co llectio n o f litu r­ g ie s o f the X X I D y ­ n asty . (G a lle r y B -e)

Page

A u th e n tic rep ro d u c tio n o f th e sh rin e ch am b er o f a X I I D y n asty tom b (a b o u t 2 0 0 0 B .C .) . T h is ch am b er co n tain s in scrip tio n s re fe rrin g to the life o f th e d eceased . T h e d oorw ay in the b ac k g ro u n d le a d s to the tom b p ro p er.

tians were wise in their choice of this wood is indicated by the fact th at the m ajority of the cedar sarcop h agi excavated today are found to be in an ex­ cellent state of preservation, even though som e were periodically subm erged, due to the seasonal inundation of the region by the N ile River. A study of the construction of sarcophagi shows that even as early as 3000 B. C. the carpenters and cabinetm akers of Egypt knew the structural art of lam ination. H istory recounts how —later—K in g Solom on an d business associates dealt extensively in the im portation of these L eban on cedars, of which there are today but a few rem ain ing, and these are preserved as a n ation al m onum ent.

Page 15

elfth Dynasty Tomb : a tomb o f a noble of the X I I D ynasty (2 0 0 0 the atm osphere of the actual tombs of ancient rity o f design and hieroglyphic art. U pon ennsported beyond the veil of time. T h e only N orth A m erica. (G allery B )

Egyptian Sciences a rnjzL± o j t(i& cz/fnaiznt± of E g y p t stan d in silent testim ony to the greatness of genius possessed by these peoples of centuries ago. T h e enorm ous pyram ids are com posed of huge blocks of stone exceeding two and a h alf tons in weight, one lifted high above the other, hundreds of feet above the surface, each not varyin g in its dim ensions one sixteenth of an inch. T h e whole m ass composes a perfect, m athem atically correct pyram id, with the apex exactly above the center of its base. T hese are evidence of a know ledge and skill in such sciences as m athem atics, leverage, and m asonry. G reat irrigation can als, glass-surfaced tiling, m agnificent colonnaded tem ples, m osaic floorings, a calen d ar of 365 days, copper and tile w ater pipes, papyrus scrolls revealing an am azing know ledge of the h u m an anatom y and even u sin g for the first time the term brain, m aps of the h eavens—these are not the conse­ quence of accidents, but of the careful in vestiga­ tions, probings, and conclusions of m inds w hich today w ould excel in our scientific fields. In fact, their accom plishm ents, because of the laws of n ature w hich they discovered, tabulated, and used to m ake them possible, were definite sci­ entific achievem ents.

T

h e iiu g e m o n u m e n ts

A b o v e : A co m p lete R osic ru cian re p ro d u c tio n on a tw o-thirds scale o f a g re a t o b elisk o f H e lio p o lis, E g y p t, erected by U se rtse n I in 1950 B .C . T h e H e lio p o lis O b elisk w as o f red g ra n ite , q u arried p o ssib ly n ea r A sw an , an d w eigh ed n ea rly a th o u san d ton s. B elo w : M u sic o f a h igh type w as tau g h t a n d p e rfo rm e d by E g y p tia n p riests a n d sch olars. T h e flute, th e h a rp , th e sistru m w ere esp ecially p o p u ­ la r. T h e sistru m a lso dep icted co sm ic m o tio n .

Page

E x te rio r view o f the g re at P yram id o f G izeh , bu ilt ab o u t 2 9 0 0 B .C ., co m po sed of over 2 .3 0 0 ,0 0 0 h u ge b lo ck s o f stone w eigh ­ in g in excess o f two an d a h a lf ton s each .

T h e o rig in o f g lass is attrib ­ u ted to the E g y p tian s, g lass b e ad s, su ch as th is necklace, b e in g fou n d in the tom b s of the F o u rth M illen n iu m . G lass vessels w ere co m m on in the X V I I I D y n asty .

A cross-section m o d el to sc ale o f the g re a t P y ram id o f G izeh , erect­ ed d u rin g th e re ig n o f the P h arao h C h e o p s. T h e know n in terio r p a s­ sag ew ay s an d ch am b ers, as well as th ose sp e cu late d to exist, are clearly show n in the m od el. (M o d e l on d isp lay in G a lle r y A -w .)

i—

E g y p t’s first p y ram id d o m in ated a vast tom b c o m p lex b u ilt fo r K in g Z o s e r a t th e an cien t site o f S a k k a ra (3 ,0 0 0 B .C .) . T h is m odel is in ex a c t scale, an d co m p lete to co u n t­ less d etails in its co n stru ction . T h e w alls which m ark the en closu re m easu re ten feet in len gth an d five feet in w idth. T h e step p y ram id in the cen ter m easu res 14 in ch es in h eig h t. (M o d e l on d isp lay in G a l­ lery D .)

Splendor ^Wxoutjhk in fo LL a n d <Sfzm±, REPRODUCTION of the fourth and inner sarco p h ­ agus (m um m y case) of the fa ­ m ous K ing T utan k h am en . T h is is the only reproduction in the world of the costly original, w hich is to be seen in the C airo M u ­ seum . T h e sarcop h agus conform s to the contours of the body w hich it contained, and the face is a d e l­ icately m odeled intended likeness. T h e original, m ade of solid gold and inlaid with rare gems, has an intrinsic valu e estim ated in excess of $500,000.00. It is a m asterpiece of the ancient goldsm iths’ art, not to be excelled by the craftsm en of today. T h is sarcop h agu s was encased in three others, each in turn larger, the largest looking som ew hat like a residence garage. ( T o be seen in G allery B, in the R osicrucian E gy p tian M u seum .)

F

Page 20

U LL-SIZE D

Scarabaeidae LZqijjitLan <£oaxa£rs. a n d c^j-m u Lzti. arc articles, m ade or found in a n atu ral state, w hich are thought to possess religio-m agic properties. T h ese properties are som etim es be­ lieved to be inherent and at other times thought to have been endow ed by sorcerers, priests of the temple, or by other persons believed to h ave com m un­ ion with supern atural powers. T h e w earer is thought to assum e the beneficial or detrim ental influences of the am ulet, which m ay be in one of m any forms. Som e have been nothing more than brightly polished pebbles, or the claw s, teeth, and organs of anim als, or leaves of rare plants, and insects. In Egypt, a beetle, indigenous to the land, and known now by the entom ological classi­ fication of scarabaeidae, becam e an accepted am ulet. B ecause of the fact that this insect seemed to have the pow er to revive itself w hen apparently dead for som e time, it becam e a sym bol of im m ortality. T h e hard shell-like back w as inscribed with prayers and ritualistic phrases. T h e dem and for these increased until artificial ones were carved from wood, alabaster, serpentine, and talc, and finally m oulded from a claylike substance. V ariou s kinds were designed for varied purposes. Pectoral or heart scarab s were placed on the body of the d e ­ ceased, bearing such inscriptions as, “ O my heart, rise not up again st m e as a w itness.” T h is w as intended to silence the heart w hen the departed stood in judgm ent before the god O siris, so the evil he had com m itted on earth w ould not be revealed to this ju d ge of h um an s in the afterw orld.

A

m u le ts

T o p view o f sc a ra b . ( S e e collection o f sc a ra b s in G a lle r y D , R o sicru c ia n E g y p tia n M u se u m .)

P ecto ra l sc ara b p la c e d on b reast o f m u m m y to silen ce the voice o f the h eart, w hen it sto o d in ju d g m e n t in th e afterw orld .

B ase o f sc a ra b b e a rin g in scrip tion .

U z a t am u let, in the fo rm of “ all-se ein g ey e.”

Page 21

Vanity and Oddity idiosyncrasies and the love of ostentation of the ancients were no more or less than our ow n. If they seem obvious or stran ge to us today, it is only because the perspective of time has revealed th em in their true light. M ilady of 2000 B. C. sought to beautify her person by m eans of cosm etics, as does the fash ion able w om an of today. T h e w om an of good circum stances of forty centuries ago had her com plete toilet set consisting of handsom e alabaster jars con tain in g rouge and kohl, the latter a su bstan ce for darkening the eye­ brows and lashes. She also had an array of vessels w hich contained com plexion cream s. As she adorned herself, she gazed into gracefully designed and highly polished h an d m irrors, the polished surface serving for glass. T h e mother of K ing T e ta , 3366 B. C., know n as Shesh, earned fam e at that early date by inventing a hair wash. Perfum ed oils and ointm ents were kept in bottles, jars, and vases m ade of clear or colored glass, m etal, alabaster, or faience—colorful adjuncts to the toilet articles of the day. H igh priests, and those who could confer pow er and auth ority by the laying on of han ds, had am ulets and gem s em bedded in the llesh of their h an ds when they were em balm ed at death.

T

h e

A la b a ste r an d a rg o n ite cosm etic ja r s c o n tain in g ro u g e an d kohl (e y e la sh d a r k e n e r ). ( S e e e x ­ h ib its in G a lle r y C-w, in the R o sicru c ian E g y p tia n M u se u m .)

Page 22

Sumerian, Assyrian, Babylonian /Licit iz a tio n a n t I (2 J t n t h e T igris-E u p h rates V alley of A sia M inor, thought by som e historians 1 to be the cradle of civilization, several thousand years B. C ., there began a civilization w hich rivalled in m ilitary m ight that of the E gyptians. In the dim past, no one know s just when, persons of the great white race of the h igh lan ds far to the north cam e southw ard and followed the E u p h rates and T ig ris rivers to their outlet at the m outh. Perhaps they were driven southw ard by the descending glaciers that sw ept all life before them. T h ese peoples we call the Sum erians. G ra d u a lly they crept north again along the banks of the twin rivers, building thriving tow ns and developing the land between them into a great agricu ltural center. C lash in g even tually w ith the Semi tics and finally m erging, they gave w ay to the later A ssyrian, B abylonian, C h ald ean , ITittite, and M edian civilizations, which all fought for suprem acy in this ancient w orld. T h o u g h these people were very w arlike, B abylon, the chief city of B abylon ia, w as at one time a center of world culture and learning. D u rin g the reign of the C h ald ean Em peror, N ebu ch adnezzar, the restorer of B abylon, the visitor to th at city saw m agnificent terraced palaces, h an gin g gardens, w alls lined with beautiful faience, tow ering structures reach ­ ing a height of even three hundred feet, great can als and dam s, asp h alt ro ad ­ w ays, ornate costum es, and well-tilled lands.

T

T h e ob elisk o f S h a l­ m an eser I I I , 8 5 9 -8 2 4 B .C ., in the fo rm o f one o f the B ab y lo n ia n tow er tem ples. In sc rip ­ tion s an d figu res tell o f co n qu ests. ( O n d is­ p la y in G a lle ry A -e, in R o sicru c ia n E g y p tia n M u se u m .)

T h e ru in s o f an cien t B a b ­ y lo n a s th ey are seen to ­ d ay . T h e g re a t Ish ta r G a te , at the h eig h t o f its sp le n d o r d u rin g th e reig n o f K in g N e b u c h a d n e z z a r, m a y be seen in th e center.

Page 23

A p ro clam atio n by the fa m o u s K in g N e b u ­ ch a d n e z z a r o f B ab y lo n ( 6 0 4 B .C .) . O n e of fo u r o f its kin d in the w orld. ( G a lle r y A -e )

The Love Idol L/~ a t n h n c j o j •

b < J £ H t fry

^ y 6

z n c a z J 2 s ,iv i±

w i f i ; of the E gy p tian P h aroah , A khnaton. w as known as the m ost beauI tiful queen of E gyp t and she ruled with her h u sband in 1358 B. C. H er n am e was N efertiti, w hich in the E gyp tian lan gu age m eant “ B eau ty ’s A rrival.” T h e king desired to have a bust statue m ad e of his beautiful wife and selected the chief of his artists. T h utm osis, to do the work. T h e king h ad changed the lifeless, form less art of E gypt into a new and more modern style and had en ­ gaged the best artists and sculptors of E g y p t to live with him in his new city called “ T h e C ity of the S u n " on the banks of the N ile. He gave the artists and sculptors beautiful hom es and w orkshops so that they m ight live happily and produce the greatest art of their period. W hen T h u tm o sis saw the queen, he w as dum bfounded by her beauty and expressed the fear that he would never be able to do justice to her beautiful countenance. But it w as arranged that she should go daily to the studio of T h u tm o sis and there pose in the queen’s chair for him. Several thousand years later, the statue w as found in the excavations of the sculptor’s studio in the old Sun C ity alon g the N ile, and today the original bust is in the m useum in Berlin and replicas of it are in every large m useum in the w orld.

h j^ H E

Page 24

Domestic Life J 2 i jz

o j tfz E c ^ f - f ic U n t 'Z c ji jji k l a n i

r pH E E gy ptia n s were known for their highly developed dom estic life. J- W om en had equal status w ith men. C hildren w ere shown kindness and were given every opportunity for personal advancem ent. T h e hom es of nobles, scribes, and artisan s reflected the highly developed arts and culture of the period. H om es w ere often colorful with spacious gardens, lotus pools, and splen didly designed arid orn ate furniture.

In this d io ra m a , a princess is seen in the bo ud oir o f her p alac e “ m ak in g u p " with the cosm etics o f ih e d ay. (G a lle ry D -e )

I n a n o b l e ’s h o m e n e a r the fa m o u s C ity o f th e H o riz o n , A khetato n , (1 3 5 0 B .C .) w hich is seen in the b a c k g ro u n d . T h e fa m ­ ily is show n on th e terrace o f th e h om e en jo y in g a g a m e sim i­ la r to d ra u g h ts. G a l­ lery D -e )

Page 25

Egyptian Art of Embalming < U~ aintLnq

T

o m a n y p e r s o n s the study of m um m ies is a m orbid p u rsu it, yet it reveals the m asterful knowledge the E gyp tian s h ad of an atom y and of the com ­

poun din g of m any useful drugs, as well as their know ledge of various other sciences and arts. It is com m only thought that m odern science has not d is­ covered the m eans and m aterials which were used by the ancient E gy p tian s in their m ethods of m um m ifying. T h is is an error of opinion, for science lias m ade a thorough an alysis of the m aterials and substances they used and, through archaeology and history, has learned even the m ethods em ployed. T h e bodies were preserved by bitum en , spices, gum s, and

natron. T h e

word m um m y, in fact, is believed to be derived from an A rabic word m ean in g bitum en, or “ bitum ized th in gs.” W hether the art of m um m ifying cam e from A siatic countries or originated with the E gyp tian s is not definitely know n, bu t it is knowrn that the second king of the first D yn asty, or T e ta, as early as 3366 B. C ., wrote a book on anatom y for the purpose of em balm ing, and that he experim ented w ith drugs to dissolve the internal organs. H erodotus, the em inent ancient G reek historian, h as left, us an excellent account of the m ethods of E gyp tian em balm ing. He states that the fem ale m em bers of the fam ily of the deceased left the body in the house, then sm eared their h an ds and faces w ith m ud, shredded their clothes, exposed their breasts, and beat them selves as they w andered am ong the people—all of this as signs of grief. L ater the body w as carried out and taken to the em balm ers. T h ere were three m ethods of em balm ing or m um m ifying. T h e first m ethod cost a silver talent, or ab ou t $1,000.00; the sec and abou t $300.00; and the third was very inexpensive. T h e first and m ost expensive m ethod w as to draw out the brain through the nostrils w'ith an iron hook and by the infusion of drugs dissolve the rem ains. N ext, an incision w as m ade in the side and the bowels and organs rem oved. T h e abdom en w as then cleansed by rinsing it w ith palm w ine and sprinkled with pow dered perfum es, F in ally, it w as filled w ith pure m yrrh pounded and also cassia and then sewed up. N ext, the entire body w as steeped in natron for seventy d ays; a longer period w as considered illegal. A fter rem oval from the natron, it w as w ashed and carefully w rapped in b a n ­ dages of flaxen cloth and sm eared w'ith gum ; then the coffin or sarcop h agu s w as built to conform to the shape of the body, and the outside w as frequently painted to look like the body w ithin. T h e other and less expensive m ethods w ere not as elaborate, and were m ore com m only used. Page 27

The Story of the Rosetta Stone fJ ti . c \ atuE to c J 'fi^ to n j T

is a c o m p a r a t i v e l y s h o r t t im e a g o . a s w e t h i n k o f t i m e in h i s t o r y , t h a t v e r y little was known to us about the lives and custom s of the ancient Egyptians. T ravelers saw in E gyp t the vestiges of great stone edifices, colossal temples, pyram idlike structures, and superbly sculptured statu ary, m any of which were inscribed with peculiar characters, little of which could be understood. T h a t som e great civilization had left these behind w as obvious, and that they were E gyp tian w as also known. Alm ost all that was know n cam e from the histories of later peoples. T h e accounts of their lives and events w'hieh the E gy p tian s had left for posterity could not be deciphered. T h e im portance of the Rosetta Stone, therefore, is that it provided the key to the lost E gyp tian alphabet, which opened to m odern m an the stone pages of the history of a nearly for­ gotten great people. t

C on trary to general opinion, the E gyp tian s them selves did not intend the Rosetta Ston e as any such key. T h e R osetta Stone is com posed of black basalt an d w as found near the m outh of the N ile in a town the E gy p tian s called R ash id , and we call R osetta. Som e accounts relate that it w as found on the ground, others say in an old w all. T h e finder w as Boussard, an officer of engineers in N ap o leo n ’s arm y cam paign in g in E gyp t at that time. T h e find occurred in A ugust, 171)9. Suspecting that it m ight have som e im portance, he sent it to A lexandria. L ater, N apoleon ordered it taken to the “ In slitu t N a tio n a l” and further ordered that im pressions of the inscriptions be sent to certain students throughout the world for exam ination. E n glan d in its cap itulation treaty with F ran ce in 1801 dem anded, and finally received, the R osetta Stone. T h e R osetta Ston e’s inscriptions consist of two lan gu ages, E g y p tian and A rchaic Greek. T h e Egyptian is d ual in nature, the first upper portion is hieroglyphic, the ancient picture writing. T h e second is the dem otic or m odi­ fied hieratic, a developm ent from the hieroglyphic. T h e R osetta Slone is therefore trilingual in inscription. It w as assum ed, upon exam in ation , that the oval inscriptions it contained h ad w ithin them the nam e of Ptolem y. Exten sive research bore this out and the nam e in the oval, or cartouche, was com pared w ith sim ilar inscriptions and found to be the sam e. C om p arin g lliese inscriptions in turn with the G reek inscriptions, which are identical with the E gy p tian , insofar as significance is concerned, the key to the hieroglyphic alphabet w as discovered after years of study, in 1822. T o a num ber of authorities m ust go credit for such tedious analysis and research, particularly C ham pollion and Young. Page 28

.ifA* r^ jv ,H fea?»' ftO H ru!

ta t « &

•a R O i raso a

ISlllf

|S f^ u rv*i s i yjg ^

iff1firf y *

s S * **

f

^VPOl^rJ*

vjT< 4^2

■X* V-'-dlv v> ‘ >MU»W(T*J^ftH^KAL| cV** ytt^y

S iM §

tits!

Vtf225x‘
T h e R o se tta S to n e b e a rin g the trilin g u a l in^ v p t » ° n s w hich b e cam e the key to d ec ip h e rin g E g y p tia n h iero g ly p h ics. (R e p Jic a on d isp la y in wm nY ’ m R o sic ru c ia n E g y p tia n M u-

Page 29

Rosicrucian Art Gallery In addition to traveling exhibits from the noted m useum s of the world, the w'orthy efforts of local artists are given public display in the R osicrucian A rt G allery. A rt clubs and groups are encouraged to exhibit their work to arouse interest in their activities. T h o u san d s of school children and art students of colleges and universities visit the R osicrucian M useum and Art G allery ann ually.

Rosicrucian Science Museum t h i s a g e of com plex technical developm ent, the public, which shares its ad van tages, is often likely to lose sight of the basic natu ral law s upon w hich it depends. T h e R osicrucian Science M useum w as designed for the purpose of revealing these law s sim ply and interestingly. Its effective exhibits dem onstrate fu n d am en tal principles in such fields of phenom ena as h eat, sound, m agnetism , light, and electricity. At each case, the visitor pushes a button and ingeniously designed devices illustrate the n atu ral law s as explained on placard s w ithin the case. T h e visitor is thus caused to feel a profound respect for the m ysteries of nature. H e comes to learn, as w:ell, how they have been applied by science to his everyday life.

I

n

S k y T h e R osicrucian P lan etariu m , located in the Science M useum building, is called “ T h e T h eater of the Sky.” It derives this nam e from its presentation of the greatest d ram a of all the ages—the m ythological traditions and cosmic roles of the planets and stars, revealing their surprising m ysteries and giving young and old a clearer conception of the w onders of the heavens. T h e R osicrucian Science M useum and P lan etariu m are owned and operated by the R osicrucian O rder, A M O R C . T h ey are open to the public for dem on­ stration at regular periods weekly. V iew ing of the science exhibits is free. A nom inal adm ission charge is m ade for “ T h e T h eater of the Sky.” All lectures are given in such a w ay that the lay m ind m ay grasp in a few m om ents the fu n d am en tals of the various exhibits.

M o d e r n co m p licated d evice w hich p ro jec ts p la n e ts, sta r s, an d o th e r co sm ic p h en o m ­ en a a s th ey w ould be seen th ro u g h a g ian t telesco p e. T h e f i r s t p lan e tariu m d esign ed a n d c o n s t r u c t e d in A m e ric a w as by D r. H . S p e n c e r Lew is.

Page 30