. The dawn of civilization: Egypt and Chaldaea . known and worshipped throughout the whole country. The theologians ofHermopolis alone declined to borrow the new systemjust as it stood; and in all its parts. Hermopolishad always been one of the ruling cities of MiddleEgypt. Standing alone in the midst of the landlying between the Eastern and Western Niles, ithad established upon each of the two great arms ofthe river a port and a custom-house, where allboats travelling either up or down stream paidtoll on passing. Not only the corn and naturalproducts of the valley and of the Delta, but also g
. The dawn of civilization: Egypt and Chaldaea . known and worshipped throughout the whole country. The theologians ofHermopolis alone declined to borrow the new systemjust as it stood; and in all its parts. Hermopolishad always been one of the ruling cities of MiddleEgypt. Standing alone in the midst of the landlying between the Eastern and Western Niles, ithad established upon each of the two great arms ofthe river a port and a custom-house, where allboats travelling either up or down stream paidtoll on passing. Not only the corn and naturalproducts of the valley and of the Delta, but also goods from distant partsof Africa brought to Siût by Soudanese caravans,3helped to fill the treasury of Hermopolis. Thot, thegod of the city, represented as ibis or baboon, wasessentially a moon-god, who measured time, countedthe days, numbered the months, and recorded Lunar divinities, as we know, are everywhere THE IMS THE CYNOCEPIIALOUS THOT.* supposed to exercise the most varied powers : theycommand the mysterious forces of the universe ;they know the sounds, words, and gestures bywhich those forces are put in motion, and notcontent with using them for their own benefit,they also teach to their worshippers the art of employing them. Thot formed no exception tothis rule. He was lord of the voice, master ofwords and of books, possessor or inventor of those magic writings whichnothing in heaven, on earth, or in Hades can He had discoveredthe incantations which evoke and control the gods ; he had transcribed the 1 Drawn by Faucher-Gudiu from an enamelled pottery figure from Coptos, now in my , feet, and tail are in blue enamel, the rest is in green. The little personage represented assquatting beneath the beak is Mâit, the goddess of truth, and the ally of Thot. The ibis wasfurnished witli a ring for suspending it; this lias been broken off, but traces of it may still be se
Size: 1353px × 1847px
Photo credit: © Reading Room 2020 / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, bookidd, booksubjectcivilization
